Predicting the City quarterfinal results

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The four games that kickoff this Wednesday should be the most balanced and entertaining games of the City playoff so far. After a chat with several swamies -- or nightmares from a bad tuna sandwich, I can’t remember which -- the race to the semifinals looks this way:

No. 1. Birmingham (10-1) over No. 9 Taft (8-3). When the teams met on Nov. 9, Taft scored the first and last touchdowns of the game. In between, Birmingham scored 49 consecutive points. It’s Birmingham in another walkover.

No. 5 Narbonne (10-1) over No. 4 Crenshaw (7-4). After Birmingham, these are the best two offensive teams in the playoffs. And no other game will feature more athletes on both sides of the ball. But I believe Narbonne’s offensive and defensive lines will do a better job of wearing down Crenshaw than the other way around.

No. 3 Venice (10-1) over No. 6 Dorsey (8-3). I give Venice the edge because it is at home and it makes better use of the passing game than Dorsey. But the tailback duel between the Gondoliers’ Curtis McNeal and the Dons’ Johnathan Franklin could be breathtaking.

No. 2 Carson (9-2) over No. 7 Banning (9-2). I don’t see Banning being shut out a second time, like it was in the Nov. 8 meeting between the teams. But host Carson wins again.

-- Mike Terry