Sympathy not a given, but understood

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The Banning assistant coach gave me a wink. ‘Watch, we’re going to score now,’ he whispered. ‘We’ve been planning this play for [Phillip] Brown all week.’

It was the second play of the game.

Brown, a wide receiver, was standing on the Fremont 35-yard line when the ball was snapped. He then ran a post pattern and was wide open at the Fremont 15. Quarterback Anthony Rodriguez’s pass sailed into the early evening air -- and about three yards beyond Brown’s fingertips.

Banning wanted to run that play again before the score presumably got out of hand. They didn’t get the chance. Thanks to a screen pass from Rodriguez to running back Josh Limosnero that went for an 80-yard touchdown with 12 seconds left in the second quarter, Banning toook a 26-7 halftime lead. The Pilots then scored three more touchdowns in the third quarter, and were breezing, 48-15, going into the fourth.

Banning won, 55-29.

Still, it was not the Pilots’ desire to embarrass the Pathfinders, because Banning has been were Fremont is now.

The Pathfinders are playing a bunch of sophomores and are building for the future, though Coach Washington believes his team has a shot at third place in the Coliseum League. They are going to take their lumps, the same lumps Banning took when the Pilots went 1-9 two years ago.

The competition gets tougher for Banning over the next three weeks, with road trips to San Fernando and Taft, then a meeting with high-flying Venice. I doubt the Pilot coaches will be predicting touchdown plays in those games.

I also believe the level of compassion won’t be the same either.

- Mike Terry