Gridiron awaits Oilers, Chargers

It’s called zero week, but it won’t count for nothing.

The prep football teams at Edison and Huntington Beach launch their seasons Friday, one week before Marina and Ocean View — and a majority of other schools — open their seasons.

Here’s a look at the season openers for the Chargers and Oilers:

FRIDAY

Edison vs. Diamond Ranch

(at Ganesha High, 7 p.m.)

A year ago, the Edison football program ventured to Hawaii to open its season. This year, they travel to Pomona to battle Diamond Ranch. Coach Dave White said he scheduled the game because at the time former Edison assistant coach Tom Leach was head coach at Diamond Ranch. But Leach left the program after the 2005 season to take on the head coaching job at Chaparral.

Roddy Layton, who played at Ganesha High, Mount SAC and USC, replaced Leach as head coach of the Panthers.

“We don’t know a whole lot about them, but what I do know is that they have a lot of guys back this year,” White said of the Panthers, who return 13 starters, seven of whom play defense. “They have good speed and are athletic.

“We’re ready to go. Everybody’s ready to play.”

For the first time in three years, Edison begins the season with a new starting quarterback. Junior Nick Crissman (6-feet-3, 185 pounds) has been pegged to replace the graduated Brian Shrock, who was the MVP of the Sunset League last year. Shrock accounted for 3,229 yards of offense and 38 touchdowns a season ago.

The Chargers, though, return several all-league players, including the league’s defensive back of the year and All-CIF selection Dominique Vinson (6-0, 165, senior) — who also plays at receiver — and Hunter White (6-0, 200, senior), a receiver and linebacker who was the Sunset League’s defensive player of the year in 2005.

Diamond Ranch is coming off an unspectacular 2-8 season in 2005 in which it was inexperienced and suffered several injuries. It did, however, go into the off-season winning the final two games of the year. Tackle Chad Steven (6-5, 295, senior) started all 10 games for the Panthers last year and is back to lead the offensive line. Juniors Chris Holcromb and Charles Cisneros return at the guard position.

Leading the Panthers in the backfield will be Joe Carrillo. The junior quarterback started three games last year and guided the team to its two victories. Leading a talented trio of rushers is Aubrey Hanes, who was hurt just three games into the season last year and did not return to the lineup.

Despite the season-ending knee injury that required surgery, Hanes (5-10, 211, junior) still managed to lead the Panthers last year in rushing attempts, rushing yards, touchdowns and was the team’s second-leading receiver. On defense, he led in total tackles and tackles for losses.

Brian Sperlin, a sophomore who was called up to varsity for the final two games last year, is “extremely fast, has great vision and knows how to get out of tackles,” Layton said.

The third rusher is Josh Hawkins, a quick back who can “hit the hole.”

Chris Wadsworth (6-1, 190), who missed last season due to injury, is a talented receiver who will also play defense.

A common opponent in 2005 for both teams was Servite: Edison defeated Servite, 27-7, while Diamond Ranch lost to the Friars, 38-14.

Long Beach Millikan vs. Huntington Beach

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

Both teams, which feature prominent rushing attacks, figure to be on the run in this season opener.

Long Beach Millikan went 3-7 last year, losing its final three games of the season. The Rams needed a victory over Long Beach Wilson in the final week of the regular season to qualify for the playoffs but lost to the Bruins.

They also lost out on a three-way coin flip to determine the league’s fourth-place representative to the playoffs. Sixth-year Rams coach Kirk Diego has several key returners back in the lineup, but it will be a newcomer, Kris Stanton (5-8, 152, senior), who will lead the offense at quarterback.

The run-oriented Rams might want to put the ball in the air, as Stanton will have a trio of talented receivers to throw to: seniors Christopher Brown (6-2, 180) and Daniel Poston (6-4, 190), and junior Joshua Skillern (5-8, 160). A key two-way starter for Millikan is senior Josh Frease (LB/RB), and senior linebacker Jonathan Baiz (5-11, 170) and senior lineman Sean Duggan (6-2, 265) anchor the defense.

That Rams defense will need to find a way to contain Huntington’s Stephen Gabbard, who is the reigning Sunset League offensive back of the year. Gabbard (5-11, 200), a senior, rushed for 1,672 yards a year ago.

Millikan and Huntington both faced a familiar foe in 2005 in Long Beach Poly, and both lost by similar scores: the Rams fell, 52-12, to the Jackrabbits in Moore League play, while the Oilers fell, 55-7, in the opening round of the CIF Southern Section Division I playoffs in November.