Edison Starts Sluggishly but Still Shuts Down Ocean View

HUNTINGTON BEACH —  Though admittedly uninspired because of its tough loss to Fontana last week, the Edison High School football team still mustered enough interest Thursday night to shut out Ocean View, 22-0, in a Sunset League game in front of 1,000 at Huntington Beach High.

The Chargers (3-2, 1-0 in league) got off to a sluggish start by fumbling the ball away on its only possession of the first quarter, but came back with three touchdowns on the ground to successfully open defense of their two consecutive league championships.

“We were a little flat,” Edison Coach Dave White said. “We dug down a little deeper in the second half.”

Edison actually got its act together in the second quarter. After kicker Mark Wersching--who was playing with a sprained left ankle--was just short on a 45-yard field-goal attempt for Ocean View (1-4, 0-2), the Chargers marched 80 yards in 11 plays and their first score on a two-yard run around left end by quarterback John Khamis with 36 seconds remaining in the quarter. A two-point conversion by holder Ryan Belitz after a bad snap from center gave Edison an 8-0 lead at the half.

The Chargers then went to their power-I attack on their first possession of the third quarter and increased their lead to 15-0 midway through the quarter on an eight-yard run by Travis Balding. The senior tailback also had a 17-yard run during the seven-play drive.

Balding, however, saved his best run of the game for his second touchdown. On a first and 20 from the Ocean View 39-yard line, Balding busted around right tackle, cut to the outside and scampered along the sideline to score with 6:32 to play. Balding, who finished with 131 yards in 16 carries, almost scored two plays earlier after catching a 38-yard pass from Khamis, but Seahawk cornerback Garrick Twedt tackled Balding from behind around midfield.

Ocean View, which had only 60 total yards in the first half (15 passing, 45 rushing), missed its best opportunity to score late in the fourth quarter.

The Seahawks used some fine running and passing by quarterback Albert Fanoga and two 15-yard penalties against Edison to move the ball to the Charger five. But a touchdown run by fullback Eric Hatfield was nullified by a holding penalty. Two plays later, Fanoga’s pass was intercepted in the end zone by defensive back Chet Van Horn with two minutes left in the game.

Fanoga threw for 107 yards, and Khamis passed for 93.