Prep Football Games to Watch : Carson, Banning to Fight It Out Again for No. 1

The No. 1 ranking as well as City Section football bragging rights are at stake when Carson High School plays Banning Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. at East Los Angeles College.

The game will determine the Pacific League championship, and one team will complete an undefeated regular season. Each is 8-0 overall, 4-0 in league play.

Banning is the defending City 4-A champion, although Carson won their regular-season game and the league title a year ago.

The series is even at 15 wins apiece.

This season, both teams have dominated opponents. Banning, The Times’ top-ranked team, has recorded five shutouts and given up just 28 points. No one has come within a touchdown of second-ranked Carson.

Both teams feature stifling defenses. On offense, Banning relies on the passing of quarterback Ed Kapu. The multitalented Marvin Pollard is one of Kapu’s targets. Pollard is also one of the top defensive backs in the City.

Carson’s offense revolves around running backs Calvin Holmes and Alvin Goree.

The teams will likely get another shot at one another in the City 4-A championship game Dec. 12.

Lynwood (6-2-1) at Paramount

(8-1), tonight, 7:30 p.m. The winner will be the league champion. Lynwood, which failed to win for the first time in 35 San Gabriel Valley League games in last week’s tie with Dominguez, has won the league title since 1982. Paramount last won a league championship in 1979. Quarterback Kojuan Williams of Paramount has completed close to 60% of his passes for 1,350 yards. Williams has also run for nine touchdowns. Lynwood is led by running back Austin McCowan.

Reseda (7-1) at University (7-1),

today, 2:15 p.m. A win would give University its first league title in the 23 years that Coach Joe Sedia has been at the school. University’s high-scoring offense will be called upon to dent the Pac-8’s toughest defense. University averages 30 points a game, but Reseda has given up just 26 points all season. Sam Edwards leads the Reseda defense with six interceptions. Running back Ronald Wilkinson has gained 672 yards in 122 carries. University’s offense is based upon the passing of Daryl Hobbs and the rushing of Amani Davis. Hobbs has thrown for 896 yards. Davis has gained 604 in 97 carries.

Santa Fe Springs St. Paul (6-3)

at La Puente Bishop Amat (9-0),

tonight, 7:30 p.m. St. Paul stands in the way of an undefeated regular season for Bishop Amat. The Lancers are The Times’ top-rated Southern Section team. Eric Bieniemy, Bishop Amat running back, has gained 1,450 yards and scored 22 touchdowns, tops in the Southern Section. St. Paul has won four straight since starting 2-3. Quarterback Jeff Willis has 1,578 yards and 17 touchdowns passing. Jayson Pantages has caught 38 passes for 520 yards.

Palisades (5-2-1) at Manual Arts

(5-2), today, 2:15 p.m. Palisades overcame 3 interceptions and 6 fumbles last week to win, setting up this showdown for the Crosstown League championship. Manual Arts has been untested since it began league play. The Toilers have outscored their opponents, 73-10, in winning four in a row. Halfback Herman Nash keys the Toiler offense. Palisades has three shutouts and has been shut out three times.

Long Beach Poly (6-2) at

Long Beach Millikan (8-0),

tonight, 7:30 p.m. Who would have thought that Poly would need to win the final game of the season to win the Moore League title? The Jackrabbits, top-ranked in The Times poll before the season, have rebounded from early losses to Bishop Amat and Banning. Still, Poly has not rolled over its league opponents. Running back Leonard Russell has rushed for 998 yards and 13 touchdowns. He needs to have a big game against a stingy Millikan defense that has kept opponents under 10 points in 8 of 10 games.

Pasadena Muir (8-0) vs. Pasadena

(6-2), at the Rose Bowl,

Saturday, 1 p.m. This game is for the Pacific League and Pasadena city championships. But for Pasadena to beat Muir, the defending Coastal Conference champion, it must stop running back Ricky Ervins. A 5-foot 10-inch senior, Ervins has gained 1,149 yards and averages almost 7 yards a carry. Pasadena boasts Anthony Wallace, who has 1,196 yards in 116 carries, a 10.3 average. Muir has won the Pacific League title five of the last six seasons, including three straight.