CITY FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS : Carson Has Come Back Into 4-A Division Picture

When Carson High lost to Crenshaw, 12-6, in a City football game last month, the Colts’ record of 3-4 was the worst anyone on the coaching staff could remember.

Now the Colts (6-4-1) are back in the 4-A Division picture. They will play rival Wilmington Banning in a quarterfinal tonight at 7:30 at Veterans Stadium in Long Beach.

Banning (10-1) defeated Carson, 21-20, in the regular-season finale on Nov. 15. Carson, trailing 21-7, pulled within a point in the third quarter, but kicker Mike Rodriguez missed the conversion attempt.

“I’m sure Banning feels they got out by the skin of their teeth,” co-coach Marty Blankenship said. “We feel we have the team to beat them. We just have to put everything together.”

In another key 4-A quarterfinal tonight, Sylmar (9-1) will play San Fernando (10-1) at Birmingham High. The schools have not met since 1968. Sylmar has won its last nine games after a 24-22 loss to Chatsworth in the season opener. San Fernando lost to Granada Hills Kennedy, 37-10, three weeks ago.

In the 3-A, top-seeded Crenshaw (7-4) will face Reseda (5-5) at Gardena High and Marshall (10-0-1) will take on Roosevelt (7-2-1) at Wilson High.