Title Tilt

Mike Sciacca

Dave White remembers the game well -- it was his last one as an

assistant coach, a few months before he would land the role of head coach

at his alma mater.

And, boy, was it ever a big game.

Edison High was taking on Long Beach Poly in the 1985 CIF Southern

Sevction Big Five Conference game at what was then called Anaheim

Stadium. Not only was Edison giving the talented, top-ranked Jackrabbits

quite a battle, but coach Bill Workman’s Chargers actually led, 14-0, in

the fourth quarter.

“We had them down 14 (points), but they came back on us,” White

remembered. “We were sad and dejected when the game was over, and the

Poly players were pretty happy. You wouldn’t have known that there was a

tie.”

The teams ended up as co-champions that season as a result of their

14-14 deadlock.

Sixteen years later, the two schools will meet again on the same

field, this time in the Division I title game at Edison Field.

It is the first time since that December night in 1985 that the Edison

football program has reached a division final.

Poly, however, is the division’s two-time defending champion and is

seeking its fifth CIF title since that ’85 season.

The school, which has sent many players on to Division I schools and

then the NFL, has won 13 championships in its illustrious football

history.

Edison is seeking its fourth football crown.

The similarities between Saturday night’s 7:30 p.m. matchup and the

one 16 years ago are striking.

“Back in that ’85 game, Poly was loaded with 11 or so Division I

(college) prospects,” said White. “They were the big favorite, we were

the underdog. This year they have a team very similar in talent.”

Long Beach Poly (11-1) will be making its fifth consecutive appearance

in a Division I final. The Moore League champion earned a berth in the

title game by defeating Edison’s Sunset League rival, Los Alamitos, 28-7,

in last Friday’s semifinal round.

Quarterback Brandon Brooks passed for 288 yards and two touchdowns in

the victory.

Senior Hershel Dennis is the star in the backfield and leads a

Jackrabbit offense that has scored more than 40 points a game on seven

occasions and is averaging nearly 45 points per outing.

Dennis rushed for 107 yards and scored four touchdowns in Poly’s 61-23

first round victory over Edison’s archrival, Fountain Valley.

Poly also defeated Loyola, 21-13, in a quarterfinal game.

And while the Jackrabbits -- whose lone loss came on Oct. 6 at the

hands of the nation’s top ranked team, Concord De La Salle -- have been

the prohibitive favorite to win the division since the outset of the

season, Edison appears more than ready to challenge the favorite.

“We are playing extremely well right now,” said White. “Our team has

really been impressive these past two weeks. We have a very close-knit,

confident team, and it shows on the field.”

The Chargers have more than lived up to their motto, “Speed Kills,”

and their playoff victims can attest to the fact.

Edison, which shared the Sunset League title with Los Alamitos, comes

into the championship game with an 11-0-1 record. In postseason play, the

Chargers have dismantled St. John Bosco (56-34), Bishop Amat (47-14) and

last Friday ran past a stunned Mater Dei team, 41-7.

In postseason play, Edison’s offense is averaging an amazing 48

points.

It will be tested by a Poly defense that has posted three shutouts and

has held four other opponents to a touchdown or less.

Edison has the athletes and speed to hang with the Jackrabbits,

especially at wide receiver and in the defensive backfield. Junior Tommy

Grady, who is closing in on the school’s single-season record for passing

yardage, has been “Mr. Efficiency” at quarterback. He threw for 243 yards

and two touchdowns in last week’s drubbing of Mater Dei and increased his

school single-season record for touchdown passes to 29. In addition,

Grady still has thrown only two interceptions in 12 games, and both came

in the fourth quarter of the 14-14 tie against Los Alamitos back on Oct.

25.

Edison has fielded several good teams over the years since that

championship season in ’85. The 1989 team reached the semifinal round,

and several other teams have been playoff bound in the past 16 years. But

three years ago, when senior two-way starter Marcus McCutcheon was a

freshman, the Chargers were just 3-6-1 and went nowhere.

“We’ve had some good teams since that ’85 team won a share of the

title, but this team has it all,” said White.

Edison-Poly Series

’82 - Poly 21, Chargers 17

’85 - Chargers 14, Poly 14

’91 - Chargers 13, Poly 6

’95 - Poly 40, Chargers 14

(Poly leads, 2-1-1)

*Note: The 1985 tie came in the CIF Big Five title game. The ‘82, ’91

and ’95 games all were played in the postseason.

The Records

Edison (11-0-0-1)

30...El Toro...7

51...Dana Hills...26

20...Mater Dei...13

28...Servite...21

25...Marina...7

66...Hunt Beach...19

14...Los Alamitos...14

35...Esperanza...14

19...Fountain Valley...10

CIF playoffs

56...St. John Bosco...34

47...Bishop Amat...14

41...Mater Dei...7

*Note: Sept. 14 game vs. Capo Valley canceled

LONG BEACH POLY (11-1)

37...Westchester...0

28...Narbonne...6

70...Fontana...0

15...De La Salle...29

48...Compton...0

51...Lakewood...3 69...LB Wilson...14

41...LB Jordan...20

69...LB Millikan...7

CIF Playoffs

61...F’nt Valley 23...

21...Loyola...13

28...Los Alamitos 7...

*Note: Sept. 14 game vs. Banning canceled