Prep Football : Banning and Its Big D Face Kennedy Tonight

The defense of the black and red of Wilmington Banning High School has been leaving football opponents’ offensive teams black and blue, just the way Coach Chris Ferragamo figured it would. Maybe a little green with envy, too.

Only 46 points have been scored against the Pilots, who have a 10-0 record, including five consecutive mid-season shutouts, and the No. 1 ranking in the country in USA Today.

Those are numbers that could translate into a semifinal win over Granada Hills Kennedy (6-3-1) in the City playoffs tonight at 7:30 at Veterans Stadium in Long Beach and a fourth straight appearance in the City 4-A championship game.

“Right now, we’re starting to peak,” Ferragamo said Thursday. “I’m noticing a different team attitude. Everyone seems to be more up-tempo, working harder than ever and carrying through their blocks. Everyone seems to be a little more excited. There’s more bounce in their legs.

“I definitely don’t see any weaknesses (in the defense). Not against the run. Not against the pass. People can’t break a long one on us because we’re too fast. They’re going to have to try and throw the football, and Coach (Joe) Dominguez and Coach (Rocky) Garibay change the formations so often, nobody is going to catch us in the same defense over and over.”

The Pilots opened the season by giving up 14 points to Fontana, a semifinalist in the Southern Section’s Big Five Conference, and then went on the shutout streak, including an 18-0 win over Kennedy in Week 4. They needed all that defense to squeak by L.A. Dorsey, 3-0, but then closed out the regular season with three wins by a combined score of 114-24 before beating San Fernando, 41-8, in the first round of the playoffs two weeks ago.

At the same time, the offensive line was quietly developing into one of the best ever at Banning, especially up the middle with center Dan Gunderson and guards Mike Padilla and Ed Lalau. The offense also passed a depth test of sorts when Ricky Moore took over for the injured Archie Jean at running back without a drop-off in statistics, and fullback Malili Fuamatu has been steady all season.

Jean, bothered by a bad knee, has been practicing this week, but it is still doubtful whether he will play.

The defense has offered no such role changes for intrigue. Same ‘ol dull routs with safeties Marvin Pollard and Marlon Primous, cornerbacks Ken Franklin and Ted Presley, McCan Utu leading the linebackers and with tackles Terrance Powe (6-5, 260) and Tyrone Rogers (6-5, 245) and ends Eric Dozier (6-3, 225) and Luis Wooldridge (6-3, 215) up front. That is the same line billed as The Unbudgeables, but that has had Dozier and Wooldridge pushed somewhat out of the spotlight.

“And they shouldn’t be pushed out of anyone’s shadow, because they can make a big enough shadow themselves,” Ferragamo said.

Kennedy, to its credit, is much improved since a 1-3 start and the teams’ first meeting, and has been playing especially well of late.

The turning point might have occurred the week after the Banning game in a 7-7 tie with Granada Hills, the only blemish for that semifinalist in a 9-0-1 season. Kennedy followed that up with shutouts over El Camino Real of Woodland Hills, 33-0; Simi Valley, 7-0; Reseda Cleveland, 35-0, and San Fernando, 28-0. Kennedy opened the playoffs with a 29-6 win over Dorsey.