Banning Finds It Can at Least Beat Kennedy

Banning quarterback Ed Kapu passed for two touchdowns and fullback Eric Sharp rushed for three more as Banning trounced Kennedy, the Times’ Valley-area fifth-ranked team, 49-6, Friday night at Kennedy.

Kapu completed 11 of 13 passes for 180 yards, including scoring strikes of 43 and 35 yards to flanker Bryan Burnette as the Pilots continued their 10-year reign of terror over Valley-area teams.

Since 1975, Banning has compiled a 35-1 record against teams from the Valley, losing only to a John Elway-led Granada Hills team in 1978.

“We had to do something different tonight,” said Banning Coach Chris Ferragamo, whose team is 2-2. “We had to experiment, we had to find some things out about our people.”

The Banning experiment was to take their best athlete, linebacker Earl Saunders, and move him to tailback in an effort to generate what had been a lagging offense in three previous games.

Saunders responded by carrying the ball 18 times for 176 yards and two touchdowns.

“They just had too much for us,” said Kennedy Coach John Haynes, whose team is 2-2. “Moving Saunders to tailback was obviously a good move on their part. He was great.”

Kennedy’s only score of the night came on a 56-yard touchdown sprint by tailback Roman Carter, who carried the ball 11 times for 129 yards.

But this game belonged to Banning and the onslaught began after Kennedy could do nothing with the first possession of the game.

The Pilots took started their first drive from their own 42-yard line and marched 58 yards in nine plays for the first score of the night. Saunders carried the ball six times during the drive, accounting for 49 yards and a one-yard touchdown run around right end.

Kennedy looked like it was going to come back with a score of their own after quarterback Eric Evans connected with Dion Lambert on a 73-yard pass play that put the Golden Cougars at the Banning 13. But, the drive stalled three plays later and when Greg Friedman’s 21-yard field goal attempt was blocked, the threat was squelched.

Banning waited until there was just 7:06 left in the half before striking again with the first score in a three-touchdown outburst.

Sharp capped a three-play, 65-yard drive when he sprinted 14-yards off right tackle into the end zone.

Following a Golden Cougar fumble, the Pilots took control at the Kennedy 37-yard line and scored four plays later when Sharp scored his second touchdown of the game on a 12-yard run.

The final Banning touchdown of the half came one play after Pilots defensive back James Gaines picked off an Evans pass at Banning’s own 43-yard line.

Kapu hit Burnette streaking across the middle and after catching the pass, Burnette raced all the way to the end zone to give the Pilots a 27-6 halftime lead.

The Pilots added three more second-half touchdowns and looked like the Banning teams of the past that have been perennial City Section contenders.

Banning 7 20 15 7 -- 49 Kennedy 0 6 0 0 -- 6 B--Saunders 1 run (Manzano kick)

B--Sharp 14 run (Manzano kick)

B--Sharp 12 run (Manzano kick)

B--Burnette 43 pass from Kapu (kick failed)

K--Carter 56 run (kick failed)

B--Burnette 35 pass from Kapu (Manzano kick)

B--Sharp 1 run (Hernandez run)

B--Saunders 6 run (Manzano kick)