Banning football advances to City Division I semifinals with win over Cleveland

WILMINGTON — Banning passed a huge test Thursday, overcoming a depleted running attack behind a third-stringer celebrating his birthday and stopping Cleveland’s dynamic attack — and the star receiver who makes it go — to step within two victories of its first CIF Los Angeles City Section football championship in 23 years.

Manny Sisneros, given the ball after the No. 2 running back was limited by bruised ribs that kept him out of practice most of the week, rushed for 72 yards and two touchdowns and freshman Kody Galloway led a defensive effort that corralled do-everything standout Kory Hall while conceding just 85 yards of offense deep into the fourth quarter as the top-seeded Pilots claimed a methodical 28-14 triumph to move into the Division I semifinals.

Sisneros, who had run for 118 yards in the season’s first 11 games, scored the go-ahead touchdown late in the first quarter and provided a three-touchdown lead three minutes into the fourth quarter as Banning (6-6) overcame a slow start to dominate the visiting Cavaliers (8-4).

“This was a wonderful birthday,” Sisneros, a senior who turned 17, said. “It’s going to be a good memory to have.”

Now it’s about building a few more.

The Pilots will be home again next week against fifth-seeded Dymally (9-3), which upset No. 3 Dorsey, 29-28, and another win would send them to the title game — and a chance for the program’s 13th City championship.

Jordan Villanueva, who became the key back after Keyshawn Galloway, Kody’s older brother, suffered a broken tibia three weeks ago, also saw time in the backfield, rushing for 79 yards — all but 13 of that in the first half — and a 27-yard touchdown sprint to answer Cleveland’s score on its first drive of the night.

“Manny had a really good game. He stepped it up,” Banning coach Raymond Grajeda said. “We were down running backs and he was our option and he came in and played really well. And Jordan got his reps and did a really good job. ‘Next man up’ is what we call it.”

Galloway, whose three older brothers were or are Pilots standouts, was a force at defensive end, spending much of the night in the Cavaliers’ backfield and registering two sacks and two big tackles for losses.

“We had to win tonight, and we went out and did it,” Galloway said. “It would mean everything (to win two more games), because none of my brothers (won a City title), and I want to be the first one.”

Banning went three-and-out on the game’s opening possession and Cleveland, gifted wonderful field position after a 6-yard punt, was ahead before the game had gone three minutes. Donovan Powell’s 3-yard run, three plays after going for 18 on the Cavaliers’ first snap, provided the advantage.

The Pilots were in command the rest of the way. The drove 65 yards to tie the score on Villanueva’s run, then went ahead on Sisneros’ 4-yard push after Steven Perez intercepted a Domenik Fuentes pass off that was tipped by by Andrew Devoe.

Quarterback Robert Guerrero made it 21-7 on an 8-yard, third-quarter run and Sisneros’ 2-yard touchdown run three minutes into the fourth quarter — five plays after Guerrero hooked up with Ryan DeAngelis on a 50-yard bomb — extended the advantage.

Cleveland, which was held to 3 or fewer yards on 30 of 41 offensive plays, struggled to involve Hall, who came in with 57 receptions for 1,202 yards and 18 touchdowns this season. He made seven catches for 35 yards — including a 4-yard touchdown grab on the Cavaliers’ final possession — but most of them were short shuttle passes that gained little yardage. He returned a kickoff 53 yards to Banning’s 36 late in the fourth quarter that led to nothing.

“We had a challenge last week (in stopping 2,100-yard rusher Joel Betancourt in a 40-0 first-round rout of Santee) and an even bigger challenge this week (with Hall),” Grajeda said. “Our defense loves challenges, they accept them all, and they really want to show that they can play football for four quarters.”

Cleveland managed just three first downs between its opening and closing scoring drives.

“We weren’t consistent enough …,” Cavaliers head coach Peter Gunny said. “[Banning is] a well-oiled machine, they’re coached well, they know what they’re doing, and they were prepared for us. We were prepared, too, but we just came on the short end of the stick and just didn’t make enough plays to win.”