Samo football defeats Palisades 15-7 at first home game

Samo football defeated Pacific Palisades High School 15-7 at the first home game of the season on Fri., Sept. 12., due to the team's consistently strong defense. Samo’s record is now 1-1, following their loss at Los Altos on August 29.At the start of the game, numerous penalties prevented either team from putting points on the board until running back Zach Cooper (’16) scored his first touchdown late in the second quarter. Cooper continued to play strong offense, though Pali scored towards the end of the quarter. He later followed a first down run and succeeded in scoring a second touchdown for Samo.Samo's strong defense in the fourth quarter lead to a Palisades fumble, clinching the game in favor of Samo, said coach Travis Clark. According to Clark, the team has prided itself on consistent defense thus far in the season.Despite strong defense, Samo committed numerous penalties. This resulted in a loss of over 100 yards throughout the game. The team still managed to maintain its lead throughout the end of the game and defeated Palisades 15-7.Although defense was a strong area for Samo, penalties are a major area of concern, according to Cooper.“Going into the next game, we need to cut down on the penalties because that can make a big difference,” Cooper said.Overall, the team and Clark are looking towards the season to improve both defensively and offensively. According Clark, the players have already begun to showcase their talents that will push them through the upcoming season."My kids stuck tough," Clark said."I'm so proud of them. I love the way they fought. And that shows were going to have a lot of gut and a lot of heart moving forward."