Hit Parade : As Part of the Physical Southern Pacific Conference, Dorsey’s Football Reputation Is Always on the Line

Late Bankouadagba left Dorsey High football practice early Monday after making a punishing block. He didn’t have the intestinal fortitude to continue smashing his 6-foot-2, 300-pound body against other seemingly immobile objects.

Noticing Bankouadagba was beaten, assistant Rick Mull asked Coach Paul Knox: “Should I call AAA to pick up Late?”

Explained Knox to a reporter: “Late is the type of guy who can get out of shape over a weekend.”

Dorsey can ill afford to lose Bankouadagba or any other lineman of his stature--and not because of what his name might be worth, triple-points, in Scrabble. Bankouadagba is the key ingredient for the Dons, who play in a conference that can turn beefy linemen into soup bone.

“The Southern Pacific is the most physical conference, from top to bottom, than any other conference in the City,” Knox said. “The biggest problem is not losing games, but getting beat up.”

Starting Friday, the 1993 City Section 4-A finalist will play Washington, followed by Crenshaw and 4-A champions Carson in Southern Pacific Conference games. Perennial power Banning and 3-A champion San Pedro also belong to the conference.

While Dorsey wins more than its fair share of conference games, the Dons prepare in daily practice to take a beating. “You have to be physical in both lines or you will get run over,” Knox said.

The Dons are rebuilding their offensive line, mixing veterans with rookies to protect quarterback Roderick Brown and to open gaping holes for the talented Don running backs.

But Bankouadagba, a Division I-caliber player, cannot alone guarantee protection for Brown. The Dons have also come to rely on 6-2, 280-pound tackle Chris King, and 6-1, 215-pound tackle Anthony Tinsley.

“To play in our conference, you have to be physically and mentally ready,” Tinsley said. “You have to practice hard every day, including the day before the game. If you don’t, you will feel it.”

By high school standards, Tinsley is not a small player. But neither is Dorsey defensive end Che Britton, a 6-2, 221-pound defensive end, nor David Genyard, a 6-1, 235-pound defensive tackle. But the Southern Pacific Conference historically has produced players big beyond their years. In the 1980s, Banning and Carson, on the average, had a few teams with bigger offensive linemen than the Los Angeles Raiders.

“Most of the guys are bigger than me,” said Britton, who estimates the average offensive lineman to be 6-3 and 280 to 300 pounds. “I have to use my speed to get by most of the guys and out-think them.”

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Bankouadagba and Britton were among the unsung heroes in Dons’ 44-0 season-opening romp over Jefferson. However, Bankouadagba did not play in the second game because he missed four days of practice. And Britton suffered a dislocated left knee during the 14-13 loss to Manual Arts.

As rough as Dorsey’s nonleague schedule is, it’s nothing compared to Southern Pacific Conference play.

“We learn to be physical and play a physical style of football in conference,” Knox said. “It’s either: You learn to beat up and get beat up, or lose and get hurt in the process.”

In 1983, as a Dorsey assistant, Knox quickly learned the difference between dominating the 3-A Division and competing at the 4-A level in the Southern Pacific Conference. In one season, the Dons went from a 3-A semifinalist to a 4-A doormat with a 2-6 record.

In 1985, Knox became head coach and Dorsey had its first winning season in the 4-A division.

“The hardest positions to fill are your linemen,” Knox said. “Most of the skill players are able to play Pop Warner football. But because of the weight limit, your bigger guys can’t play because they are too heavy. Most of them haven’t put on pads until they get to high school. And it takes a good year or two to develop them as football players.”

While his backs and receivers run track or play baseball in the spring, Knox’s linemen have begun conditioning, lifting weights three days a week and running two. When fall practice begins, Knox and his coaches teach blocking fundamentals.

“You have to be patient,” he said. “It takes a lot of repetitions. Most linemen have never played before and you have to start from scratch.”

The Dons won their first City 4-A title in 1989 and won their second two years later. A seven-game conference schedule will determine whether these Dons are fit to carry the winning tradition.

“Our conference schedule helps us prepare for the playoffs because we play tough teams week after week,” Knox said. “We will be ready to play physical, intense football. There will be no letdown.”