Tough road ahead

Mike Sciacca

Having coasted through the first three weeks of the season, the

Edison High football team faces perhaps its toughest assignment to

date in the 2004 season.

Friday night at Pioneer High in Whittier, the Chargers will be

looking for their fourth victory out of the gate when they battle

undefeated Santa Fe in a 7 p.m. nonleague game.

Edison, at 3-0, will be taking on a Santa Fe squad (2-0) that has

been equally impressive in its first two games.

Entering the game, Edison is ranked third in CIF-Southern Section

Division I.

Santa Fe, meanwhile, is the top-ranked team in Division VII.

“They traditionally have a strong program and are strong once

again this year,” Edison coach Dave White said. “They’ve won their

league championship the past three years and will be right there

again at the end of the year.”

The Chiefs have won the Del Rio League title three years running.

Last year, Santa Fe went 11-2 overall. They were 9-1 in the first

10 weeks of the 2003 season, its only regular season loss coming to

Edison in the third week of play. The Chargers won a 13-6 defensive

struggle from the Chiefs.

Santa Fe went on to win two games in the Division VII playoffs

before being eliminated in the semifinal round.

The Chiefs opened the 2004 season with big wins over Inglewood and

Montebello. They shut out Montebello, 14-0, for their first shutout

of the year.

“They are a strong team defensively, but have lost some players on

offense from last year,” White said. “I expect a really tough battle

Friday.”

Edison has rolled to three wins to open up the season. The

Chargers have defeated Servite, San Clemente and Capistrano Valley.

The Charger offense is averaging 30 points per game, while the

defense is giving up only seven points per game. The defensive unit

got its first shutout of the season last week in a 29-0 win at

Capistrano Valley and allowed just over 100 yards of offense.

Joshua Gage scored two rushing touchdowns for the Chargers.

FRIDAY’S OTHER GAMES:

Laguna Hills (0-2) vs. Huntington Beach (1-0-1)

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

At this point in the season, it’s fair to say that Huntington

Beach is a “second half” team.

Two weeks ago, the Oilers came from three touchdowns down to Los

Amigos to score 21 second-half points in a 21-21 tie with the Lobos.

Last Thursday, they scored 22 unanswered points to overcome a

one-point halftime deficit and went on to a 42-28 win against Costa

Mesa.

Oilers runners rushed for five touchdowns, three by Curtis

Crandell and one each by Justin Montes and Mitch Roemer. Crandell

scored on runs of 59, 26 and one yards -- his 26-yard run giving the

Oilers the lead for keeps -- and Roemer scored on a 44-yard jaunt.

Eric Jaso scored the other Oilers’ touchdown on a 70-yard punt

return in the second quarter.

Roemer and Montes topped the century mark in rushing with 132

yards and 111 yards, respectively.

Laguna Hills trailed Trabuco Hills by a 10-7 score last week, but

went on to a 31-7 defeat -- the Hawks’ second of the season. Senior

running back Dan Jean was the lone bright spot for the Hawks with 105

yards rushing and a touchdown.

Last year’s score: Laguna Hills 13, Huntington 7 Century (2-0) vs. Ocean View (0-2)

(at Ocean View High, 7 p.m.)

After having allowed 48 points in each of its first two games,

Ocean View will need to bring up its defense if it hopes to derail an

undefeated Century squad.

The Centurions looked impressive Saturday in a 42-0 pasting of

Westminster La Quinta. In that win, running back Simon Son rushed for

205 yards on just 13 carries -- his entire offensive output coming in

the first half.

The 210-pound running back, a senior, scored five touchdowns on

runs of 13, 11, two, eight and 80 yards, the scores giving Century a

42-0 halftime lead. The Centurions turned to their second string and

junior varsity players to complete the second half.

Century had begun the season with a 14-6 win over Buena Park, a

game in which Son rushed for 185 and a pair of scores.

Last year’s score: Century 34, Ocean View 7

Marina (0-2) vs. Mission Viejo (2-0)

(at Mission Viejo High, 7:30 p.m.)

The road is only getting tougher for Marina.

A week after falling to Newport Harbor, 35-0, the Vikings face the

unenviable task of traveling to Mission Viejo to take on the county’s

top-ranked team.

The Diablos improved to 2-0 on Sept. 16 with a 14-7 win over Mater

Dei. They had opened the season on Sept. 9 with a 55-21 pounding of

Marina’s Sunset League brethren, Los Alamitos.

Although Mater Dei held it in check, Mission Viejo’s offense has

been unstoppable at times.

Leading a powerful offense is quarterback Mark Sanchez and running

back Chane Moline. In two games, Sanchez is averaging 205 passing

yards and has thrown three touchdown passes. Moline, meanwhile, is

averaging 201 yards rushing per game. He’s rushed for five touchdowns

and has one touchdown reception.

The Diablos will be going up against a Marina defense that has

given up an average of 26 points in its first two games. The Vikings’

offense has scored just one touchdown.

Last year’s score: Mission Viejo 48, Marina 22.