Battle For The Bell

You know, it doesn’t matter what the records are, what either of these

teams have done to date, or how important previous league games might

have been.

Toss everything out the window.

What it all boils down to for the football teams at Edison and

Fountain Valley is that this is o7 thef7 game for both of these

schools. It has been for the past 32 years. 2001 is no different as the

teams prepare for Friday night’s 7:30 p.m. titanic battle at Orange Coast

College.

A league championship and playoff seedings and berths hang in the

balance of the outcome. Those certainly are of utmost importance to both

teams, but yearlong bragging rights probably are the biggest prize here.

Well, that, and the coveted “Bell,” which is occupied by the winning

team for an entire year.

An Edison win gives the Chargers a share of its first Sunset League

title in 11 years. It would also be its second in a row in this series,

with Fountain Valley winning five straight between 1995-99, easily the

Barons’ longest winning streak in the series.

In the old days, the winner of this game usually wore the Sunset

crown; that is, until Los Alamitos and Esperanza joined the Sunset ranks

in 1994.

With this being the final week of the regular season, Edison and Los

Al both share first place. The Griffins (3-0-1) host rival Esperanza

Friday. If both Edison and Los Al win, they will share the league title.

“This is it, the game everybody at both schools points to on the

schedule,” Edison coach Dave White said Tuesday as his Chargers continued

practice preparations for the Barons. “This game just brings out the best

in everybody.”

White should know. He was a player, assistant coach and now head coach

for Edison.

Not only is Edison (7-0-1, 3-0-1) looking for a piece of its first

league title since 1990, the Chargers also are looking to complete their

first undefeated regular season in 20 years.

Edison has the guns to do it, too, combining a potent offense with a

stingy defense to produce a team that has yet to be defeated.

The Charger offense enters the game averaging nearly 34 points.

Quarterback Tom Grady has had an outstanding junior season with 17

touchdown passes and just two interceptions. His favorite receiver,

senior Denny Flanagan, is closing in on the school’s single season (10)

and career (20) records for touchdown receptions. Rick Justice set both

standards between 1983-85.

“Both Tommy and Denny are having great years,” White said. “Denny had

a great summer and he’s been the type of receiver we thought he’d be, and

Tommy’s numbers are incredible.”

The Charger defense has been equally as impressive as the offense. In

addition to limiting the opposition to 15 points per game, the defense

has not given up a third-quarter point and has yielded just one touchdown

in the second half the entire season.

They can count on a stiff test to come from a talented Fountain Valley

team that is 6-2-1 overall and fighting for a playoff berth. The Barons

have struggled to a 1-2-1 record in league play and a loss Friday will

all but eliminate them from playoff contention.

Quarterback Casey Clark, with 1,466 yards and nine touchdowns, and

receiver Joey Flores, who has 605 yards and six scores, are two key

offensive weapons, although Clark also has thrown nine interceptions.

The Barons have one of the county’s most productive offenses and

average 27 points and nearly 350 yards per game.

White knows how dangerous the boys next door can be.

“They have tons of talent and certainly will be up for us,” White

said. “In a game like this, it doesn’t matter if a team is undefeated or

has five losses.”

What can be expected, however, is the typical standing-room-only crowd

that will converge on LeBard Stadium.

Edison-Fountain Valley Series Record

’69 - Chargers 21, Barons 20

’70 - Chargers 28, Barons 6

’71 - Chargers 20, Barons 6

’72 - Chargers 26, Barons 7

’73 - Barons 28, Chargers 24

’74 - Chargers O, Barons 0

’75 - Chargers 19, Barons 6

’76 - Chargers 13, Barons 3

’77 - Barons 6, Chargers 3

’78 - Chargers 10, Barons 7

’79 - Chargers 35, Barons 7

’80 - Chargers 15, Barons 14

’81 - Chargers 24, Barons 13

’82 - Chargers 17, Barons 13

’83 - Barons 33, Chargers 7

’84 - Barons 11, Chargers 10

’85 - Chargers 24, Barons 12

’86 - Chargers 3, Barons 0

’87 - Barons 14, Chargers 13

’88 - Barons 28, Chargers 21

’89 - Chargers 28, Barons 25

’90 - Chargers 29, Barons 0

’91 - Chargers 14, Barons 7

’92 - Barons 20, Chargers 11

’93 - Chargers 27, Barons 14

’94 - Chargers 42, Barons 22

’95 - Barons 27, Chargers 22

’96 - Barons 35, Chargers 12

’97 - Barons 19, Chargers 17

’98 - Barons 42, Chargers 28

’99 - Barons 35, Chargers 21

’00 - Chargers 16, Barons 3

(Edison leads, 20-12-1)