Important Turf Is 100 Yards Long : Prep football: Weeks ago, Banning forfeited to Dorsey because of fear of gang violence. Today, they meet for the City title.

For the Dorsey and Wilmington Banning football teams, the wait is finally over.

After weeks of off-the-field controversy, they will meet today at 1 p.m. in the City 4-A Division high school championship game at El Camino College.

It all started early last month when Banning refused to play Dorsey at Jackie Robinson Stadium. The Wilmington school gained national attention with the announcement that the threat of gang violence was great enough to force it to bypass a regular-season showdown against the City’s other powerhouse team.

City officials tried to pressure Banning into playing, but the school administrators stood firm, saying that the game would be played only if it were moved to a different site.

Since then, Banning has received both positive and negative reaction. Dorsey has had to live with a negative image for both the school and its community.

Now, the players will get a chance to have their showdown on the field.

“Hopefully, we will be able to play and show everyone that we can play without any incidents,” Banning Coach Joe Dominguez said. “I don’t foresee a problem at all with the game from the locker room to the field.”

Dorsey (10-1-1), which won the City title in 1989, lost only to San Diego Lincoln in September.

The Dons are led by running back Sharmon Shah, who has rushed for 1,440 yards and scored 15 touchdowns.

Supporting Shah on offense are fullback Brian Benbow, who rushed for a career-high 179 yards and scored twice in Dorsey’s 40-13 semifinal victory over Sylmar last week, and quarterback Damon Williams, who has passed for 938 yards and eight touchdowns. Williams’ main target is Antonio Carrion, who has 25 receptions for 667 yards and six touchdowns.

Dorsey has a big offensive line with Cedric White, 6 feet 3 and 260 pounds; Byron Kimbrew, 6-3 and 285, and Santonio Turner, 6-1 and 300.

Banning (12-1) is making its third appearance in the City final in the last four years. The Pilots have not won a championship since 1985.

Leading the attack for Banning is tailback Shayzar Hawkins, who has rushed for 1,716 yards and scored 23 touchdowns. He is only 46 yards shy of breaking Stanley Wilson’s single-season school record, set in 1977.

Banning does not pass often. Quarterback V. Faavi-Tua’au has completed only 49 passes for 812 yards and five touchdowns.

Last season, Banning defeated Dorsey twice, the second time in the City semifinals at Gardena High.

After the Pilots’ playoff victory, a near-riot occurred when Dorsey contended that the game had been poorly officiated.

Banning’s Dominguez, however, believes that no problems will arise today. “What happened between the schools is old news, so to speak,” he said. “For our team, what is important is to win a City title.”

With extra security planned for the game, City officials are confident that there will be no repetition of the gunfire that erupted outside Jackie Robinson Stadium during an early season game between Crenshaw and Dorsey.

“This is the game that everyone has wanted for, a long time,” Banning’s Naeem Mills said. “Everyone will be there from all around the city, and we’ll see which team is the best.”