Patriots Change Attack

It’s called the power toss. It’s an in-your-face, stop-me-if-you-can offensive formation that uses two tight ends. Lake Balboa Birmingham unveiled it in the City Championship football game Friday night and pulled off the upset of the year.

With running backs Dennis Keyes and Brian Baylor picking up critical yards behind a dominating blocking scheme, the Patriots defeated previously unbeaten Woodland Hills Taft, 35-7, at the Coliseum.

The Patriots didn’t rely on the formation during a 30-6 West Valley League loss to Taft. But in opening a 28-0 lead in the first half, they dared the Toreadors to stop Keyes and Baylor. They couldn’t, not with linemen Robert Elisha, Eddie Arreola, Philip Cerda and William Ramirez clearing the way.

“I’ve never seen a line play this well in my life,” said Keyes, who rushed for 153 yards in 26 carries. The Patriots had an 11-minute drive in the second half that symbolized their domination.

“I’m kissing the ground,” a jubilant Arreola said. “We worked so hard for this moment.”

Not many observers gave Birmingham (11-3) much of a chance against Taft (13-1), which had one of the best collection of skill players in City Section history and hadn’t been held under 30 points all season.

The Patriots’ emotion was fueled by a feeling of injustice that receiver Bennie Ward had to miss the game because of a suspension for a videotape that was turned in by Taft from last week’s game against Gardena.

“We did it for Bennie,” Arreola shouted.

*

The defeat will be a bitter one for Steve Smith of Taft even though he became the state career leader in receptions. He moved past Leodes Van Buren of Newbury Park with his fifth catch of the night in the third quarter. Van Buren’s record of 269 catches was set in 1993. Smith caught 94 passes as a sophomore, 91 as a junior and finished this season with 86 receptions and 271 in his career.