Just how big will the show be

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Dorsey vs. Birmingham. The game is Friday at Rancho Cienega, but the hype begins now.

If the Dons thought they caught a good-sized fish by defeating Santa Margarita, 12-7, on Sept. 14, they have a whale of an opportunity now. That’s how much Birmingham’s stature has grown, with victories over two teams both ranked No. 2 this season by the Times -- 20-7 over Long Beach Poly on Sept. 7, and 28-21 over Sherman Oaks Notre Dame last Friday.

And beyond what could be the biggest non-playoff game in the City this season is this tantalizing thought: How much of their playbooks do the teams show each other, especially if they expect to face each other again in the playoffs?

Both teams have something at stake besides City playoff seeding. The Patriots must run the table if they want serious consideration for the Division I State Bowl game in December. The Dons (who are Division II in the State Bowl derby), see instant credibility if they can defeat the team many people predict will repeat as City champions.

So do you use the entire playbook and give your opponent added things to study in case of a second meeting? Or do you keep part of your offense under wraps in hopes that, if there is a second game, you have something they may not have prepared for?

‘We won’t keep anything in reserve,’ Birmingham Coach Ed Croson said. ‘The difference between Notre Dame and Dorsey is, we didn’t have to beat Notre Dame. We have to beat to beat Dorsey, because that will be one of the criteria when seeding comes into play. And we think Dorsey is one of the best, if not the best team in the City. When you play a Paul Knox team, you are in it up to your ears.’

Knox, who coaches Dorsey, was of a similar mind.

‘We won’t hold back anything that can help us,’ he said. ‘We can’t. We took a big step with the win against Margarita. But we can lose a lot without a win this week.

‘We expect them to be highly ranked. Their defense is great, and running back Milton Knox is hard to stop. But this is an opportunity to show we belong in the class of the top teams.’

Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

- Mike Terry