Palos Verdes High School Football Team Wins CA State Championship By Contributor Morley Boyd
The Palos Verdes High School football team won their first ever CA State Championship in 2024. It was in nothing less than dominant fashion- a 55-19 rout of Twelve Bridges High, located in Lincoln, California. Ryan Rakowski had a career day with 80% completion percentage, 350 yards through the air (53 on the ground), and 6 touchdown passes to conclude a sensational season. Rakowski’s wideouts gave him all the support he needed. Receivers Morley Boyd, Evan Aguirre, Jalen Flowers, and Joey Koyama (3 receiving touchdowns) all saw the end zone. Though Twelve Bridges entered the game with an undefeated record, the Sea King defense put the Rhinos in a box, yielding an interception from Senior Jon Sarmiento and two sacks from Sophomore Josh Williams. In addition, the two Freshman Reis twins (Christian and Weston) combined for 19 tackles on the day.
The State final, played at Saddleback College, capped off a 7-game winning streak for the Sea Kings, which included two overtime games. Palos Verdes was 4-5 after Week 9 following a loss to Inglewood, but in a win-or-bust situation in the final week of the regular season, the Sea Kings were able to take down their cross-town rivals, Mira Costa, in an overtime thriller. Though the early losses hurt, the competition level and lessons learned made Palos Verdes powerful, as they won their last 3 games by a score of 16 or more.
Palos Verdes High School’s historic State Championship victory is a testament to their resilience, mentality, and teamwork. The Sea Kings were able to bounce back from a shaky start to the season and win until there were no more games to win. With captains Patrick Klink, Matthew Bates, Joey Koyama, and Ryan Rakowski leading the charge, PV proved they were a force to be reckoned with- securing their first State title, third CIF championship, and leaving a lasting impression on the program’s athletic legacy. The team’s journey from 4-5 to 11-5 will be remembered as one of the most impressive turnarounds in high school football history.
Photo credits- Ed McClure
Bio- Morley Boyd is a student-athlete at Palos Verdes High School who plays football, runs track, and is a part of the school’s broadcast journalism program, Live From 205. He enjoys writing and reporting about sports from all over the world.
My instagram- @morley.boyd
My twitter- @morleyboyd7
