CITY SECTION CHAMPIONSHIP: BIRMINGHAM 45, SAN PEDRO 7 PATRIOT PRIDE KNOX RUSHES FOR 132 YARDS, 3 TDS FOR BIRMINGHAM.Byline: MATTHEW KREDELL Staff Writer As soon as Birmingham of Lake Balboa Balboa, town (1990 pop. 2,751), Colón prov., in the former Panama Canal Zone, on the Gulf of Panama. The port for Panama City, Balboa was the administrative headquarters of the Panama Canal Zone. It was also the site of a U.S. navy base (closed 1999). players had the championship trophy and plaque in their hands, they were off on a stampede stam·pede n. 1. A sudden frenzied rush of panic-stricken animals. 2. A sudden headlong rush or flight of a crowd of people. 3. to the sidelines Sidelines Hypothetical position referring to noninvolvement in a stock; merely watching. to hoist hoist: see winch. them high in the air to the cheers of adoring a·dore v. a·dored, a·dor·ing, a·dores v.tr. 1. To worship as God or a god. 2. To regard with deep, often rapturous love. See Synonyms at revere1. 3. fans. The Patriots had gone from disgrace DISGRACE. Ignominy, shame, dishonor. No witness is required to disgrace himself. 13 How. St. Tr. 17, 334; 16 How. St. Tr. 161. Vide Crimination; To Degrade. to dynasty in six years. Milton Knox rushed for 132 yards and three touchdowns as Birmingham won its third City Section championship in five seasons by beating San Pedro 45-7 Friday at the Coliseum Coliseum: see Colosseum. . ``You can call it a dynasty,'' said Knox, who had 30 carries. ``When I first came in here, me and Willie Chandler and J.J. Fifita said we wanted to start a dynasty, and now that's what we've become.'' Coach Ed Croson remembers when he first became coach of Birmingham in 2000, few students wore the school colors. It was a stark contrast from his previous stop, Chaminade of West Hills, where everyone wore uniforms. Now the catch phrase heard around campus is ``Patriot Pride,'' a concept brought to life by a football team that had been an embarrassment to the school for so long. Before upsetting rival Taft of Woodland Hills for the 2002 title, Birmingham hadn't won a football championship since 1963. The Patriots scored on their first six possessions, led by Knox and Chandler, two players who gained valuable experience on the 2004 team that beat Dorsey. In each of their 9 recent championship games, the Patriots have won in a rout. ``Our stuff is sophisticated, and the further we go the better it gets,'' Croson said. ``At the UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX game last week, (former Patriot) Dennis Keyes pulled us aside and said that Birmingham doesn't lose in the Coliseum,'' Knox added. ``We wanted to keep that tradition going.'' Birmingham totaled 462 yards compared with 167 for San Pedro. Quarterback James Beloff completed 15 of 20 passes for 288 yards and twotouchdowns. Chandler went up to catch a pass over the middle and turned on the jets for a 39-yard touchdown midway through the first quarter. San Pedro immediately answered to tie the score 7-7 before the Patriots pulled away. Knox followed with 3- and 2-yard touchdown runs sandwiched around a 23-yard field goal from Christian Valenzuela as Birmingham took a 24-7 lead into the break. Knox began the second half with a nifty 14-yard touchdown. With onedefender to beat, he cut outside and had defensive back Angel Martinez falling to the ground. He extended his school best for rushing yards in a season to 2,375, just short of the City Section record. USC An abbreviation for U.S. Code. coach Pete Carroll Peter C. Carroll (born September 15, 1951, in San Francisco, California) is the current head coach of the University of Southern California Trojans football team, having held that position since 2001. , who watched part of the game from the sideline sideline See on the sidelines. , probably hopes to see much more of Knox in the Coliseum. But that will have to wait. Knox is just a junior. Chandler had a 45-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter. His 155yards on seven catches were a personal best. The Patriots (11-3) didn't look like a championship team earlier this season, starting with a record of 2-3 against oneof the toughest nonleague schedules in the area. But it's a Croson saying that it's not how the team starts, but how it finishes that matters. ``They're going to keep this going here a long time,'' said Chandler, a senior. ``This will be a dynasty as long as coach Croson is here.'' matthew.kredell@dailynews.com (818) 713-3607 CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1 -- color) Birmingham, which came into the City championship as the top seed, celebrates Friday's victory against San Pedro. (2) Birmingham's Milton Knox pulls away for a touchdown against San Pedro in the City championship game Friday at the Coliseum. Tom Mendoza/Staff Photographer |
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