Prep Wrapup : Carson Convincing in Win Over Banning

Errol Sapp, Carson’s cat-quick running back, was asked his impression of Banning after the Colts scored a convincing 24-13 win over their archrival Friday night before an overflow crowd of 14,000 fans at Veterans Stadium in Long Beach.

“They have a nice defense,” he said, without much conviction.

Then, after thinking it over, Sapp said what he really believed: “Honestly? They’re weak.”

That statement might come back to haunt Sapp and his teammates if Carson and Banning meet again in the L.A. City 4-A finals, which is a possibility.

But this was a night for honesty, not diplomacy. Sapp wasn’t about to let anyone think that Carson had the least bit of trouble putting Banning in its place, which happens to be second in the Pacific League.

Carson (9-1, 3-0 in league play) captured the Pacific title for the second straight year with a performance that was dominating both offensively and defensively. The Colts moved the ball consistently, getting big efforts from Sapp and quarterback Perry Klein, and they held Banning in check most of the game, recording a season-high 6 sacks on Pilot quarterback John Ma’ae.

The way Sapp sees it, no team can keep the Colts from winning their seventh City title. They open the 4-A playoffs in two weeks, having earned a first-round bye with the league championship.

“We’ll go to the championship and face one of the teams from our league,” he predicted. When informed that Carson could face only Banning in the finals because of the playoff structure, Sapp replied: “OK, then we’ll face Banning again.”

No problem. Sapp and his teammates are determined to capture the City title that eluded them last season, when they were upset by Granada Hills, 24-14, in the 4-A finals at East L.A. College. The loss was considered stunning because Carson had dominated Granada Hills, 42-14, in the regular season.

“We refuse to make the same mistake this year,” Sapp said. “After we lost to Bishop Amat (in the second game of the year), we took a vow never to lose again in ’88.”

Sapp kept his end of the bargain Friday night. The multitalented 5-10, 170-pound senior rushed for 47 yards on 8 carries and caught 3 passes for 44 yards, including a 36-yard touchdown from Klein late in the third quarter that put Carson ahead, 17-0. He had a 49-yard scoring run nullified by a penalty in the second quarter, the fifth time this year he’s had a TD called back.

Sapp has demonstrated his versatility all season. In the pass-oriented offense implemented by assistant coach Steve Clarkson, Sapp’s rushing yards are down from last year, but he is being used more as a receiver. He leads Carson in rushing (58 carries, 536 yards, 7 TDs), receiving (26 catches, 340 yards, 6 TDs) and scoring (80 points).

And, like any smart running back, Sapp credits his success to the offensive line, anchored by guard Morris Unutoa (6-3, 240) and tackle Moheni Toilolo (6-3, 230).

“Once they get going,” he said, “nobody can stop us.”

Although Carson won, Coach Gene Vollnogle said he’d rather be in Banning’s shoes entering the L.A. City 4-A playoffs.

Banning (8-2, 2-1 in league play) opens the playoffs Friday against Manual Arts (1-7-1), the third-place team from the Metro League, and the winner plays Metro League champion Fairfax (6-3), considered a mediocre team.

Carson, which has a bye next week, is in the same bracket with defending City champion Granada Hills (8-2) and Dorsey (7-2), which finished third in the Pacific League and gave Carson and Banning tough games. Dorsey and Carson could meet again in the semifinals, while Banning appears to have an easier path to the finals.

“Banning is in much better shape than us,” Vollnogle said. “Neither one of those teams from the Metro League is worth a darn.”

Banning Coach Joe Dominguez, when informed that Vollnogle wished he was in his shoes, smiled and said: “Tell him he should have fumbled 15 times. Tell him I’d rather be in his shoes. I’d rather be league champion and seeded for the playoffs. He doesn’t have to come to my booster club meeting.”

Facts and figures from the Carson-Banning game:

--Carson’s Klein, who entered the game with a 67% pass completion rate, connected on 9 of 11 passes for 123 yards and 2 touchdowns.

--Junior wingback Armin Youngblood, expected to be Carson’s quarterback next season, scored 2 touchdowns on a 9-yard pass from Klein and a 3-yard run.

--Carson linebacker Todd Auvau and defensive end Marlon Brooks each had 2 sacks, middle linebacker Peter Hunt had a team-high 16 tackles and defensive backs Howard McCowan and Clayvand Thomas each had an interception.

--It was the 285th career coaching win for Vollnogle. The winningest prep football coach in California history is now 285-65-1 over 34 seasons.

--Sapp’s nullified touchdown run in the second quarter marked the 10th time this season that Carson has had a TD called back by penalty.

--Banning fullback Derek Sparks, perhaps the South Bay’s finest sophomore, rushed for 95 yards and 1 touchdown on 21 carries.

--Carson leads the series, 18-16.

El Segundo completed a 10-0 regular season and captured its first league title since 1974 by holding off previously unbeaten St. Monica, 19-18, Friday night in a showdown for the Santa Fe League championship at Palisades High.

The Eagles, ranked No. 4 in the CIF Division VIII poll this week, should draw one of the top three seeds for the playoffs after top-ranked Woodbridge fell to Trabuco Hills, 17-13, Thursday. That means that El Segundo will most likely be placed in the opposite bracket from Woodbridge and Atascadero, who have been ranked 1-2 in the division virtually all season.

“We really believe that we can go a long, long way,” said El Segundo Coach Steve Newell, whose team has won 14 consecutive regular-season games. “Our goal was to peak at the end of the season. I think we just passed the first step.”

El Segundo scored all of its points in the first half, including a 69-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Matt Wise to tailback Erik Evans on the first play from scrimmage, and stopped St. Monica in the final minutes after Wise was kept out of the end zone on fourth-and-goal from the 1 with 4:45 left.

St. Monica got as far as its 40, where the Eagles stopped running back Michael Wagner short of a first down on fourth-and-six with 1:04 left. Newell said defensive end Shawn Foster made the key plays during the final stand.

All-CIF linebacker Erik Simien was among five Serra players suspended from Friday night’s game with St. Bernard, but it didn’t stop the Cavalier defense from playing the key role in a 28-6 win that gave Serra its second consecutive Camino Real League title.

The Cavaliers (6-3, 4-0 in league play), led by defensive lineman Louis Laffitte, sacked St. Bernard quarterback Terence Sullivan nine times, and cornerback Chris Cabaong held big-play receiver Jason Lucky to 4 catches.

Offensively, Serra rushed for 416 yards on 61 carries, led by juniors Fred Safford and Dennis Gerard, who each gained more than 100 yards running behind a line anchored by guard Curtis Bray and tackle Michael Brooks.

Coach Joe Griffin said the players were suspended for missing practice and would return for the start of the CIF Division VII playoffs.

Following is a rundown of South Bay teams that are headed to the CIF or L.A. City football playoffs:

CIF Division II--(Bay League) Leuzinger and Hawthorne.

CIF Division VII--(Ocean League) Morningside, North Torrance, Redondo and perhaps South Torrance as an at-large entry. (Camino Real League) Serra and St. Bernard.

CIF Division VIII--(Santa Fe League) El Segundo and Mary Star.

City 4-A Division--(Pacific League) Carson and Banning.

City 3-A Division--(Southern League) Gardena. (Western League) Westchester.