Demare Dezeurn intercepted three passes, returning the last 78 yards for the clinching touchdown as Palisades prevailed 49-34 to snap host Brentwood’s three-game winning streak Friday night in the annual “Sunset Showdown” between the Westside schools located six miles apart.
Dezeurn, one of the fastest sprinters in California, had a career-high four touchdown catches in the Dolphins’ season opener and this time established a career-best for takeaways in a game. He picked off a pass in the first quarter and another in the second that he returned 45 yards for a touchdown but it was called back on a penalty. The last came after a tipped ball with the Eagles (2-2) on the move with 43 seconds left.
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“It was a tipped ball, I broke outside and took it all the way,” said the junior transfer from Bishop Alemany, who committed to Oklahoma on Tuesday. “After the first two, I knew I had to get one more.”
In last year’s game, Brentwood quarterback Ben Mikail scrambled nine yards for the winning touchdown in double overtime. This time he tried to run for a tying two-point conversion but was tackled short of the goal line by free safety Tavian Talbert with 2:51 left.
“I saw that it was a broken play and the dude I was supposed to guard wasn’t running a route so I spied on the quarterback and slammed him to the ground,” said Talbert, who recovered the ensuing onside kick. “It feels good to beat them on their home field because last year they beat us on ours.”
Jack Thomas passed for 797 yards and 11 touchdowns in Palisades’ first two games and tossed three more Friday — two to King Demethris and one to Malachi Ross — while Harrison Carter ran for a touchdown and returned a kickoff 85 yards for another score for the Dolphins (3-0), ranked third in the City Section by The Times.
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Mikail threw touchdown passes to Dean Pretlow and Kaymon Jackson, Robert Sullivan and Enzo Longhi each ran for a score, and Kruz Jackson scored on a punt return for Brentwood, which leads 4-3 in a rivalry that began in 2018.
Palisades, which reached the City Division I final last season but is vying for the Open Division this fall, led 21-7 at halftime.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.