City Football Playoffs : Carson vs. Dorsey

Rematch No. 1: In early November, four second-half touchdowns on consecutive possessions corralled Carson a 35-20 victory over Dorsey, but a case can be made for the Dons (9-2) being a better team than Carson archrival Banning. “I think they are better than Banning,” Carson Coach Gene Vollnogle said. The Dons, who rambled for 343 yards on the ground in a 37-7 drubbing of Taft last week, have a chance to prove Vollnogle right in a 4-A Division semifinal game against a Carson defense that has held opponents to an average of 64 yards rushing and 82 yards passing this season. Vollnogle said the Colts (10-1) underestimated the speed of Dorsey running back Beno Bryant in the teams’ first clash but added that the Dons cannot run right at the Colts and expect to win. In other words, senior quarterback Roman Foster and the rest of the Dons will have to do more than what they did to Taft and defending 4-A champion Granada Hills, which yielded 333 yards on the ground to the Dons in 33-13 first-round playoff loss. But the Dorsey offense might not get much chance to run if Carson quarterbacks Perry Klein (64 of 94 for 1,033 yards and 15 touchdowns) and Fred Gatlin (47 of 94 for 853 yards and 11 touchdowns) continue this year’s assault. Gatlin, who has run 44 times for 235 yards and 3 TDs, and Klein, who completes 69% of his passes, alternate behind an offensive line that has freed running back Errol Sapp for 609 yards and 8 TDs on 64 carries. Sapp also leads the team in receiving with 28 catches for 367 yards and 8 touchdowns. The winner meets either Banning or San Fernando in next week’s championship game.

7:30 p.m. Friday at Veterans Stadium, Long Beach.

Banning vs. San Fernando

Rematch No. 2: Banning (10-2) overpowered San Fernando, 25-10, in September and probably will attempt to run the ball through San Fernando again when the teams meet in this 4-A semifinal game. In the first game, the Pilots faced a 10-7 half-time deficit but strung together a 16-play, 80-yard touchdown drive on their first series after intermission and took the lead for good. Since then, San Fernando Coach Tom Hernandez has called his defense the best in the City. If Hernandez is right, Banning’s rushing tandem of tailback Keith Mims and fullback Derek Sparks, who have rushed for more than 1,100 yards apiece this season behind a huge offensive line, won’t be that effective. Hernandez has a career 0-4 record against Banning but the Tigers (8-3) have enough weapons to move the ball consistently. Running backs Maurice McFarland and Duane Crenshaw combined for 989 yards on 149 carries in the regular season while tough, elusive quarterback Mike Wynn threw for 1,239 yards and 18 touchdowns. “Wynn is really hard to bring down,” Banning Coach Joe Dominguez said. “We had three, four, five shots at sacking him in our first game and couldn’t get him.” If the game turns on kicking, San Fernando has an edge with first-team All-Valley kicker Andrew Munoz, who booted 10 of 12 field goals and 31 of 33 extra points in 10 games. Nevertheless, Dominguez said he thinks the Pilots will be playing for their first City championship in two years next week at the Coliseum.

7:30 p.m. Friday at San Fernando.

Westchester vs. Franklin

The defending 2-A Division champion Comets (9-3) have the unenviable task of trying to stop Franklin tailback Lamont Lovett, who tops City rushers this year with 2,133 yards on 274 carries. “Shutting down (Franklin’s) running attack is our primary idea,” said Westchester assistant coach Sean Hanagan. “We have to force them to do what they don’t normally do.” Franklin (11-0), the defending 3-A champion, has a 19-game winning streak and complements Lovett’s power game with the efficient passing of quarterback Santiago Alvarez. He’s competed 130 of 215 passes for 1,710 yards and 15 touchdowns, and Lovett’s brother Lamar has 21 receptions for 344 yards and 3 TDs. The Comets, who rallied from a 6-point first-half deficit to beat Reseda, 13-6, last week, will counter with running back Tim Holliday (141 carries, 976 yards and 6 TDs), quarterback Damion Smith (43 completions in 120 passes for 779 yards and 5 TDs) and receiver Larry Avery (20 catches for 452 yards and 4 TDs). “Westchester is definitely a threat,” Franklin Coach Armando Gonzalez said. “They have great skill kids and they’re scrappy.” The winner plays for the 3-A championship next week against the winner of Washington-Southgate.

7:30 p.m. Friday at L.A. Wilson.