Long Beach Poly Picks Up Speed : High school football: Four second-half touchdowns erase early deficit in 28-13 victory over Banning.

Banning High of Wilmington avoided the speed traps while driving down to meet Long Beach Poly Friday in Long Beach. But the Pilots weren’t fast enough once they got inside Veterans Stadium.

The Jackrabbits, The Times’ No. 6 team, raced to four touchdowns in the second half en route to a 28-13 victory over Banning.

Long Beach Poly (2-0) scored twice on special teams and running back Akka-Ar Moses added two touchdown runs. Moses rushed for 120 yards in 12 carries.

Long Beach Poly’s scoring began when Kenyon Rambo returned the second-half kickoff 84 yards for a touchdown to tie the score at 7-7. Rambo nearly scored again, but his 82-yard punt return for a touchdown was nullified by penalties. Banning (1-1) tried not to make the same mistake again, but Aaron Tyler caught the next punt and ran 81 yards to give the Jackrabbits a seven-point lead in the third quarter. Paul Rubio had grabbed Tyler’s jersey, but could not hold on.

Trailing 14-7, the Pilots pulled to within a point when linebacker Fatu Asi scored on a 43-yard interception return with 9:41 remaining, but Rene Ramirez’s extra-point attempt was blocked.

Moses then scored the final two touchdowns, scoring from nine yards out with 7:53 remaining and on a 46-yard run with 3:26 left.

Trayvon Thomas, a transfer from Carson, opened the scoring with a 52-yard punt return with 4:08 remaining in the first half. Thomas broke through two tackles and ran down the left sideline, strutting like Deion Sanders for 10 yards before crossing the goal line. The showboating cost Banning 15 yards on the extra point, but Ramirez converted from 25 yards out to give Banning a 7-0 lead.

Ramirez tried a 35-yard field goal with three seconds left in the first half, but his attempt was wide right.

The Pilots moved the ball effectively in the first half behind the passing of quarterback Ira McKenna, who completed his first six passes for 83 yards. After stumbling for a three-yard loss to start Banning’s third drive, McKenna guided the Pilots to the Long Beach Poly nine-yard line in seven plays. After two short gains and a fumble, which cost the Pilots eight yards, McKenna made his first bad pass as free safety Joe Harris intercepted McKenna’s pass.

The Jackrabbits, however, failed to move the ball in three plays, setting up the punt that led to Thomas’ touchdown.