Hawkins, Rayford Fuel Banning Past Washington

Wilmington Banning’s Shayzar Hawkins broke open a tight game with a 71-yard touchdown run and Larry Rayford added three short scoring plays, leading the Pilots to a 34-19 victory over Washington at Gardena High on Friday night.

With Banning ahead, 14-7, late in the third quarter, Hawkins broke two tackles on his scoring run, which gave the Pilots a 21-13 lead.

“The team had told me that I wasn’t running hard enough,” said Hawkins, who finished with 126 yards in 15 carries.

“The line really worked, especially Naeem Mills, and I just tried to keep running the ball in there.”

Banning, which improved to 3-0 and is The Times’ top-rated City team, took an early 7-0 lead on an one-yard run by Rayford. However, Washington answered with an 82-yard touchdown run by quarterback Sheldon Anderson, which tied the score, 7-7.

Banning got its first big break with 23 seconds left before halftime when the center snap on a Washington punt sent the ball over the head of punter Akeilon Branch, who recovered on his six-yard line.

The Pilots took a 14-7 lead one play later when Rayford, who finished with 86 yards in 11 carries, scored on a short play up the middle.

In the second half, Washington was plagued by mistakes, which stalled two third-quarter drives before Hawkins’ score.

“We were too hyped for the game,” Anderson said, who passed for two touchdowns and ran for another.

“We had more mistakes tonight than we had all season. Hopefully, this game taught us something.”

Washington (3-1), closed to within 21-13 on a 78-yard pass play from Anderson to Damon Smith with 11:15 remaining in the fourth quarter. But Banning answered with Rayford’s third touchdown, from five yards out with 6:22 left.

Banning extended its lead to 34-13 when quarterback V. Faaui-Tua’au scored on a 23-yard run with 1:22 left. Washington then finished the scoring with a 29-yard touchdown pass from Anderson to Donovan Slack.

“Washington is a pretty tough team, but we just manhandled them tonight,” Hawkins said.

For Banning, holding the top spot in the City is a nice return for the once-dominant team. The Pilots have not won a City title since 1985.

“I’d rather lose one now to a good 4-A Division team like Banning than lose to a 3-A team in the playoffs,” Washington Coach Ed Johnson said.