Football kicks off new year

Two weeks of hard work in the dead of heat of summer, preceded by off-season lifting, has brought the Edison and Huntington Beach football teams to the brink of a new season.

The Chargers and Oilers open up the 2007 season Friday, one week before two other local squads, Marina and Ocean View, launch their respective seasons.

Edison has a date with Diamond Ranch at Huntington Beach High.

Huntington Beach, meanwhile, travels to Long Beach to battle Millikan.

Both games kick off at 7 p.m.

A look at the two match-ups, with last year’s team records in parentheses:

Friday’s games

Diamond Ranch (5-7) vs. Edison (11-3)

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

The two teams also opened up the 2006 season against each other in a first-ever meeting between the schools, and Edison used that game as a springboard to a memorable season.

The Chargers beat the Panthers, 35-6, on the road in Pomona last year en route to an 11-3 season that culminated in a runner-up finish to the CIF-Southern Section Pac-5 Division title. They enter this year’s game with the return of quarterback Nick Crissman as well as some talented running backs on offense, but must gain game experience along the line and at the receiver position.

Defense and a strong kicking game should carry the Chargers early.

The defense sparked last year’s rout as Edison took advantage of five Diamond Ranch turnovers and converted two into defensive touchdowns.

They have a lot of experienced players back this year and they’ll be out for a bit of revenge,” Edison Coach Dave White said. “They have a lot of talent among their veterans and it’ll be a tough opener.

“They turned the ball over five times last year and our defense scored twice, but I don’t expect that to happen again.”

Diamond Ranch went 5-7 overall last year, tied for second-place in the Miramonte League, won a first-round CIF Southwest Division playoff game before having its season ended with a second-round loss to eventual division champion El Dorado.

Senior Joseph Carillo, a three-year starter at quarterback, leads the Jaguars’ offense. His favorite target is senior receiver Thomas Clarkson and the line is led by a pair of senior guards in Chris Halcromb and Charles Cisneros.

Last year’s leading rusher, Aubrey Haynes, transferred out of school but the Jaguars get a top replacement with the addition of running back Shelton Miles who transferred in from Montclair High.

Miles, a senior, also plays safety. Senior Lamar Hughes is another key defensive returner at cornerback.

“The kids are really excited to begin the season,” White said of his Chargers. “We have no idea how good we are right now, but we’ll find out Friday.”

Huntington Beach (6-4) vs. Long Beach Millikan (4-6)

(at Millikan High, 7 p.m.)

Like Edison and Diamond Ranch, these two teams also opened against each other in ’06, with Huntington outlasting the visiting Rams, 42-34.

Friday’s game marks the head coaching debut of Eric Lo at Huntington.

“The element of speed is always a concern when you play a talented team like Millikan,” Lo said. “They are athletic, and from watching game film, they’re a four-wide receiver team and run a 4-3 defense.

“One of our main concerns is that we need to be consistent on offense.”

Huntington will unveil a new multiple formation on offense Friday that will implement the use of more players.

Defensively, the Oilers will use a new, 4-3 scheme.

Senior Bobby Duarte will quarterback the Oilers and a rushing game that includes a slew of backs led by Justin Niutapuai and Johnny Olivé, will be out to fill the void left by Stephen Gabbard, one of the county’s top rushers in ’06 who graduated in June.

In last year’s win over the Rams, the Oilers rushed for 495 yards with Gabbard amassing 405 of them on 47 carries.

Millikan went 4-6 overall last year and finished in fifth-place in the seven-team Moore League. Coach Kirk Diego’s Rams are somewhat of a work-in-progress. Their key skill returner on offense is receiver Kierre Beverly (6-2, 185, Jr.). It’ll be the defense that figures to carry the Rams early with the return of senior defensive back Roderick Cohn (5-11, 175, Sr.) and linemen Charles Thomas (6-1, 210, Sr.), Charles Burton (6-4, 250, Sr.), Nate Vredenburgh (6-1, 220, Sr.) and Marco Villicana (6-1, 225, Sr.).