Carson, Banning Advance to City Section Showdown

Kicker Jerardo Madrigal of Wilmington Banning High insisted he didn’t feel any pressure.

Not even after San Pedro called timeout with five seconds remaining Friday night to try and ice him.

Madrigal calmly kicked a 23-yard field goal as time expired to give the Pilots a 10-7 victory over San Pedro in a City Section semifinal at El Camino College.

Banning will play Carson, a 46-8 winner Friday night over Crenshaw, in the championship game next Friday at the Coliseum.

Madrigal said he will never forget the feeling he had after he made the field goal and his teammates broke loose in a wild celebration.

“It’s the best feeling I’ve ever had in my life,” Madrigal said.

It was a feeling that could probably only be matched by the rest of the Pilots (7-6), who lost to Woodland Hills Taft in the championship game in 1998.

After all, this was a Banning team that had started the season with an 0-4 record that included losses to Southern Section powers Long Beach Poly and Santa Ana Mater Dei.

Banning Coach Ed Lalau said he didn’t have any doubts about his team despite how the season started.

“We felt we belonged last year but we didn’t get in,” said Lalau, whose team won the City Invitation Division last year. “What can I say? It’s a great day to be a Pilot.”

For most of the game, it didn’t appear as if it would be that difficult for Banning.

The Pilots controlled the line of scrimmage with their big, physical offensive line most of the game.

They went on a 15-play, 88-yard drive that took 8:21 in the first quarter and ended with a one-yard run by A.J. Tuitele for a touchdown.

The Pilots made their lead last until San Pedro drove 52 yards and scored on a two-yard run by Robby Reedy with 5:05 remaining.

Unfortunately for the Pirates (9-4), Banning had one last drive left.

Tuitele carried the ball on 11 of 12 plays during an 88-yard drive to set up the winning field goal by Madrigal.

Tuitele finished with 178 yards in 34 carries, the seventh time in eight games he has surpassed the 100-yard plateau since he shifted to running back midway through the season.