Fresh start in postseason

Edison earns a No. 1 seed; Huntington receives at-large bid. The last time an Edison High football team enjoyed a top seeding heading into the CIF-Southern Section playoffs was in 1981.

The last time the Chargers played Redlands in football was around the same time -- 1979, to be exact.

Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Orange Coast College, the two schools will meet for the first time in 26 years when top-ranked Edison hosts Redlands in the opening round of the CIF-SS Division I playoffs.

Also qualifying for postseason play was Huntington Beach, which received one of two at-large bids in Division I.

The Oilers will hit the road to take on perennial power Long Beach Poly.

Playoff pairings were announced Sunday at the CIF-SS office in Los Alamitos.

Friday begins a four-week road to the ultimate destination for Division I teams: the Dec. 10 championship game at the Home Depot Center in Carson.

A look at Friday’s matchups:

Redlands (6-4) vs. Edison (9-1)

(at Orange Coast College, 7:30 p.m.)

Edison rolls into the playoffs on a nine-game winning streak. In the process, the Chargers won their first outright Sunset League title in 15 years.

Edison comes into the game averaging 32 points on offense, which is led by record-setting quarterback Brian Shrock.

The Charger defense, which has two shutouts to its credit and has limited two other teams to just one touchdown, is holding opponents to an average of 12 points per game.

“We’re going to continue to do what we’ve done all season, and that’s work on the aspects of our game, instead of the aspects of our opponent,” Edison coach Dave White said.

“Redlands is a pretty good ballclub. They’re young and they’ve got some weapons. They’re a tough first-round opponent.”

The Terriers finished in fourth place in the Citrus Belt League, an eight-member league which, along with the Moore League, were the two leagues to receive four automatic bids to the division playoffs.

“We’re happy to be here, but it’s a two-edged sword,” Redlands coach Jim Walker said. “We’re excited to be in the playoffs, but on the other hand, we have to go up against the No. 1 team in Edison.

“Edison brings a lot to the table, and Dave White is a solid individual who has his guys ready to play every week. The quarterback [Shrock] and that offense really make things happen. We’re coming into this game with a lot of respect and awe for the Chargers.”

Walker’s Terriers, who finished fourth in the Citrus Belt League, run the wing T offense and spread the yardage between several players.

“We use a lot of guys to run it,” Walker said. “There’s not one star on the team, like schools in Orange County tend to have. This is a bunch of blue-collar guys who share the wealth.”

History has it that in the CIF-SS Big 5 Conference championship game at the end of the 1979 season, Edison walloped Redlands, 55-0, at Angel Stadium.

It was, at the time, the largest margin of victory for a winning team in a division final.

“The taste of that game is still out here in the Inland Empire,” Walker said.

Huntington Beach (5-5) vs. Long Beach Poly (8-2)

(at Long Beach Wilson High, 7 p.m.)

Huntington’s reward for qualifying for the playoffs is a date with defending Division I champion Long Beach Poly.

The Jackrabbits defeated Los Alamitos, 21-6, in last year’s final.

Huntington is making its first trip to the postseason playoffs since 1998, a year the Oilers also met up with Long Beach Poly in a first-round game. Poly won that meeting.

Huntington coach Mike Groscost and a few Oilers assistant coaches were at the CIF-SS office in Los Alamitos Sunday morning when the names of the schools receiving at-large bids were revealed.

“We were standing right there when they posted the names, and it was exciting to see Huntington, that’s for sure,” Groscost said. “Our goal all season long was to get to the playoffs, and then see where we can go from there. This is fun and a great reward for our players.

“As for Long Beach Poly, well, they are who they are. They have a lot of great athletes. We will have to be disciplined and try to shorten the game. Ball control definitely will be the key for us.”

Moore League champion Long Beach Poly has a slew of talent and speed on both sides of the ball. Offensively, wide receivers Treavon Patterson and Terrence Austin, running backs Troy Guthrie and Ryan Smith, and quarterback Millicent Olawale lead the way.

Joe Carlson, athletic director at Poly, said he believes the school has played in six of the past seven division finals.

The Jackrabbits defeated Edison in the 2001 division final at Angel Stadium.20051117iq0wp5knPHOTOS BY COURTENAY NEARBURG / INDEPENDENT(LA)Marina wide receiver Danny Hogan fends off Chargers players during Friday night’s game. Edison scored a shutout victory, 31-0. 20051117iq0wpnkn(LA)Edison running back Caesare Nieto delivers yardage as offensive lineman Stephan Holmquist blocks Marina High defenders.