Banning Win Marks Transfers of Power : Preps: Two former Carson players play big roles in Pilots’ 17-13 win over Colts.

Led by two transfers from rival Carson High, the Banning football team ended a five-game losing streak to the Colts, 17-13, Saturday at Veterans Stadium in Long Beach.

Quarterback Vaimgala Faavi-Tua’au and running back Damin Hurst were the heroes for Banning, which ended Carson’s five-game winning streak. The Colts have lost three consecutive games to the Pilots.

“Carson’s a good team, their coaching staff’s the greatest,” Banning Coach Ed Paculba said. “I feel bad that they lost but I feel great for my coaching staff. In all parts of our game we did a good job.”

Faavi-Tua’au, who quarterback Carson’s B team in 1990, passed for 74 yards, rushed for 76 and made a key defensive play as a linebacker during Carson’s last drive.

Faavi-Tua’au deflected a Jamie Sander pass on fourth and nine from the Banning 25-yard line to stop a Carson drive with two minutes 34 seconds left.

“I knew it was fourth-and-long and that they had to go for it and (assistant Rick Ambrosi) told me, ‘You have got to make the big plays in the big games,’ ” Faavi-Tua’au said. “I told him, ‘I’ll make it.’ ”

Although Faavi-Tua’au showed little emotion during the game, Hurst, who left Carson after last season, made sure everyone in Veterans Stadium was aware of his presence. He scored both of Banning’s touchdowns and made repeated gestures to Carson fans and players. Hurst finished with 61 yards rushing in 15 carries.

Last season, in a 21-20 loss to Banning during the regular season, Hurst scored three touchdowns for the Colts.

Banning also recovered two Carson fumbles and free safety Derrick Hooks intercepted two of Sander’s passes.

Hooks returned his first interception 36 yards to the Carson 29 yard-line to set up Banning’s first touchdown.

Faavi-Tua’au kept the ball on the first play and picked up 16 yards. One play later he passed to Hurst for a 10-yard touchdown to give Banning a 7-0 lead with 5:02 remaining in the first quarter.

In the second quarter Carson tied the score on a nine-yard pass from Sander to Don Moala to end a seven-play, 65-yard drive.

After a 36-yard field goal by Jamie Torres gave the Pilots a 10-7 lead, Carson took the lead on a 46-yard pass from Sander to Nakia Wheeler with 5:36 remaining in the first half.

After Wheeler ran the last 10 yards backward and received a taunting penalty, kicker Michael Rodriguez missed a 35-yard extra-point attempt.

Banning countered with a trick play on the ensuing kickoff. Rodriguez’s kick was fielded by Jason Ping at the Pilot 20-yard line. After running to the 15, Ping pitched to Hurst, who in turn handed off to Robert Gutierrez. Gutierrez ran downfield before being tackled at the Carson two.

After Faavi-Tua’au was sacked for a seven-yard loss, Hurst scored on a nine-yard run with 4:11 remaining in the second quarter.

“(Banning) had to play well today in order to make the playoffs, they had to win and they knew that,” Carson Coach Marty Blankenship said.

Carson is 5-3-1, but leads the Pacific Conference with a 4-1 record. Banning is 6-3 and is in third place in the conference at 3-2.