Prep Football Games to Watch : Unbeaten Dorsey to Play at Banning Friday Night

In a game that could be pivotal in determining playoff seedings, undefeated and fourth-ranked Dorsey, coming off a big victory over Gardena, will play third-ranked Banning in a Pacific League game Friday night at Banning.

Dorsey is 2-0 in league play. Banning, after a 20-0 victory over Fremont, is 1-1. Banning’s tough defense has allowed only 12 points in the last three games--six of those against top-ranked Carson--but the offense continues to have problems, although Eddie Kapu did throw two scoring passes last week.

The Dons defeated Gardena, 12-7, last week, marking the first time all season that they have scored fewer than 21 points. Running back Tommy Jackson had 180 yards rushing and both touchdowns.

Santa Monica (3-3) at Redondo of Redondo Beach (6-1), Friday night--Redondo finds itself in the unfamiliar position of being 3-0 and the only unbeaten, untied team in the Bay League. Santa Monica, the perennial league powerhouse, has lost two straight, one a nonleague game, and didn’t really put up a fight in either. The Vikings have a 2-1 league record. Part of Santa Monica’s problem appears to be a reluctance to pass, despite the presence of All-Southern Section quarterback Pat O’Hara. He passed for one touchdown in a 21-7 loss to West Torrance, had another dropped and yet another batted away in the end zone. But the Vikings have been unimpressive as a grind-it-out team. Redondo is showing a good mix of run and pass featuring quarterback Scott Yessner, running back Boots Cocoya, who has 11 touchdowns, and receiver Mike Jones, who has seven. The Sea Hawks have won four straight.

Carson (5-1) at Fremont (2-3-1), Friday night--The records may not indicate it, but this is an important game. Carson Coach Gene Vollnogle, who has won seven City championships dating back to 1958 and has finished first or second in his league 26 times in 31 years, is going for his 250th victory. The Colts, the top-ranked team in the City, have struggled offensively at times this season, but that apparently wasn’t a problem last week when they beat Crenshaw, 34-0. Fremont is coming off a 20-0 loss to Banning.

Santa Fe Springs St. Paul (6-1) vs. Anaheim Servite (7-0), Saturday night at Santa Ana Stadium--Servite is scoring an average of 31 points while allowing nine. The Friars, 38-6-1 in the last 3 1/2 seasons, are led by quarterback Tim Rosenkranz, who has completed 71 of 127 passes for 1,455 yards, 15 touchdowns and only 4 interceptions. St. Paul has several key players injured, among them cornerback Miguel Ramirez (knee), tailback David Zepeda (broken wrist) and middle guard Matt Bevacqua (shoulder). Quarterback John Scott has completed 72 of 121 passes for 1,164 yards and 10 touchdowns. Frank Mazzotta has caught 18 passes for 360 yards and 6 touchdowns.

Whittier La Serna (4-3) at Pico Rivera El Rancho (6-1), Friday night--Since starting 0-3, La Serna has won four games in a row and surprised everyone in challenging for the Whitmont League title. El Rancho, whose only loss was to Lakewood, is bringing a five-game winning streak into the game. Both teams use strong ground games. La Serna averages only six passes a game. Sophomore running back Robbie Watkins has eight touchdowns and is averaging 6.4 yards a carry, and David Moss has three scores and a 4.8 average. El Rancho relies on the trio of Robert Garcia, Francisco Barillas and Adrian Ortega.

Glendale Hoover (6-1) vs. Pasadena Muir (6-1), Friday night at Pasadena City College--The Pacific League title has been reserved for Pasadena teams in recent years, but Hoover has an opportunity to change that. The Tornadoes, off to one of their best starts ever, are 1-1 in league play and trail front-runners Muir and Pasadena by a game. To beat Muir, Hoover will have to contain Ricky Ervins, the Mustangs’ speedy junior tailback who has rushed for 1,060 yards and 16 touchdowns in 134 carries. Muir also has speed at wide receiver with Cary Grant and John Hardy. Hoover, upset by Arcadia, 22-19, last week, has an option offense that features quarterback John Alaimo, running back Al Roberson and wide receiver Tom Konjoyan.

Long Beach Wilson (4-2) vs. Long Beach Poly (6-0), Friday night at Veterans Stadium--Wilson is a definite underdog for a Moore League victory in the longest running intra-city series in Long Beach. This is the 53nd time the teams have met, with Poly, the top-ranked team in California and the Southern Section, holding a 28-21-3 lead. Wilson last won in 1976. After a 4-0 start, its best since Bobby Grich quarterbacked the team in 1966, Wilson has scored just nine points in the first two league games. The outlook is for improvement is slim, since Poly’s defense has not allowed a touchdown. The Jackrabbits have shut out Fountain Valley, Compton and Lakewood in their last three wins and have allowed opponents only 13 points this year.

Montebello Schurr (7-0) vs. Burbank (2-5), Friday night at Burbank Burroughs--Schurr has returned to prominence as the top-ranked team in the Coastal Conference after going 3-7 last season and missing the playoffs for the first time in 10 years. This season, Coach Ken Davis has used a big-play offense that has resulted in an average of 39.3 points a game. Senior flanker-defensive back Hubert Turner has emerged as the biggest scoring threat in the drive toward the Foothill League championship. He has caught 31 passes for 917 yards and 11 touchdowns and also returned 2 of 3 interceptions for touchdowns. He has benefited from the surprising performance of quarterback Eric Rubalcava, who has completed 66 of 113 passes for 1,593 yards and 19 touchdowns. Burbank will counter with running back Frank Valdivia, who has rushed for 470 yards and three touchdowns.

Mission Viejo (7-0) at Mission Viejo Capistrano Valley (6-1), Friday night--Capistrano Valley quarterback Scott Stark is passing for an average of 278 yards a game and has thrown 19 touchdown passes. Receivers Burt Call, with 45 receptions, 569 yards and 11 touchdowns, and Todd Beightol, with 37 receptions, 583 yards and 5 touchdowns, are his favorite receivers. Mission Viejo is a run-oriented team, with tailbacks Todd Yert, 620 yards in 126 carries, and Darrin Sweazy, 410 yards in 53 carries, leading the attack. Defensively, free safety Dennis Erk, who has two interceptions and two kickoff returns for touchdowns, is the Diablos’ top player.

Hacienda Heights Los Altos (6-1) at Rowland of Rowland Heights (5-2), Friday night--The prospects for Los Altos looked dim after it lost highly regarded running back Jim Jastrab before the season began. The Conquerors then lost several other top players to injuries in a loss to La Puente Bishop Amat in the second game of the season, among them quarterback Mark Smith and running back Garo Sirinian. But those two and others have returned, and the Conquerors have won their last five games. The defense has shut out its first two Sierra League opponents and has allowed only 47 points all season. Rowland, which will play in its new 6,600-seat stadium for the first time, lost its first league game last week, 28-7, to Nogales. Rowland, league champion last year, is led on offense by running backs Russ Goo and Tom Choi and quarterback Dave Hansen.