CITY PREVIEW : HIGH SCHOOL ’86 : Banning Is Eager to Turn Pilot Defense Loose on an Opponent

Wilmington Banning Coach Chris Ferragamo, who knows a thing or two about hyperbole, may not be stretching it when he says he is eager for the 1986 City football season to begin Friday. If it were much longer a wait, the Pilots, who open as The Times’ No. 1 team, might not have as many players to work with.

Banning has already had lost several players to injury. No starters, but, thanks to an aggressive defense, there has been one broken leg, two broken arms and countless other bruises.

“Those guys (the defense) are so big and rugged and strong from the weight room,” Ferragamo said of the defending 4-A champions. “I just can’t wait for the season to begin. Most of the players can’t wait for it to begin so they can get their hands on some new meat, some new people.”

And on that note . . .

1 WILMINGTON BANNING 1985 Record: 9-3

Coach: Chris Ferragamo

Strengths: Defense, with size and speed from top to bottom. Starting DTs Terrance Powe (6-4 1/2, 265) and Tyrone Rogers (6-4 1/2, 240) are nicknamed “The Unbudgeables,” while backup Arley Anthony (6-2 1/2, 270) is the Barbecue. Beyond the monikers, there are DEs Eric Dozier and Louis Wooldridge. FS Marvin Pollard is one of the top prospects in California, and CB Ken Franklin, a transfer from Los Angeles, has been very impressive himself. OLB Calvin Spears is especially good against the pass. Offensive line with C Dan Gunderson, G Mike Padilla, G Ed Lalau, TE Titus Tuiasosopo, the cousin of Mano Tuiasosopo. Coaching.

Weaknesses: Untested running game with junior FB Ken Williams and senior TB Archie Jean, a converted wide receiver.

Outlook: “I feel this team, if it progresses the way it left off last year, could, in the end, be one of the finest teams in the state of California,” Ferragamo says. No disagreement here. The team is ranked No. 7 in the nation by USA Today.

2 CARSON 1985 Record: 10-2

Coach: Gene Vollnogle

Strengths: The Alvin n’ Calvin gang at RB, Alvin Goree and Calvin Holmes, both 5-10 and fast, QB George Malauulu, though only a junior, is a team leader and has a strong arm. Offensive line, led by C-G-T Tommy Luapo. MLB Rich Tiedemann and OLB Arnold Ale. Aggressive CBs Sheldon Jones, Michael Woodson and Abdul Harris. K Luis Solorio. Coaching.

Weaknesses: Inexperience on the defensive line because of grade problems. Allan Wilson and Kendall Hooks, both former running backs, have been moved to DE. Inexperience at safety, although Harris may move over.

Outlook: Holmes and Goree are the stars, but it will be interesting to watch the development of Malauulu and the passing game. On defense, it’ll be up to the four linebackers (Robert Ward, Edwin Ulufanua, Tiedemann and Ale) to compensate for the holes in front of and behind them.

3 GRANADA HILLS KENNEDY 1985 Record: 4-5

Coach: Bob Francola

Strengths: Seven starters returning from a defense that, with the exception of a 49-6 loss to Banning, never allowed more than 21 points in a game. NG Akili Calhoun, OLBs George Davison and Ron Hardy, FS Stacy Ramsey and CBs Dion Lambert and Jeff Newman lead the way. On offense, C Ron Simmons (6-4, 245) is one of the top lineman in the state and one of the best players in the City at any position. TB Edwin Jones, QB Newman and WR Lambert.

Weaknesses: The offensive line has three newcomers. A schedule that has L.A. Crenshaw, Mission Hills Alemany, Banning and Simi Valley.

Outlook: There still is a gap between the second- and third-best teams (as always), but first-year Coach Bob Francola and the Golden Cougars should be kings of the Valley, which is nice at least until the playoffs begin. The offense will be balanced but geared more toward the pass than recent Kennedy teams, because of Newman.

4 L.A. DORSEY 1985 Record: 8-3

Coaches: Paul Knox & Eugene McAdoo

Strengths: Both lines, with Doug Bledsoe and Earle Austin seeing double duty. Michael Harris and Melvin Williams both return at DB as does RB George Sykes. Senior MLB William Buckner, who at 5-4 and 200 pounds may have the most appropriate nickname around: Stump. “When we evaluated our last season, he was probably one of our top defensive players technically,” Knox says. “He didn’t have the physical ability of Robert Nobles (an All-City selection), but technically speaking, he was a fine player. And it looks like he has improved.”

Weaknesses: Only five starters are back, so inexperience, especially in replacing graduates Sean Foster at WR and Tommy Jackson. QB Dana Frelow, a third-stringer in ‘85, is untested.

Outlook: One of the surprise teams of ‘85, coming back from a 2-6 season to lose to only Carson (twice) and Banning, the Dons lost a lot do graduation (Jackson, Foster and Nobles were three of the best players in the City) and still won’t sneak up on anyone this year. The defense is the key, and because of a lack of depth on the line has been switched from a 3-4 to a 4-3.

5 GARDENA 1985 Record: 4-6

Coach: Dale Hirayama

Strengths: OLB Barry Jackson, a two-year starter, is the No. 1 prospect. Both lines, with more size, strength and depth than recent years. CB Sang Pak is a two-year starter. An improved QB Johnny Matamoros is a returning starter. SE Damon Mack.

Weaknesses: Inexperience at running back. “We’re pretty sound at every position,” Hirayama says. “Depth could be a worry, but almost every team has that problem.”

Outlook: “Our season hinges on how quickly our team matures and grows,” Hirayama says. “We don’t have the type of schedule that will put us very high, unless we win them all.” In other words, the record may not be indicative of how good this team is, not with games against Long Beach Poly (Friday), St. John Bosco of Bellflower, Granada Hills, Dorsey, L.A. Crenshaw, Carson and Banning.

6 WATTS LOCKE 1985 Record: 6-5

Coach: E.C. Robinson

Strengths: Offensive line, led by T Vincent Smith, C Andre Williams and T Edgar Bonner. Junior Darian Hagan would have been one of the top running backs in the City, now he will be one of the top running quarterbacks. WR Timmy Thomas has some speed, but does Hagan have much of an arm? The move was predicated largely on the play of David Moore, who has been very impressive in preseason workouts as a sophomore. Secondary, with CB Robert Lewis, SS Eddie Washington and FS Anthony Willis, a senior transfer from Oklahoma.

Weaknesses: Will start nine juniors, which at this point makes for more question marks than weaknesses. Depth. Inexperience at inside linebacker.

Outlook: This team opens the season as the favorite for the 3-A title. “We’ve been close to the City finals twice and the kids really want it,” Robinson says. “I think this year we’re going to do it, I really do. If we don’t have the key injuries, we’ll be in good shape.”

7 SAN FERNANDO 1985 Record: 8-3

Coach: Tom Hernandez

Strengths: The backfield is deep, if not experienced, with FB Eric Lee and RBs Louis Jones and Terry Smith running the wishbone behind junior Joe Mauldin. Offensive line, with G Alex Casas, C Danny Berlander, G Raul Pulido. DE Mark Toledo and sophomore DT Anthony Hall. CB Brent Huff.

Weaknesses: Several players will be moving to new positions to fill holes (Jones was a TE, Lee a DE and Smith a NG), so that should qualify as inexperience.

Outlook: If preseason workouts were any indication, the Tigers are in great shape. “We had no dead period at all during Hell Week, which is real unusual,” Hernandez says. “Usually, you’ll have to cut practice short or people will start to drag one day. But we never slowed down. I’ve never seen that. We’re ready to play now. We’re got a long way to go before we become a real good football team, but everyone wants to get started.”

8 CRENSHAW 1985 Record: 2-6

Coach: David Frierson

Strengths: At linebacker, with LaMont Gaston, Rodney Scott, Frederick Wilson and Lafayette Davis. DE Duane Hayford and DT Alfred Saunders, a transfer from Arizona, head the defensive line. QB Jeffrey Sullivan and RB LaMont Peters are both seniors in the backfield. G Anthony McClellan.

Weaknesses: Untested secondary. Only 40 players on the roster.

Outlook: This song sounds familiar, like from last year, when the Cougars were also especially strong at linebacker, began the season as the No. 8 team . . . and went 2-6 while being outscored, 178-71. As for ‘86, Frierson says, “This is a bright group of kids. It’s all kind of on me and my staff to make sure they have everything they need in preparation.” Gets Kennedy, Fairfax, San Fernando and much-improved Reseda Cleveland in nonleague games.

9 GRANADA HILLS 1985 Record: 7-2

Coach: Darryl Stroh

Strengths: Skill positions on offense, with QB Jeremy Leach, RBs Khalid Ali, WRs Kyle Jan and Tony Graves and TE Sean Brown, who has “the best hands of anyone I’ve ever coached,” Stroh says. High praise considering two-time All-City WR Greg Fowble just graduated. Secondary, with Dean Yoshitani and Mike Davis at S and Brown and Graves at CB. C Aaron Hess and T Scott Cravens on the offensive line. OLB DeWayne Williams and ILB Jamal Farmer.

Weaknesses: Depth, with 6 or 7 players expected to go both ways. Some consider the size of the offensive line to be a problem, but Stroh isn’t one of them. “I’ve seldom seen a group with as much determination and heart as these guys,” he says.

Outlook: Started 7-0 last season before being decimated by injuries and having a once promising season ended by Dorsey in the first round of the 4-A playoffs, 34-14. In ‘86, with much of the success relying on juniors, the Highlanders need to stay even further away from those problems.

10 WESTCHESTER 1985 Record: 9-2

Coach: Larry Wein

Strengths: Seniors at key positions. LB-RB Keith Bowen is one of the top prospects in the City. QB Steve Kristy is a returning starter. P-WR Jeff Lanely. OLBs Chris Brandon and Troy Lane. Size on the offensive line.

Weaknesses: Inexperience on that big offensive line, with only the center back.

Outlook: Will Bowen and Kristy be enough to win the improved Pac 8 League, let alone the 2-A Division?

Others to Watch: Hamilton, with its top four running backs returning and QB Aaron Echols; Manual Arts, with 5-9 Herman Nash running behind Errol Barrett (6-3, 280) and Kenneth Blue (6-1, 270); Fairfax, the defending 3-A champion with a nonleague lineup that includes Crenshaw and Locke. “The old days of playing Belmont and Uni (L.A. University) are gone,” Coach Dennis Furlong says. “Those coaches won’t even talk to me any more. Fairfax has one good team in 60 years and no one will play us anymore.”