Dorsey Dominated by Running With a Winning Formula

Over the past 11 years, Dorsey High School has established itself as having one of the area’s top football programs. The Dons have had a say in which area schools represent the City Section come playoff time almost every year.

Saturday afternoon Dorsey (11-3) played Carson (9-4) at El Camino College in search of its third 4-A Division championship in five years. (The result of that game was unavailable for publication in City Times; see Sports in Section C.)

The odds were in Dorsey’s favor again this year. The Dons captured their two previous 4-A titles during odd years--in 1989 against Carson and in ’91 against Banning.

Last year the Dons suffered their worst playoff defeat, 62-37, falling to Locke in the first round. The Saints piled up more than 500 yards in total offense against Dorsey.

But it’s been a different story in this year’s playoffs.

A hard-hitting defensive unit led by All-City lineman Norman Ysaguirre has surrendered an average of just over 12 points in three playoff games.

The Dons also have featured a punishing ground game, led by running backs Christopher Phillips, who rushed for 796 yards and five touchdowns during the regular season, and Che Johnson, who rushed for 643 yards and 12 touchdowns.

It is no secret that Dorsey’s brand of football is cut from the traditional mold of a ball-control running game and a hard-hitting defense.

“We’ve only thrown the ball about 70 times this year and run the ball about 500,” said third-year Coach Paul Knox last week before his Dons took on Carson. “We are going to do what we do best (run the ball). We are a ball-control team. We can’t try to do something that we aren’t used to doing (pass the ball).”

In a 29-15 victory over Westchester in the semifinals, Dorsey showed to what extent its offense could dominate: The Dons ran 55 plays from scrimmage, 46 of which were runs. Johnson and Phillips rushed for a combined 382 yards and three touchdowns. Westchester had only four offensive possessions in the second half and the Comet defense was too exhausted to make the key tackles.

Knox abides by the axiom: You always dance with the one who brung you. “We have played power football all year and that’s how we are going to continue to play,” he said.