Fountain Valley Likes the Sound of This Victory

It’s only fitting that the bell sat in the end zone Friday night at Orange Coast College during the second half of the annual Fountain Valley-Edison “Battle for the Bell” football game.

Nothing better to symbolize the swinging of momentum.

The Barons seemingly grabbed hold of the bell hammer and swung the momentum their way with a 21-point fourth-quarter outburst and defeated Edison, 35-21, in a Sunset League game before a standing-room only crowd.

Nedal Abdelmuti, a Fountain Valley running back who transferred from Edison this year, rushed 16 times for 161 yards and three touchdowns.

He had touchdown runs of 64, 11 and 50 yards. His latter two touchdowns came in the fourth quarter and helped the Barons (6-3, 3-1) erase a 21-14 halftime deficit.

“The kids turned themselves around,” said Fountain Valley Coach Eric Johnson, dripping from a water-cooler shower. “It was nothing I said. They wanted this. I just told them that we needed to turn the momentum because [Edison] had it.”

The Barons did it by stalling Edison’s opening drive in the second half at the Fountain Valley 23. Charger kicker Travis Wilson missed a 41-yard field-goal attempt left and the Barons used 7:21 to go 80 yards in a punishing 14-play drive finished by Abdelmuti’s 11-yard run for a 21-21 tie.

“That changed the game,” Abdelmuti said. “After that we knew we were going to win.”

Fountain Valley forced an Edison punt after three plays and on the Barons’ first play, Abdelmuti went 50 yards up the left sideline, a run highlighted by a nifty move at the nine that got him past three would-be tacklers.

On Edison’s next play from scrimmage, Baron defensive back Eddie Irwin intercepted a pass and returned it 17 yards for a score and a 35-21 Fountain Valley lead.

“This is the biggest win of my career,” Abdelmuti said. “I came here because [Edison] wasn’t winning the bell.”

Steven Fifita, who had 58 yards in 10 carries for the Barons, more importantly spearheaded the key defensive stands as a nose guard.

“I don’t care about the bell,” Fifita said. “I just like ringing somebody’s bell.”

Schwartz completed 10 of 16 passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns for the Chargers. He had completed eight in a row before the interception in the fourth.

Edison’s Darryl Poston had 113 yards and a touchdown, but also fumbled twice in the first half, one leading to a Fountain Valley touchdown.

Poston had a 52-yard touchdown run in the first half.

The Chargers (6-3, 1-3), who started 5-0, find themselves in a desperate search for help in order to make the Southern Section Division I playoffs.