Palisades High School Basketball Team Returns Home To Rout Rival Fairfax
Palisades Charter High School boys’ basketball team celebrated a triumphant return to their home campus on Thursday, January 29, 2026, defeating rival Fairfax High School with a decisive 75-28 victory. The game marked the team’s first contest in their own gym after 388 days of displacement caused by the Palisades fire in January 2025. For over a year, the Dolphins played 42 consecutive road games and attended classes at a temporary satellite campus while their facilities underwent extensive reconstruction and environmental remediation.
The victory improves Palisades’ record to undefeated in Western League play (8-0), positioning them to secure their first undisputed league title in three decades. Key contributions included 16 points from EJ Popoola, as the team fed off the energy of a sold-out crowd witnessing their first home game since early last season. Junior center Julian Cunningham described the atmosphere as “great,” emphasizing the team’s absolute determination to win after such a prolonged absence.
While the final score indicates a blowout, the Fairfax Lions entered the matchup as a respected adversary with a storied history in the Los Angeles City Section. However, the visitors faced an overwhelming emotional environment and a suffocating Palisades defense that allowed very few scoring opportunities. Critics of the lopsided result might point to the unique “home court advantage” fueled by the community’s emotional return as a significant factor that Fairfax could not replicate or prepare for. The 47-point margin served as a statement win for a program that has maintained high performance despite the logistical challenges of having no home facility for over a year. The reopening of the gym signifies a major milestone in the community’s recovery from the fire damage that affected nearly 40% of the school’s campus.
latimes.com
