Compromise Fails; Banning-Dorsey Game in Jeopardy

A change in starting times has not changed Joe Dominguez’s mind about playing at Jackie Robinson Stadium.

The Banning High football coach says neither his team nor the coaching staff will show up for their Nov. 1 game at Dorsey’s home field, despite a decision Tuesday to change the starting time from 8 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. and the promise of increased security outside Jackie Robinson Stadium on Rodeo Road.

“A day game is not satisfactory to our players, our players’ parents or our coaching staff,” Dominguez said Wednesday. “The issue is not the time of the game, it’s the site of the game.”

Banning Principal Augustine Herrera said it appears doubtful the game will be played.

“Despite having a 1 1/2-hour meeting, it did not change anything,” Herrera said. “I’m not sure if anything can be worked out in the next eight days.

“It’s possible we will not play this game. That is incredibly sad. I’m not sure what to do next. I will not mandate that (Dominguez) go to the game.”

Concerned about the safety of his team, Dominguez announced two weeks ago that Banning would forfeit its game with Dorsey unless it was moved to another site. Dominguez made his remarks in response to a shooting that injured two students attending the Dorsey-Crenshaw game Oct. 4 at Jackie Robinson Stadium.

He is also concerned about possible retaliation for an incident that occurred at the end of Banning’s 21-20 playoff victory over Dorsey last year in which angry Dorsey players and fans rushed across the field and confronted Banning at Gardena High.

Dominguez said he suggested moving the Nov. 1 game to a neutral site at Tuesday’s meeting of officials from Banning, Dorsey, the Los Angeles Unified School District and Los Angeles Police Department. In an effort to make his proposal more equitable, Dominguez said he suggested playing Dorsey at a neutral site for the next several years so both schools would have to give up the home-field advantage.

“It wasn’t even discussed,” he said. “The school district’s policy is not to hold any games at neutral sites. I guess their policy is to risk potential bodily harm.”

Dominguez said he told his team of the panel’s decision after practice Tuesday. By 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, he said he had received 35 letters from players’ parents informing him they would not allow their sons to play at Jackie Robinson Stadium.

“I’m afraid we’re at a stalemate,” Herrera said. “I think it’s the senior high school division’s position that any site is a safe site. I think it would have been a safe site.”

Since the shooting at the Dorsey-Crenshaw game, two games have been played at Jackie Robinson Stadium without incident. The Oct. 11 game between Dorsey and Narbonne was played without problems after being switched to an afternoon starting time.

“We want the battle to be fought out on the football field,” Dorsey Principal Jerelene Wells said. “We want a good clean game and that is our main concern. We want to be able to show students and staff at Banning that (having a clean game) was our major concern.”

Dick Browning, assistant superintendent of the senior high school division, said he would try to talk with Dominguez in an effort to salvage the game.

“We will stick to our decision,” Browning said. “But we will try to resolve the situation with Banning.”

The Banning-Dorsey game, matching The Times’ No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the L.A. City Section, was expected to possibly decide the Pacific League title and the top seeding for the 4-A Division playoffs. Banning is 6-0 overall and 3-0 in conference play and Dorsey is 4-1 and 3-0.

Dominguez, though, said the Banning players voted unanimously Tuesday not to play the game unless it is moved.

“It’s not winning a football game that’s most important here,” Dominguez said. “It’s protecting all the participants.”

Times prep sports editor Eric Shepard contributed to this story.