KNOX IS THE HERO IN BIRMINGHAM WIN RB GETS CAREER-HIGH 250 YARDS, 2 TDS BIRMINGHAM 35, TAFT 18.

Byline: MATTHEW KREDELL Staff Writer

Birmingham of Lake Balboa's band came out at halftime and played the theme song from the original Superman movies, then followed it up with the song from the television show ``The Greatest American Hero.''

Maybe it was just a coincidence, but it was the perfect music to accompany the performance of Patriots running back Milton Knox.

Knox rushed for a career high 250 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries as the host Patriots beat rival Taft of Woodland Hills 35-18 Friday in the West Valley League opener.

``I felt like I was running in sand and everyone else was running in mud,'' Knox said. ``It's sweet to play like that against Taft.''

Taft running back and linebacker Malcolm Smith, who suffered a badly sprained left ankle in the season opener against Crenshaw, played an entire game for the first time this season.

The Toreadors are a different team with Smith, but Knox didn't let it matter.

At one point in the first half, Knox made first downs on nine of 10 runs, most of them more than 10 yards.

The final one was a 55-yard touchdown in which he broke up the middle, got outside, dodged a tackle near the right sideline at about the 10-yard line and dove into the end zone with little more than a minute remaining in the first half. He had 202 rushing yards at halftime, when Birmingham led 16-0.

Knox's previous career high was 219 yards against Notre Dame last month. He added a 12-yard touchdown on a fourth-down play near the end of the third quarter.

Willie Chandler deserved some reverent music himself. He scored on a 6-yard interception return, an 85-yard kickoff return and a 50-yard pass from James Beloff that put Birmingham ahead 35-6. The kickoff return was his third special teams TD of the season.

Smith, who scored on runs of 13 and 3 yards, finished with 69 yards on 16carries.

Though it's only the first week of league play, the win likely gives the Patriots the title. Birmingham (3-3, 1-0) and Taft (2-4, 0-1) are the only teams to win the West Valley League since it evolved from the Northwest Valley Conference in 1999.

``That's what it always comes down to in the West Valley League,'' Knox said. ``Whoever wins Birmingham and Taft wins the league.''

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