PREPS : Banning No.1 for 1st Time Since 1986

It’s just like old times at Banning High this week.

The Pilot football team vaulted to the No. 1 spot in Cal-Hi Sports’ state rankings for the first time since 1986, and the administration announced the reinstatement of a drug-testing program that lasted for only the ’86 season.

Assistant Principal Chuck Didinger said Banning athletes involved in fall sports and their parents are invited to attend a presentation on the testing program tonight at the school’s Pat Cragin Auditorium.

“We’re hoping to get 100% backing,” Didinger said.

Students who sign up for the voluntary program will be randomly tested for drugs and alcohol on a weekly basis at San Pedro Peninsula Hospital, Didinger said. Urine samples will be taken from seven to 15 athletes per week.

If an athlete tests positive, the parents are notified and told where they can receive professional help for their child. The results are confidential.

“The school is not notified,” Didinger said. “It’s strictly for parents’ information. We don’t want to place a stigma on any kid.”

The program was introduced at Banning three years ago under former football Coach Chris Ferragamo, who frequently talked of its success.

But when Ferragamo left for Harbor College in 1987, the testing program was discontinued. Part of the problem was going through two coaches in two years: John Hazelton arrived in ’87 and Joe Dominguez took over last year.

“I wanted to get (drug testing) off the ground when I first got here with Hazelton,” Didinger said. “But it was too much with a first-year coach.”

Ideally, Didinger said, he would like to involve more than just athletes in the program.

“I’d like to involve every student who’s involved in an extracurricular activity,” he said. “Everyone I’ve talked to is enthusiastic about it.”

Torrance, with back-to-back wins over South Torrance and Redondo to open the football season, is off to its best start since winning the Ocean League championship in 1984.

“It’s a combination of things,” Coach Rich Busia said. “We have a good group of kids and there’s a little more continuity on the coaching staff.

“When you win a few games, it cures a lot of things. You become a smart coach.”

The Tartars’ most noticeable improvement is on offense. Led by fullback Tony DaCosta, they have scored 56 points in two games. Last season it took Torrance six games to score that many points, and the team was shut out six times in 10 games.

With the toughest part of the schedule remaining, Busia realizes that Torrance must improve and stay healthy to have a chance of recording its first winning season since ’84. The Tartars were 2-8 each of the last two years.

“We have nowhere to go but up,” he said. “We’re the underdog.”

Torrance visits Ocean League favorite West Torrance on Friday night and opens play in the demanding Bay League against Santa Monica next week.

Carson football Coach Gene Vollnogle doesn’t like to make excuses, but he was upset with the disparity in penalties in his team’s 24-23 loss to Bishop Amat last Friday.

Although Carson was penalized 10 times for 132 yards, Bishop Amat was cited for only three infractions totaling 45 yards. The Colt offense was guilty of nine penalties for 120 yards. Bishop Amat’s offense was not penalized.

“I looked at the films (Monday) night.” Vollnogle said. “Most of the penalties were for low blocks, clipping . . . phantom calls.”

Another sore spot was Carson’s paltry total of six yards rushing.

“It is embarrassing when you can’t run the ball,” Vollnogle said. “But the offensive line is one of the areas where we are inexperienced.”

Carson made a personnel change on the offensive line at halftime of last week’s game and will welcome back starting tackle Darren Dickson for Friday night’s game against Lynwood at Veterans Stadium. Dickson missed the opener with a shoulder injury.

When Palos Verdes football Coach Bill Judy says his team has a balanced running game, he isn’t exaggerating.

In the Sea Kings’ 14-7 win over South Torrance last Friday, running backs George Felactu and Bill Smiley rushed for 91 and 87 yards, while quarterback Blake Anderson gained 89.

“That’s a plus,” Judy said. “But you really have to give credit to the offensive line.”

He credited the right side of guard Jon Herzog (6-3, 230), tackle Kyle Holderman (5-11, 210) and tight end David Bohner (6-5, 220) for opening many holes against South.

Judy was also pleased with the progress of several juniors, most notably Felactu, Smiley, Bohner, linebacker Tim King (the leading tackler against South) and wide receiver-defensive back John Miller.

After two road victories, Palos Verdes plays its home opener at 3 p.m. Friday against San Pedro (0-1). As far as Judy knows, it will be the first meeting between the schools in football.

Although South is off to an 0-2 start under new Coach Don Morrow, Bishop Montgomery isn’t taking the Spartans lightly heading into their game at 7:30 Friday night at Bishop Montgomery.

“They could very easily be 2-0,” said first-year Knights Coach Steve Carroll, whose team evened its record at 1-1 last week with a 10-0 shutout over North Torrance. “We’re going to have to control their passing game. If we do that, I think our running defense will take care of itself.”

Bishop Montgomery limited North to 50 yards rushing and sacked quarterback Brian Jurado eight times.

“We just swarmed them,” Carroll said.

St. Bernard quarterback Chris Keldorf, a 6-foot-5 sophomore, is off to an impressive start in his first season as a varsity starter.

He has completed 35 of 62 passes (56%) for 375 yards and one touchdown in two games, helping the Vikings to a 1-1 mark under new Coach Jerry Campbell.

Keldorf replaced last year’s quarterback, Terrence Sullivan, who was moved to tailback and rushed for 132 yards and two touchdowns last Friday in a 21-3 victory over St. Francis.

To understand how highly regarded Keldorf is, consider that Sullivan passed for more than 1,600 yards and 17 touchdowns last season.

Leo Hand, attempting to instill a team concept in his first year as Serra’s football coach, is refusing to give individual statistics to the media.

This much we know: The Cavaliers averaged 370.5 yards per game in wins over Pasadena, 40-0, and Centennial, 46-7, making them one of the South Bay’s most productive teams.

PREP NOTES--Banning’s football team is ranked No. 22 in the nation by USA Today. Fontana, at No. 15, is the highest-ranked team in California. . . . Palos Verdes cornerback Mark Antrobius intercepted two passes against South Torrance to give him three in two games. . . . How tough is Hawthorne’s defense? In two games, the Cougars have given up an average of 80.5 yards. . . . Leuzinger retained its No. 2 ranking in the CIF Division II sportswriters’ football poll, while three area teams moved up. Hawthorne broke into the Division II top 10 at No. 7. In the Division VII poll, Serra moved up two spots to No. 3 and West Torrance jumped one place to No. 9. Morningside and Mary Star both dropped out following losses. . . . Miraleste’s water polo team moved up two places to No. 7 in the 2-A Division coaches’ poll.