Banning Keeps Record Perfect With 28-7 Victory : Prep football: Pilots put distractions aside and brush aside San Pedro. The area’s top-ranked team improves to 7-0.

With the Banning High team reeling from an emotional off-field controversy, the time might have seemed right for rival San Pedro to score a City Section football upset Thursday night.

But the Pilots shook off whatever ill effects there might have been, put the hoopla behind them and ultimately dispatched the stubborn Pirates, 28-7, in front of 2,000 at Gardena High.

Tailback Shayzar Hawkins ran for 161 yards and two touchdowns, Larry Rayford contributed 112 yards and Brandon Moore added 45 as Banning ran its record to 7-0.

Under normal circumstances, the Pilots would now be concentrating on the Nov. 1 game against Dorsey, second to Banning in The Times’ poll.

But that game may never materialize because Pilot Coach Joe Dominguez refuses to bring his team to Jackie Robinson Stadium, site of an Oct. 4 shooting. Dominguez is also concerned about possible retaliation for an incident in last year’s playoff game between Dorsey and Banning.

Dominguez reiterated his stance that neither the team nor the coaching staff will show up for the game.

“Nothing has changed,” he said. “The parents, the team and the staff are all still behind the decision.”

Dominguez has requested the game be moved to a neutral site, but a Tuesday meeting between the Los Angeles Unified School District, Los Angeles Police Department and officials from both schools failed to resolve the controversy. Banning Principal Augustine Herrera disagrees with Dominguez on the subject.

“He’s got the general support and I respect his position,” Herrera said. “I think he’s a reasonable man. He has thought this out carefully is taking what he thinks is an ethical stand. I can’t argue with those feelings.

“But if safety is the issue, that is being addressed.”

Several Pilot players agree with their coach.

“I don’t want to play there,” Hawkins said. “We fear for not only our safety but for the safety of our fans in the stands. It’s not worth it.”

Said quarterback Andre Faavi-Tui’au: “We all support the coach. We shouldn’t have to go into a place where we have to worry about shootings and other violence. That’s not right.”

On Thursday night, Banning scored a touchdown in each quarter to defeat the Pirates. Hawkins scored on runs of 17 and 45 yards, Rayford scored from the two and Moore ran 17 yards for another.