HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL TODAY : Kennedy (1-2) vs. Banning (3-0)

At Gardena High, 8 p.m.

Coach Chris Ferragamo won the 150th game of his career at Banning last week against Southern Section power Long Beach Poly, 35-0. The Pilots are ranked No. 1 in the City Section and No. 6 in the nation by USA Today. Quarterback Ed Kapu, tailback Archie Jean and fullback Malili Fuamatu give Banning an impressive array of offensive weapons. And defense is the team’s strong point. Kennedy was the top-ranked City Section team in the Valley before the season, but losses to Crenshaw and Alemany have the Golden Cougars reeling. Quarterback Jeff Newman may miss a second straight game because of asthma. Kennedy has allowed only 238 yards in three games, but has been hurt by penalties and turnovers.

Gardena (0-3) vs. Granada Hills (3-0)

At Granada Hills, 8 p.m.

Even though Gardena is winless, the team is expected to pose a severe test to Granada Hills. Since 1980, Granada Hills is 0-7 against Pacific League teams. Four Pacific League teams meet Valley 4-A teams this week. Quarterback Johnny Matamoros directs Gardena’s veer offense and has completed 24 of 37 passes for 283 yards. Wide receiver Damon Mack has 20 receptions. “We are a very young team,” Gardena Coach Dale Hirayama said. “Playing a tough preleague schedule will help us in the long run. The tough part is keeping the players motivated.” Granada Hills has defeated three relatively weak teams by a combined score of 103-29. Running back Khalid Ali gained 179 yards and scored 3 touchdowns last week. Fullback/linebacker Mike Davis, perhaps the Highlanders’ best all-around player, is out with a severely sprained ankle.

Carson (3-0) vs. San Fernando (1-2)

At San Fernando, 8 p.m.

San Fernando, beaten by Crenshaw last week, now must play host to the team ranked No. 2 in the City Section. Carson Coach Gene Vollnogle hopes to use this last nonleague game to improve the offensive line, the team’s weakness. “The line is inexperienced,” he said. “We’re not small, but have been very inconsistent.” Nonetheless, running backs Alvin Goree and Calvin Holmes, the “Alvin and Calvin show,” are breakaway threats. Carson quarterback George Maulauulu was most valuable player of the L.A. Games 7-on-7 competition. Carson’s large and experienced defense has allowed only 65 yards rushing per game. Defensive end Alan Wilson (6-3, 225), who had three sacks last week, and linebacker Rick Tiedemann, are the team leaders.

Cleveland (3-0) vs. Crenshaw (3-0)

At Crenshaw, 2:30 p.m.

Crenshaw already has defeated two Valley teams, Kennedy and San Fernando. If Cleveland is able to upset the Cougars, the Cavaliers should be regarded as the City Section’s most improved team. Cleveland was 1-7 last season, but has become a winner behind a healthy Albert Fann (412 yards on 65 carries) and an improved defense. Quarterback Mario Hull had completed only 5 of 19 passes until hitting four in a row in a fourth-quarter scoring drive last week to lead Cleveland to a 7-0 win over Taft. Crenshaw has as much size on defense as any City Section team and has allowed only 19 points. Running Back LaMont Peters, who gained 118 yards on 19 carries last week, leads the Cougars’ ball-control offense.

Westlake (3-1) vs. Thousand Oaks (3-1)

At Thousand Oaks,7:30 p.m.

Westlake, the surprise team of the Marmonte League, scored 24 points in last week’s win over Simi Valley, a team that had allowed only 11 points in three previous games. Westlake is winning on great performances from its special teams and the big-play capability of running back Todd Thompson (366 yards and an average of 9.0 yards per carry) and split end Chris Mann. “If one guy on our team is a college prospect, it’s Mann,” Coach George Contreras said. Thousand Oaks has two 300-yard runners: Marc Monestime and Mike Moore. “We need to control their running game,” Contreras said. The Lancers, who have lost only to Canyon, complement their punishing ground game with a defensive unit full of vicious hitters. Contreras said this is Westlake’s toughest test. “We’ve allowed more yards than we’ve gained,” he said. “We are a very amazing 3-1.”

St. Genevieve (2-2) vs. Harvard (3-1)

At Harvard High, 3 p.m.

This is the first ever Santa Fe League game for Harvard, which moved over from the Pioneer League after losing the Desert-Mountain Conference title game last season. Running backs Andy Bell and Alex Huh give Harvard a potent ground game. Bell gained 266 yards and scored 4 touchdowns last week. “If we can’t move the ball on the ground, our offense isn’t working,” Coach Gary Thran said. St. Genevieve relies on its passing game. Quarterback Dion Contreras has completed 42 of 88 passes. “They throw the ball real well,” Thran said. “We want to put pressure on the quarterback.” Harvard’s two best defensive players are cornerbacks Mike Patterson and Andrew Sikking.

North Hollywood (2-0-1) vs. Sylmar (2-1)

At Sylmar, 8 p.m.

This Pac 8 League battle will be fought on the ground. “The running game is our strength and it’s their strength,” Sylmar assistant coach Obbie Brown said. “We’ll just hammer on each other and go from there.” Sean Hampton, who has gained 255 yards in two games while nursing a rib injury that kept him out of the opener, will do the hammering for Sylmar. North Hollywood, reborn under first-year Coach Fred Grimes, gained 396 yards rushing two weeks ago. Chip Grant has gained 331 yards and scored 5 touchdowns. The loser of this game has little chance of winning the league title.

Alemany (1-3) vs. Canyon (4-0)

At Canyon, 7:30 p.m.

Canyon, the top-ranked team in the Valley area by The Times, is now on top of the nation with a current streak of 42 straight wins. The loss of wide receiver/defensive back Chad Zeigler (concussion) will hurt the Cowboys’ passing game and pass defense. Sophomore Brian Schroeder will replace Zeigler on both sides of the ball. Running back Lance Cross, who has missed most of the last three games with assorted ailments, may play. “When everyone is healthy we have a great high school offense,” Coach Harry Welch said. Alemany, the team with the toughest schedule in the Southern Section, upset Kennedy last week. “We aren’t streak-busters,” Coach Enrique Lopez said of playing Canyon. “We’re getting ready for our league season.” Undefeated Loyola and Crespi are Alemany’s first two Del Rey League opponents. Said Welch: “I thought Alemany bit off more than they could chew. But they knocked off Kennedy. If they knock off Canyon, it will be a great schedule.”

Crespi (4-0) vs. Santa Clara (2-1)

At Rio Mesa High, 7:30 p.m.

Santa Clara, an Oxnard parochial school, has a proud athletic tradition that figures to take a beating from the Crespi invasion. Crespi sophomore Russell White averages 15.9 yards a carry and has shown no signs of slowing down. Neither does the team, although Crespi began last season 4-0 and finished 6-4. Crespi’s defense has allowed only 13 points. “When people bring up the fact that we’ve given up 14 points,” Coach Bill Redell said, “I tell them that we gave up only eight points and had three shutouts after four games last season.” But last season, as Redell knows, Russell White was too young for varsity football.

El Camino Real (0-3) vs. Camarillo (2-2)

At Camarillo, 7:30 p.m.

Camarillo, which has exploded for 71 points the past two weeks, got the lucky draw in the match-ups between Marmonte and Valley 4-A league teams. El Camino Real, a small team decimated by injuries, will be lucky to win a game this season. The handful of quality players El Camino Real does have are worn down from playing both ways. “We are just hoping to survive the season,” El Camino Real assistant coach Ralph Stam said. Quarterback Mike Henry (24 of 43 for 466 yards) and running backs Kevin Ochs (389 yards on 61 carries) and Bill Bell (319 on 42) lead the Camarillo attack. The offensive line was a trouble spot until Coach Carl Thompson shuffled his personnel.