TAFT VS. BIRMINGHAM: VALLEY'S BIG GAME BRAGGING RIGHTS ON LINE FOR RIVALS.

Byline: Dana Bartholomew Staff Writer

The pep drills are honed, the band tubas polished, the plays well-practiced and the parties planned till dawn.

Not since 1970, the last time two San Fernando Valley high school football teams clashed in an all-city Valley championship, have competitive juices run so fast.

The Taft High School Toreadors of Woodland Hills and the Birmingham High School Patriots of Lake Balboa face off at the Los Angeles Coliseum tonight for an all-Valley battle and bash.

``I'm totally ecstatic,'' Christina Ramirez, 17, of Granada Hills, Birmingham student body president and captain of its Yell Leading Squad, said Thursday.

``It's amazing: This entire week, we've had different spirit events. We're going to take this thing.''

The undefeated Toreadors, who vanquished Venice 31-13 in last week's semifinals, are mad as bulls over last year's loss to Dorsey on a blocked punt in the final moments of the City Section championship game.

The team, coached by Troy Starr with five Coliseum playoff appearances in seven years, is a heavy favorite.

``Judging from the past several years, we'll have the biggest crowd we've had,'' said Jim Woodard, former athletic director for Taft who began coaching at the school in 1972.

``It's clearly the best (team) in 42 years ... I think Taft is the football school in the Valley.''

The Patriots, coached by Ed Croson, lost to Taft 30-6 early in the season and have not played in a league championship game in 39 years.

The team, which beat Taft in 2000 and 2001, is reeling from the suspension of wide receiver Bennie Ward as a result of a game tape handed over to officials by Taft coach Starr.

In turn, Birmingham coaches raised questions about possible recruiting violations by Taft.

``For us and all alumni, it's huge,'' said Louis Ramirez, athletic director for Birmingham High School from 1954 to 1998. ``We're hoping we'll play our best - and if we do, we'll win.''

One thing is clear: There's no lack of bluster as the Valley rivals prepare to color the Coliseum in Birmingham blue and Taft red.

At 42-year-old Taft, whose school sign ``Happy Holidays!'' greeting belied its fighting spirit, students practiced their trash-talk techniques in front of a busy weight room.

``We're better than Birmingham,'' said Melinda Huyuh, 15, of Winnetka. ``Our students are good students, we don't get suspended.''

``Our cheerleaders are the best, their cheerleaders are ugly,'' said Bobby Kohani, 15, of Encino. ``They're not spirited enough.''

``We're going to send them home crying to their moms,'' added Salmien Hassanknail, 14, of Chatsworth.

At 49-year-old Birmingham, whose sign boldly advertises the game, students on campus during an evening football practice were equally vehement about burying their nearby rival.

``Yes, yes, we're excited about the game, but we're a little bit miffed about Taft because they called in to complain about one of our students - because they're scared,'' said Melvyn Caceres, 16, of Van Nuys.

``This is it, we're gonna hit back, we're gonna win our first championship since '63,'' said Adam Reich, 16, of Tarzana.

``They better win 'cause I want my money back,'' said Julio Delacruz, 16, of Van Nuys, who bet $50 of his allowance on the Patriots.

``This is the Big Game,'' said Felipe Miranda, 15, of Arleta. ``If we win, there'll be a big fight after the game - somebody'll get hurt.''

Flashback to 1970, during the Valley's last Big Game, when Granada Hills upset San Fernando, 38-28.

Richard M. Nixon was president. The Beatles had just disbanded. Mailing a letter cost 6 cents. And Howard Cosell, Frank Gifford and Don Meredith had just debuted on ABC's all-new ``Monday Night Football''

With just 22 seconds of play left between Granada Hills and San Fernando, the host field at Birmingham High School, jammed with 16,000 spectators, exploded.

``It ended in a riot, it was terrible,'' recalled Ramirez. ``People were beating on each other - not just 40 people fighting on the field, but hundreds of people fighting on Balboa Boulevard and out on Victory Boulevard. People were running for their lives.''

Times have changed and high school stadiums, once packed each Friday night, are now half full. So sentiments might not be as highly pitched as 32 years ago.

``In those days, all the players came from the neighborhood,'' said Woodard. ``The sense of my school, my team, is not nearly as strong anymore.''

Players from each team this week saluted the competition as their coaches admonished them to clear their heads and focus on the game.

``For the students, they're excited,'' said Toreador Bryan Tarkington, 17, of Woodland Hills, a nose guard for Taft. ``But for the players, we're excited about going to get our rings.''

``The school is very excited,'' added Patriot Charles Chezick, 17, nose guard for Birmingham, as the lights flickered out on his penultimate pre- game practice.

``People keep coming up to us and say, 'I can't believe we're going to the Coliseum, I want to go.'

``This is about Valley bragging rights.''

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Taft band member Jessica Thorsten, 15, rehearses for tonight's big football game against Birmingham.

Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer

(2 -- color) Birmingham cheerleaders prepare banners for tonight's City Section championship finals against crosstown rival Taft.

John Lazar/Staff Photographer