Prep Football Game of the Week : Long Beach Poly Beats Banning, 19-10

Banning High, winner of seven City football titles in the past nine years under Coach Chris Ferragamo, is a team used to dealing with big numbers and big streaks, and this season is no different. The only difference is, the Pilots are having their own streaks broken.

Last week, Huntington Beach Edison snapped a three-game losing string against Banning, 27-11. And Saturday, before a crowd of about 3,500 at Long Beach Veterans Stadium, Long Beach Poly beat Banning for the first time in five tries, 19-10. Banning (1-2) has lost two straight for the first time since 1974.

There were plenty of good bounces and heroes for Poly--quarterback Michael Herring, wide receiver Eric Morgan and the entire defense--but few for Banning. Ferragamo was sure to point that out afterward.

“They shut down everything that we thought we could do,” Ferragamo said.

“I just don’t know about our team. I think everyone looks to our team to have good football players, but I guess we don’t. I’m real depressed right now. I’ll probably have more to say later.”

And with that, he walked away.

Meanwhile, Poly co-Coaches Tom Whiting and Jerry Jaso had plenty to smile about. Poly, the State’s No. 1 team, held Damon Culver, Banning’s best back, to only 31 yards in 15 carries.

Poly quarterback Michael Herring, benched in the opener against Gardena, netted only 77 yards passing, but two of his completions were scoring plays of 23 and 22 yards to Eric Morgan and a 13-0 lead at halftime. Morgan did a good job of getting behind an inexperienced Banning secondary both times.

“If you saw the Gardena game and you saw this game,” Whiting said, “you know how much Herring has improved.”

Poly (3-0) increased the lead to 19-0 at the start of the second half as Banning’s Andre Killebrew fumbled the kickoff at his own 29-yard line. Leonard Russell, Poly’s kicker/running back, got the ball on a perfect bounce and carried it in for a touchdown.

Banning’s only touchdown came midway through the third quarter when linebacker Earl Saunders intercepted Herring’s pass and returned it 40 yards untouched. Marlon Primous, who alternated at quarterback with Ed Kapu for much of the game, passed to Jay Garrett for a two-point conversion to cut Poly’s lead to 19-8.

Banning had a chance to get back into the game at the start of the fourth quarter after Louis Woolridge recovered a fumble by Poly punter Todd Nichols at the Poly 19. But Banning couldn’t push it in. With fourth-and-goal on the seven, Kapu’s pass up the middle fell incomplete with 7:40 remaining.

Poly gave up a safety with 1:41 to play in the game as punter Morgan was tackled in his own end zone by Bryan Burnett rather than risk getting the kick blocked or giving Banning good field position. Banning got the ball back on the ensuing kickoff, but Poly defensive back Mark Carrier secured the victory by recovering a fumble by Banning’s Leonard Hernandez with four seconds remaining.