Dorsey Too Physical for Sylmar, 40-13

Sylmar High Coach Jeff Engilman believed if his Spartans could hold their own along the line of scrimmage Friday, their City Section 4-A Division football playoff semifinal with Dorsey was up for grabs.

But if the Spartans were unable to compete against a bigger, tougher, stronger Dorsey line, then it figured to be a long night.

As it turned out, Dorsey rolled up nearly 600 yards in offense and steamrollered Sylmar, 40-13, at Birmingham High.

“They were just too physical for us,” Engilman said. “My guys aren’t tired, they’re just beat.”

Dorsey allowed Sylmar just 106 yards in offense, far below the Spartans’ playoff average of 323 yards a game.

Sylmar tailback Tobaise Brookins, who came into the game with 1,583 yards rushing, gained just 22 yards in 16 carries, although he scored on the last carry of his high school career. But Brookins’ three-yard run midway through the fourth quarter was too little, too late for Sylmar.

“I put everything I had into this game,” Brookins said. “We’ve won a lot of games with our big boys and we lost one with them tonight. I don’t know what else to say.”

The game’s opening minutes were reminiscent of Sylmar’s win over San Fernando in last week’s quarterfinal.

Brian Roberson returned the opening kickoff 83 yards for a touchdown to give Sylmar a head start. Roberson received the ball at the 17 and went straight up the middle of the field, juked a few defenders at midfield and ran away down the Dorsey sideline for the score.

Less than a minute later, Albert Contreras recovered a Dorsey fumble at the Spartans’ 34.

But that would be the extent of the Sylmar highlights.

Sylmar managed just 41 yards and three first downs in the first half. Meanwhile, Dorsey scored on its second possession to tie the score, 7-7, midway through the first quarter.

Dorsey’s Brian Benbow scored twice on runs of 20 and 21 yards but had more spectacular runs of 57 and 60 yards to give Dorsey good field position. Benbow, a fullback who came into the game with less than 200 rushing yards, nearly equaled that Friday, running for a game-high 179 yards in 11 carries.

His 57-yard run on the first play of Dorsey’s second possession put the Dons at Sylmar’s 15. Dan Kelley tackled Sharmon Shah for a five-yard loss two plays later, but quarterback Damon Williams hit Antonio Carrion over the middle at the goal line for the touchdown.

Carrion scored again on a 74-yard pass reception early in the third quarter on a pass from Williams.