Sotomayor Downs Palisades 13-7 in City Semifinal

Sotomayor's two long first-half passes built a 13-0 halftime lead that Palisades could not overcome.

Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in Football

Sotomayor Downs Palisades 13-7 in City Semifinal

Sotomayor defeated Palisades High 13-7 in a City Section Division III semifinal on Tuesday afternoon at Sotomayor. Palisades scored once in the third quarter on a pass from Willow Burgess to Cali Smith, with Charlie Albores adding the extra point.

Why it matters

The loss ended Palisades High's first flag football season, which finished 10-7 after the program was launched this year. Sotomayor advances in the City Section Division III bracket, while the result closes a debut campaign for a team whose coach and most roster players had no prior flag football experience.

The final score was 13-7, and Sotomayor led 13-0 at halftime before Palisades scored once in the third quarter. Palisades, the third seed, finished 10-7 in its first season, with two playoff wins over Brio College Prep and Arroyo before the semifinal loss.

The players

Sotomayor High School

Sotomayor is a Los Angeles public high school that hosted the semifinal and advanced as the second seed in the City Section Division III flag football bracket.

Palisades High School

Palisades High School is a Los Angeles public high school whose inaugural flag football team finished its first season 10-7 after reaching the semifinal round.

The details

Sotomayor scored on a pair of long passes in the first half to take a 13-0 lead into halftime. Palisades' defense carried it through its first two playoff games, and its lone score came on a third-quarter pass from Willow Burgess to Cali Smith. In the fourth quarter, officials ruled that Jordan Avdul was out of bounds on a pass from Ryan Davison.

Tuesday, November 10, 2026: City Section Division III semifinal played at Sotomayor.

Season Trajectory

Palisades' run to the semifinals in its first season shows how quickly new flag football programs can compete in the City Section's expanding bracket. The result leaves Sotomayor as the remaining program in the Division III field from this matchup.

For fantasy and bracket followers, Sotomayor's advance means it will play again in the City Section Division III playoffs while Palisades' season is over. Readers tracking the bracket should note that the matchup decided the semifinal slot and that Palisades' 10-7 finish is final.

The takeaway

A first-year program can reach the semifinals with a defense-driven run, as Palisades did, even when its coach and most players are new to flag football. Sotomayor's halftime lead shows how two big passes can decide a playoff game.