Championships Have Look of Conference Calls

Familiarity might breed contempt, but it can also make for outstanding high school football games.

Four of the 15 City Section and Southern Section division finals this weekend feature teams that play in the same leagues.

The City Section Championship game features Marine League rivals Carson and Wilmington Banning.

Southern Section championship games in divisions II, VI and VII also feature showdowns between league rivals.

Here is a look at each of the championship games:

CITY SECTION

Championship Division

CARSON (10-3) vs. WILMINGTON BANNING (7-6), Friday at the Coliseum, 8 p.m.: For the 10th time--the first since 1990--the perennial South Bay rivals are playing for the City title. Each school has won 10 major division titles. Banning leads the championship-game series, 5-4, but Carson has won the last three times the team have met in the final. Defending champion Carson defeated Dorsey, Van Nuys Birmingham and top-seeded Crenshaw in the playoffs to reach the final. The Colts, who defeated Banning, 48-18, in a Marine League game Nov. 8, are led by senior running back James Robinson, who has gained more than 2,000 yards in the Colts’ wing-T attack. Senior quarterback Justin Cooper and running back Trevion Stephens also are game-breakers. Banning played a monster nonleague schedule against Woodland Hills Taft, Long Beach Poly, Crenshaw, Santa Fe Springs St. Paul and Santa Ana Mater Dei. The Pilots emerged with a 1-4 record and largely injury-free. After a Marine League defeat by San Pedro, sophomore A.J. Tuitele was moved from defensive back to running back and the Pilots have been almost unstoppable since. Banning beat Granada Hills Kennedy, Granada Hills and San Pedro en route to the final.

Invitational Division

ROOSEVELT (10-3) vs. GARDENA (9-4), Friday at the Coliseum, 5 p.m: Gardena is making its second consecutive appearance in the Invitational final. The Panthers lost to Banning last year. Senior running back/linebacker Byron Green and defensive lineman Leo Nobles lead Gardena, which defeated Carson during its Marine League schedule. Roosevelt, of the Eastern League, rolled through the playoffs, but the Roughriders are dealing with the loss of junior guard Steve Delgado, who died Sunday after being caught in the middle of a gunfight while leaving a restaurant. Roosevelt Coach Jose Casagran said his staff and players are trying to work through their grief as they prepare for Gardena, but there is no predicting what impact the tragedy will have on their play. Senior running backs Manuel Esparza and Robert Smith have led Roosevelt’s playoff run.

SOUTHERN SECTION

Division I

LONG BEACH POLY (13-0) vs. LOYOLA (12-1), Saturday at Edison Field, 7:30 p.m.: Long Beach Poly, the defending co-champion, is in the final for the fourth year in a row. The Jackrabbits defeated Mater Dei in 1997, lost to the Monarchs in 1998 and tied Mater Dei last year. Poly has recorded six shutouts with linebacker Marvin Simmons leading the way. Junior running back Hershel Dennis has limited carries because of Poly blowouts, but he rushed for 239 yards in 41 carries and scored five touchdowns in a semifinal victory over Anaheim Esperanza last week. Quarterback Markee White and receiver Marcedes Lewis are two of Poly’s many weapons. Poly defeated Fountain Valley, St. Paul and Esperanza to reach the final. Loyola won the 1990 title and is in the final for the first time since making consecutive appearances in 1995 and ’96. Senior Matt Ware is bound for UCLA as a defensive back, but he also plays quarterback for the Cubs and their fortunes are in his hands. Keith Ornelas, who will attend California, anchors Loyola’s usual collection of tough linemen, and sophomore Rafael Rice gives Loyola a breakaway threat. Nathan Oakes kicked a game-winning field goal in overtime last week against Rialto Eisenhower and could play a role late in the game Saturday if Loyola can neutralize Poly’s speed advantage.

Division II

UPLAND (12-1) vs. CHINO (12-1), Friday at Citrus College, 7:30 p.m.: It’s an all-Baseline League final. Upland is out to claim a title that the Highlanders believe was rightfully theirs last year. Upland defeated Diamond Bar in the semifinals last week, erasing at least some of the pain of last year’s final, when Diamond Bar won after being awarded a fifth down during its game-winning drive. Upland defeated Chino, 33-7, earlier this season behind 191 yards in kick returns by Julian Williams. Quarterback Bo Drake, linebacker Chris Barrios and USC-bound lineman Jason Wardlow are other Upland standouts. Chino is coming off a 48-41 double-overtime victory over top-seeded Downey. Gabe Rivera rushed for 185 yards in the semifinal victory. Mike Pfaff has seven interceptions for the Cowboys, who won a division title in 1997 and were finalists in 1998.

Division III

MANHATTAN BEACH MIRA COSTA (12-1) vs. NEWHALL HART (11-2), Friday at College of the Canyons, 7:30 p.m.: Two-time defending champion Hart has not been as dominant as some predicted, but the Indians know how to play in big games. Hart recorded eight sacks in a semifinal victory over La Canada St. Francis and Stanford-bound quarterback Kyle Matter is always dangerous. Mira Costa has a big and talented offensive line and an outstanding running back in sophomore Michael Okwo, who gained 253 yards in 46 carries and scored four touchdowns in a 41-38 overtime victory over top-seeded Sherman Oaks Notre Dame last week.

Division IV

VENTURA (12-1) at ARROYO GRANDE (8-4), Saturday, 7:30 p.m.: It’s a long drive from Los Angeles, but it might be worth making it to see Ventura running back Tyler Ebell play his final high school game. Ebell rushed for 317 yards in 38 carries and scored five touchdowns in Ventura’s 34-21 semifinal victory over Lompoc. He has 4,218 yards this season, breaking the national record of 4,087 yards held by Travis Henry, now at Tennessee.

Division V

CORONA CENTENNIAL (12-1) at WILDOMAR ELSINORE (12-1), Friday, 7:30 p.m.: Corona Centennial running back Mike Bass and quarterback Lamar Broadway lead a team that started the season with a victory over Division I semifinalist Rialto Eisenhower. Bass rushed for more than 2,200 yards in the regular season, and Broadway had only three passes intercepted in 148 attempts. Elsinore is led by running back Josh Farrell, defensive back Ryan Cirilo and kicker Ryan Lux, who had eight field goals during the regular season.

Division VI

IRVINE (13-0) vs. NEWPORT HARBOR (11-2), Friday at Orange Coast College, 7:30 p.m.: These Sea View League teams met in the championship game last season, with Newport Harbor emerging with a 19-18 victory. Running back Chris Manderino is hoping to lead his team to consecutive titles. Irvine, which has four shutouts and beat Newport Harbor, 19-14, in Week 6, is seeking its first championship since 1993, when it won the last of three consecutive titles.

Division VII

HACIENDA HEIGHTS LOS ALTOS (13-0) vs. COVINA CHARTER OAK (11-2), Saturday at Citrus College, 7:30 p.m.: This is the second year in a row these Miramonte League teams have met in the final. Defending champion Los Altos has a high-powered passing game led by quarterback Felipe Aguilar, who passed for 28 touchdowns in the regular season, 16 to wide receiver Ramon Martinez. Shaun Cody is regarded as one of the top defensive linemen on the West Coast. Charter Oak is led by quarterback Brandon Kile and wide receiver/linebacker David Boler.

Division VIII

BARSTOW (11-2) at LA QUINTA LA QUINTA (12-1), Saturday, 7:30 p.m.: La Quinta’s Michael Craven is one of the top linebackers in the nation, running back Frederick Collins averaged 10.5 yards a carry during the regular season and quarterback Sammy Chavez and receiver Jeff Webb are a formidable tandem. Barstow, which lost to Bloomington in last year’s final, is led by quarterback Tommy Rhynes.

Division IX

LA HABRA (12-1) vs. WEST COVINA SOUTH HILLS (12-1), Friday at Covina District Field, 7:30 p.m.: South Hills quarterback Chris Eadie and receiver Jason Murray have led South Hills to its first appearance in the division final in 20 years. The Huskies last won a title in 1974. La Habra features running back Brent West, who gained 1,276 yards during the regular season, and quarterback Mike Keeling.

Division X

INGLEWOOD (13-0) vs. PASO ROBLES (12-1), Friday at El Camino College, 7:30 p.m.: Quarterback Brandon Thomas leads two-time defending champion Paso Robles, but the Bearcats will have their hands full with an Inglewood team led by running backs Jermaine Simon and Lamar Ferguson, both of whom have rushed for more than 2,000 yards. Darius Conner and Lavell Lemon lead the Sentinel defense.

Division XI

VENTURA ST. BONAVENTURE (13-0) vs. ORANGE LUTHERAN (11-2), Saturday at Ventura High, 7:30 p.m.: Running back Lorenzo Booker leads the offense for defending champion St. Bonaventure. Linebacker David Garza and defensive back Jashaun McGowan are standouts on defense. Orange Lutheran, led by running back Ryan Cecil and quarterback Jason Taylor, is making its first appearance in a final since suffering consecutive championship game defeat in 1994-95.

Division XII

VAN NUYS MONTCLAIR PREP (13-0) vs. LANCASTER PARACLETE (12-1), Saturday at Los Angeles Valley College, 7:30 p.m.: Defending champion Paraclete is trying to become only the second team to win four consecutive section championships. Temple City achieved the feat in 1973. Running backs Curtis Brown and Michael Washington and safety Joe Martin lead Paraclete. Running back Gary Sonkur has led Montclair Prep to its first appearance in a final since 1994.

Division XIII

PASADENA POLY (12-0) vs. SAN BERNARDINO AQUINAS (10-2-1), Saturday at Pasadena City College, 7:30 p.m.: Running back Mike Caldwell and linebacker Brett Nungesser lead defending champion Pasadena Poly. Running back Glen Ohaeri and linebacker Jeff Langdon are top players for Aquinas.