Sylmar Sees City 4-A Final Against Powerful Carson as a Chance to Gain Respect

This is it for the Sylmar High football team. A chance to put an exclamation point on its unbeaten season. A chance to finally silence skeptics who say the best City Section football is still played by perennial powers Carson, Banning and Dorsey.

The top-seeded Spartans (12-0) will try to prove their worthiness today at 1 p.m. when they face second-seeded Carson (9-3-1) in the 4-A Division championship at El Camino College in Torrance.

Banning and Dorsey, finalists a year ago, lost in the first round of the playoffs. Carson, which began the season ranked No. 1 in the state by Cal-Hi Sports, started 0-2-1, losing to highly regarded Bishop Amat (13-0) and San Diego Morse (13-0). The Colts later lost to Banning in conference play.

Meanwhile, Sylmar is trying for its first undefeated season. This is the Spartans’ second appearance in a City football final since the school opened in 1962. Carson is making its 17th appearance in 30 years.

The teams’ styles are as different as their histories. The City’s best running attack meets the City’s best passing attack. The power dive versus the run-and-shoot.

Sylmar’s running game, spearheaded by 1,000-yard rushers Tyrone Crenshaw and Ibn Bilal, is averaging 277 yards a game.

Senior quarterback Jamie Sander, the top passer in the City and Carson’s all-time leader in passing yardage, has thrown for 2,488 yards and 21 touchdowns this year.

Sylmar’s defense, which allows only 158 yards a game, has its work cut out.

“They run a completely different offense from what we’ve seen,” Sylmar Coach Jeff Engilman said. “Our best defense will be our offense--keeping it out of their hands offensively.”

Crenshaw gained 170 yards against Garfield last week and is the school’s single-season record-holder with 1,693 yards. He has scored 21 touchdowns. Bilal (1,046 yards) has scored 17 touchdowns and is averaging 11.8 yards a carry.

The Spartans have not passed much, but quarterback Deon Price (58 of 115, 1,014 yards, five touchdowns, three interceptions) must be effective if they are going to move the ball against Carson.

“Our kids are ready to handle whatever they throw at us,” Carson Coach Marty Blankenship said.

Carson’s defense is the backbone of the team. The Colts have forced 32 turnovers, including 19 interceptions, and have scored seven touchdowns defensively. Carson allows only 102 yards a game. In 13 games, the Colts have allowed only 438 rushing yards.