Regular season comes to an end

A year ago, Edison High and Los Alamitos played to a tie and ended

up sharing the 2001 Sunset League football championship.

Twelve months later, the Chargers and Griffins enter tonight’s

contest each seeking the same goal -- a victory -- yet a league

championship is on the line for just one team.

Both, however, have plenty riding on the outcome.

The teams clash at 7 p.m. at Veteran’s Stadium in Long Beach, the

site where Edison scored a spirited victory over the Griffins in

2000.

An Edison win would put the Chargers in prime position to receive

a possible playoff berth, one year after they reached the Division I

title game.

The Southern Section playoffs begin next Friday.

A win would improve Edison to 5-5 overall and 3-2 in the tough

Sunset League, bolstering prospects of that possible berth.

“This is a huge game for us. Basically, our season rests on this

game,” Charger junior receiver Matt White said. “Our team will really

be fired up for this game. I know we can win it, too.”

Edison is used to big game atmospheres, having played the likes of

Mater Dei, Servite, Esperanza and Fountain Valley this season.

The Chargers come to tonight’s showdown having beaten Marina and

Huntington Beach on consecutive weekends.

In those two games, the Charger defense has given up just seven

total points, with one shutout to its credit, and the offense has

averaged 24 points per game.

All five of Edison’s losses have come to teams that appear bound

for the playoffs.

An Edison win would also deny Los Alamitos an unbeaten season and

an outright Sunset League championship.

The Griffins are 8-0-1 overall and are one game up on Esperanza --

having defeated the Aztecs in the opening week of league play, in the

league standings.

Last year’s score: Chargers 14, Griffins 14

Friday’s Games:

Huntington Beach (3-6, 0-4) vs. Fountain Valley (3-6, 2-2)

(at Huntington Beach High, 7 p.m.)

It’s been a tough week for Huntington Beach. First, the Oilers

learned that the use of an ineligible player cost them a

season-opening win over Los Amigos. Then, during last Friday’s loss

to city rival Edison, they lost not only the game but their top

rusher -- the county’s leading ground gainer, Patrick Harrigan, to a

season-ending knee injury. They can end a losing streak at four games

by beating Fountain Valley and thus damage the Barons’ playoff hopes.

It’s been 10 years since Huntington Beach has defeated Fountain

Valley.

Last year’s score: Barons 41, Oilers 21

Barons-Oilers Series

’66 Oilers 41, Barons 7

’71 Oilers 15, Barons 14

’72 Barons 37, Oilers 28

’73 Barons 33, Oilers 14

’76 Barons 43, Oilers 6

’77 Barons 49, Oilers 6

’78 Barons 20, Oilers 0

’79 Barons 34, Oilers 3

’80 Barons 21, Oilers 6

’81 Barons 35, Oilers 0

’82 Barons 17, Oilers 14

’83 Oilers 6, Barons 3

’84 Barons 28, Oilers 7

’85 Barons 27, Oilers 0

’86 Barons 17, Oilers 7

’87 Barons 31, Oilers 27

’88 Barons 42, Oilers 13

’89 Double forfeit

’90 Oilers 35, Barons 20

’91 Oilers 14, Barons 13

’92 Oilers 27, Barons 7

’93 Oilers 14, Barons 10

’94 Barons 27, Oilers 13

’95 Barons 45, Oilers 6

’96 Barons 37, Oilers 0

’97 Barons 24, Oilers 22

’98 Barons 13, Oilers 12

’99 Barons 21, Oilers 6

’00 Barons 28, Oilers 7

’01 Barons 41, Oilers 21

Esperanza (8-1, 3-1) vs. Marina (3-6, 1-3)

(at Westminster High, 7 p.m.)

Marina ends its season looking for an upset of a very talented

Esperanza squad. The Vikings have dropped two straight games while

the Aztecs have won three in a row since losing their league opener

to Los Alamitos. Quarterback Rick Taloa has thrown for 1,565 yards

and 16 touchdowns with just five interceptions in nine games, and

running back Shaun Wildenstein is coming off last week’s

two-touchdown rushing performance as the Aztecs pounded Fountain

Valley, 42-0. Marina will be playing for pride and looking for a

repeat of last year’s scintillating upset.

Last year’s score: Vikings 35, Aztecs 14

Ocean View (1-8, 0-5) vs. Estancia (1-8, 0-5)

(at Orange Coast College, 7 p.m.)

This battle of the birds is a battle to see which team will avoid

the Golden West League basement. Estancia and Ocean View have

struggled on defense: the Eagles are giving up an average of 35

points per game, compared to the 32 points per game surrendered on

average by the Seahawks. Estancia’s problems also carry over to the

offense: in nine games, the Eagles have scored 54 points and have

been shut out on four occasions. Estancia has lost eight straight

since beating winless Magnolia on the opening night of the season.

Ocean View, meanwhile, is looking to halt a losing streak at six

games.

The teams did not meet last year.