Top of his game

Mike Sciacca

Dave White has been at this game for quite a while now, but the Edison

High football coach might be hard-pressed to find a night more special

than the one he enjoyed Monday.

Flanked by his assistant coaches and players, boosters, cheerleaders

and other well-wishers, and before the glare of television camera lights

at Dave Mohs Memorial Gymnasium on Edison’s campus, White received the

honor of being named regional Coach of the Year for Southern California.

The award was presented at the culmination of an annual program run by

KABC-TV Channel 7 in conjunction with the National Football League.

The presentation to White, which was taped Saturday, aired at the

conclusion of the Monday Night Football game between the Baltimore Ravens

and Minnesota Vikings.

“I am overwhelmed and very humbled by this. For me, though, the

greatest thing about this award is that I get to recognize my coaching

staff,” said White, who concluded his 16th season as head coach of the

Chargers in December by leading them to the CIF Southern Section Division

I championship game against Long Beach Poly.

For 16 weeks during the NFL season, KABC-TV names a local high school

football coach as its coach of the week during its postgame, Monday Night

Live, which is hosted by Bill Weir. The honored coach receives a plaque

signed by NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, a $1,000 check, which goes

toward the school’s football program, and players received NFL T-shirts.

In the first week of December, the week leading up to the Dec. 8 CIF

title game, White was selected coach of the week. At the conclusion of

the 16 weeks, KABC TV and the NFL selected regional coaches of the year,

the selection was based on what a coach does on and off the field. Three

weeks later White was honored as regional coach of the year, and was

presented with another large plaque and $1,000 check by NFL director of

operations Gene Washington.

KABC also presented White with a scrapbook filled with supportive

letters and e-mails addressed to the coach. Also on hand was ABC sports

reporter Curt Sandoval, while Weir oversaw the festivities from the

Monday Night Live studio.

“I grew up watching Gene Washington play in the NFL, so it was very

special to have him present the award,” White said.

The coach said another great surprise that came during the

presentation was a taped congratulatory message he received on a TV

monitor placed in the gymnasium. It came from Baltimore Ravens special

teams coach Russ Purnell, who was an Edison assistant coach when White

quarterbacked the Chargers his senior year in 1973. The two also served

as assistant coaches together on the Edison staff from 1979-81, Purnell being the defensive coordinator, with White in charge of defensive backs.

Edison this year won a share of its first Sunset League championship

since 1990 and reached a CIF championship game for the first time since

1985. The Chargers’ 11-1-1 record in 2001 marked the first time since

1989 that the program notched 10 wins or more in a season.

“We rolled all season but just got more awesome as the year

progressed. We also had tremendous support from our boosters and school

administration and our student body was really fired up about this team,”

he said.

White was quick to point out that he would not be standing in the

limelight if it weren’t for efforts of Charger assistant coaches Harry

Schmidt and Kyle Murphy (offensive line), Geoff Bell (quarterbacks), Rick

Meyers and Mike Ogas (wide receivers), Mike Henderson (running backs),

John Boyer (tight ends/defensive ends), Rob Simonson (defensive line),

Larry Grady (linebackers) and Fred Marquez and Ryan Tombrello (defensive

backs).

Eight of the 12 coaches, said White -- including himself, played

Edison football.

“It really was an awesome night and an awesome conclusion to a really

great season for our football program,” he said.

* MIKE SCIACCA is the education and sports reporter. He can be reached

at (714) 965-7171 or by e-mail at michael.sciacca@latimes.com.