Three-Team Race for Southern Pacific Title

The Southern Pacific League football championship will be decided Friday with three teams in contention for the title and the probable No. 1 spot in the 16-team City Section playoffs.

Dorsey, Wilmington Banning and Crenshaw are 5-1 in conference play.

Dorsey can win at least a share of its first league title since 1995 if it wins Friday at Crenshaw. Dorsey would be the top-seeded team from the league because the Dons beat Banning.

If Banning wins and Dorsey loses, Banning wins the title. If Crenshaw beats Dorsey and Carson defeats Banning tonight, Crenshaw is champion.

Dorsey has won seven of the last 11 meetings with Crenshaw. But to beat the Cougars on Friday, Dorsey must contain quarterback Keenan Carter and receivers Norman Epps and Markus Green.

“Now that they’re able to throw the ball a little bit, that puts a little more pressure on our defense,” Dorsey Coach Paul Knox said. “Our secondary has played well at times and at other times we’ve given up the big plays.”

Knox said this Dorsey team is different from some of the talent-laden Don teams of the past. Dorsey has five former players in the NFL.

“The kids understand that we don’t have a great, great player and no one guy is going to carry the load,” Knox said. “Sometimes it’s hard for high school kids to understand that it’s going to take all of us to be successful. But these players have done that.”

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The rivalry between Franklin and Wilson figures to become even greater when the football teams meet Friday night at Franklin to play for the Victory Bell.

An overflow crowd is expected at Franklin, which had lights installed earlier this season.

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Friday’s Southeastern Conference football game between Jordan and Jefferson pits Jordan Coach Doi Johnson against his father Hank, Jefferson’s coach.

Jefferson won the last two games between the schools, but Jordan is on the rise. The Bulldogs upset Locke last week, almost ensuring a playoff berth.

“We didn’t have enough [talent] to beat Jefferson the first few times,” Doi Johnson said. “This year, it could be a different story.”