Rough road for Edison

For the first three weeks of its season, the Edison High football team has looked quite impressive.

Wins over Diamond Ranch, San Clemente and, most recently, Los Angeles Jordan, have put the Chargers at 3-0 and moved them up to No. 5 ranking in this week’s CIF-Southern Section Pac-5 Division poll.

That ranking will change in one way or another, and the Chargers will face their stiffest challenges yet over the course of the next two weeks — a period where, you might say, Edison has a parochial prerogative.

Up next for the Chargers is a Saturday night showdown with Servite, a preseason Top 10 team that is certain to bust back into the rankings during the season.

Following Saturday’s 7:30 p.m. meeting with the Friars at Glover Stadium in Anaheim, Edison will host top-ranked Mater Dei on Sept. 29.

Servite evened its record at 1-1 last weekend after blowing out Diamond Ranch, 50-0, the same team Edison defeated on the road, 35-6, to open the season on Sept. 1.

The Friars are a veteran group and feature several outstanding players on both sides of the ball. A total of 10 all-league players are back this season, including Daniel Klein, a three-year starter at quarterback, all-CIF and all-county tight end/linebacker Chris Galippo and speedy receiver D.J. Shoemate, a multiposition player. Both Galippo and Shoemate have committed to USC.

“This is going to be a big test for our guys. In fact, the next two weeks are huge,” Edison Coach Dave White said. “We’re excited, and I know Servite will be hungry because we’ve beaten them the last few years.”

Edison toyed with Los Angeles Jordan last week, beating the outmanned Bulldogs, 57-3, to improve to 3-0. It was over by the 2:21 mark of the first quarter — after a Troy Bosiljevac interception led to a Nick Crissman-to-Hunter White touchdown pass play, Ceasare Nieto ran for a score, White returned an interception 21 yards for another TD, and an interception by Shawn Higginbotham set up a TD pass from Crissman to Earnie Sagiao — when the Chargers opened up a 27-0 lead.

In three games, the Edison defense has recorded 10 interceptions. On the flip side, Crissman has thrown seven TD passes without an interception.

Saturday’s meeting will be the 16th between schools with storied football programs. Edison holds an edge in the series, winning 10 times, including the last two meetings.

Edison-Servite series

2005: Chargers 27, Friars 7

2004: Chargers 34, Friars 9

2003: Friars 7, Chargers 0

2002: Friars 32, Chargers 7

2001: Chargers 28, Friars 21

2000: Chargers 35, Friars 33

1993: Chargers 17, Friars 8

1992: Friars 28, Chargers 6

1990: Chargers 35, Friars 6

1987: Friars 34, Chargers 0

1986: Chargers 14, Friars 7

1985: Chargers 14, Friars 13

1981: Friars 14, Chargers 7

1980: Chargers 35, Friars 0

1979: Chargers 17, Friars 0

(Edison leads, 10-5-0)

In other games:

TONIGHT

Ocean View (0-2) vs.

Century (0-2)

(at Segerstrom High, 7 p.m.)

Ocean View takes to the road for the first time this season and goes up against a Century team, like itself, that is looking for win No. 1.

Ocean View has managed 12 points in two games, although injuries to several players have prevented the Seahawks from achieving any continuity on either side of the ball.

Running back Nhan Nguyen, an all-league running back last year, missed last week’s game against Santiago/Garden Grove due to an injury he suffered in Ocean View’s season-opener on Sept. 8. Nguyen is questionable for tonight’s game, Seahawks Coach Dean Yoshiyama said.

Offensive lineman Chris Mohl, who suffered a concussion last week against Santiago, will be sidelined tonight.

“We’re a little banged up right now,” Yoshiyama said. “It would be nice, at some point this season, to have our entire team healthy.

“The kids are hanging in there, though. We’ve been preaching to them to keep a positive attitude, to look for ways to make improvements. It’s a matter of perseverance for them.”

Like Ocean View, Century has struggled on offense. The Centurions have scored 16 points in two games, three coming last week in a 24-3 loss to Santa Ana.

Last year’s score: Centurions 7, Seahawks 0

FRIDAY

Orange (1-1) vs. Marina (0-2)

(at Westminster High, 7 p.m.)

A week after nearly knocking off Capistrano Valley, Marina couldn’t muster much offense or rally from a 22-point deficit in a 29-7 loss last Friday to Westminster. Justin Steen scored the lone Vikings touchdown on a four-yard run in the fourth quarter.

Orange notched its first win of 2006 last week by defeating Magnolia, 26-9. Matthew Contreras rushed for 184 yards and a touchdown, and Kirk Jones ran for 98 more and a pair of scores to lead the Panthers, whose loss is a 32-29 setback to rival El Modena on Sept. 8. The teams did not meet last year.

Huntington Beach (3-0) vs. Long Beach Jordan (0-2)

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

Long Beach Jordan has had two weeks to prepare a game plan to contain Huntington and its potent rushing attack.

The Panthers, who are led by tight end/defensive end Jaymar Latchison, tailback Brandon Davis and offensive linemen Mario Sanchez and Ethan Vaughn, enter the game with a record of 0-2. They started their season with a 46-6 loss to Mission Viejo, then dropped a 25-22 game to Lynwood before heading into last week’s bye.

“Huntington Beach is a big, physical team, and we know we’ll have our hands full,” Jordan Coach Scott Mayer said. “They have as good a running back as we’ll see all year. The key for us is to try to control the ball and keep it out of Huntington’s hands.”

The “running back” Mayer is referring to is the Oilers’ Stephen Gabbard. In three games, the senior has rushed for 934 yards and 13 touchdowns. Long Beach Millikan — a Moore League rival of Jordan’s — Los Amigos and most recently Costa Mesa have not been able to derail Gabbard.

Now it’s Jordan’s turn to try to figure out a way to control Huntington’s rushing game and prevent Gabbard from reaching the 1,000-yards rushing mark in just four games.

The Oilers’ rushing attack was in top form last week in a 41-7 rout of Costa Mesa. Gabbard rushed for four touchdowns and 269 yards, Johnny Olivé ran for 109 yards and a score, and a third back, Justin Niutapuai, scored on another run.

The Oilers have scored six touchdowns in each of their three games. The teams didn’t meet last year.

CIF football rankings

Pac-5 Division: 1. Mater Dei; 2. Los Alamitos; 3. Notre Dame/Sherman Oaks; 4. Mission Viejo; 5. Edison; 6. Orange Lutheran; 7. Esperanza; 8. Santa Margarita; 9. Long Beach Poly; 10. Loyola.

Southwest Division: 1. Mayfair; 2. El Dorado; 3. Los Altos; 4. Huntington Beach; 5. Rowland; 6. Tustin; 7. Trabuco Hills; 8. West Covina; 9. Charter Oak 10. Villa Park.