Fans filled the cozy confines of Carson's Gene Vollnogle Stadium an hour before the game, anxious to get a taste of the next installment of the Carson-Banning rivalry.

There was not an empty seat to be found. The bands played loudly and proudly, and there was a certain energy both on and off the field.

Yet for all the fuss and the pregame hype, Carson managed to keep a level head, jumping out to an early lead and controlling most of the game in a 27-12 victory on Wednesday night in the

L.A. City Section playoff quarterfinals.

"For us, there were never any distractions. Our minds were on football," Carson quarterback Dominique Blackman said. "We had to maintain our focus. We just tried to maintain the momentum and be consistent."

Running back Jack Sula rushed for 192 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries, Blackman went 9-for-15 for 187 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, and linebacker David Sausau came up with another interception to help Carson advance to face sixth-seeded Dorsey, a 48-26 winner over No. 3 Venice, in a semifinal at Carson on Nov. 30.

Carson (10-2) may be turning more into a nemesis than a rival to Banning after the Colts logged their eighth straight win over the Pilots, yet the game had an intensity that is rarely matched.

Even though Carson had shut out Banning, 21-0, two weeks ago in the regular-season finale, this game was much more competitive throughout.

"It's a big time whenever we play Banning," Sula said. "Man, it's great. Since I was a kid, I was hearing about this rivalry. There's a lot of history, and you can't change that. We just zoned out and did what Carson normally does - execute."

Banning (9-3) even had its chances to take control of the game despite trailing, 14-0.

Banning appeared to be turning the tide when Michael Calloway picked off Blackman and ran it back 91 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter that would have cut Carson's lead to two points. Yet there was a late flag on the field for a block in the back that seemed to befuddle both teams.

"It was a touchdown, man," Calloway said. "Then they called it back, for no apparent reason. That would've give us momentum. The referees were calling a lot of stuff, though we had a lot of opportunities, but did not capitalize."

Even Carson coach Mike Christensen seemed to smirk and give a small laugh when asked about the alleged block.

It left a bitter taste in the mouth of Banning coach Chris Ferragamo, especially when Banning running back Josh Limosnero fumbled seven plays later, helping Carson maintain a 21-12 lead. Juan Sanchez added field goals of 37 and 32 yards in the fourth quarter for the final margin.

"It's just terrible; I feel bad," Ferragamo said. "It changed the game a lot. We could've won. The momentum was swinging our way, but we had none after that.

"Carson played a great game and they're a good football team, but when it came down to crunch time, we just didn't get it done. We couldn't sustain drives and we didn't make plays."

Banning was particularly hurt when lineman Nick Garibay left the game with a left knee injury after Limosnero (105 yards, 2 TDs, 22 carries) punched in his second score of the game - a 13-yard run in the third quarter to pull within 21-12.

"I wanted to go back in, but I couldn't," Garibay said. "My knee kept popping out every time I took a step."

Banning's passing game was nearly nonexistent. Quarterbacks Anthony Rodriguez and Michael Ponce combined to go 3-for-13 for 47 yards and an interception.

Trailing, 14-6, to start the second half, Rodriguez was picked off by David Sausau, who also had an interception and a 12-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown in the Week 10 win over Banning.

"It was a good ball. I stayed in the middle, dropped into a zone and reached one hand out for it," Sausau said. "We tried to shut them out again, but Banning has too much heart to let that happen. Banning played a heck of a game, and I have respect for them now."

It was particularly sweet for Blackman, who was serenaded with several taunts from Banning fans following his two-game suspension for violations of team rules at the start of the season.

Blackman threw a 46-yard touchdown pass to Keenan Smith in the second quarter and an 11-yard touchdown strike to Morrell Presley in the third quarter.

"A lot of their fans were talking about my situation before the game, making a lot of negative comments, but my coaches told me to just focus on the game," Blackman said. "I had to show that I was here to make a statement."

The victory was particularly sweet for Carson, which won on its home field despite a major movement by Banning to try to move the game, fearing that fans would be turned away and that the situation might escalate to violence.