Edison takes charge, powers past Fountain Valley
COSTA MESA — Edison’s mastery of Fountain Valley continues.
And so does its possession of The Bell.
Riding a defense that set the tone early and continued in charge throughout the night, the Chargers came away with a 33-7 victory over the Barons in the latest version of the Battle of the Bell before an intense crowd at sold-out LeBard Stadium at Orange Coast College.
The triumph also gave Edison, ranked No. 6 in the CIF Southern West Valley Division, sole possession of first place in the Sunset League and a piece of its ninth league title in the last 11 years.
The Chargers won their fourth-straight game and improved to 4-0 in league and 6-3 overall. They have a one-game lead on 10th-ranked Fountain Valley (3-1) with one league contest remaining.
Edison never trailed in winning in the rivalry for the 11th straight year, increasing its advantage in the all-time series to 31-14-1. Its defense set up the game’s first two touchdowns, and stymied the Barons’ potent option offense.
“They run the option really and that offense is scary,” Edison Coach Dave White said of Fountain Valley. “I thought our defense did a great job all night in keeping them in check. Our defense played lights out.”
On Fountain Valley’s opening possession, Edison defensive back E.J. Ginnis intercepted the first pass attempt by Barons quarterback Chad Olberding at the Edison 35-yard line after the Barons had reached midfield. Ginnis’ 16-yard return gave the Chargers possession at the Fountain Valley 39. Edison cashed in on the turnover, scoring in six plays. The big gain was a 31-yard pass play between quarterback Griffin O’Connor and receiver Garrett White that that put ball at the two. On the next play, running back Turner Maza, who also starts at defensive back, punched it in for a touchdown. The point-after failed, but the Chargers had a 6-0 lead five minutes into the game.
That lead expanded two minutes later.
At the end of Fountain Valley’s ensuing possession, Edison defensive back Shaun Colamonico, in the first of two, huge plays in the first half by the junior, burst through to block Ben Filipek’s punt attempt, and the Chargers took possession at the Fountain Valley 20. Again the Chargers converted on the turnover, this time, with O’Connor and White teaming on a 20-yard touchdown pass play. Bobby Jinkins’ point-after made it 13-0.
“Edison played really well, and you’ve got to hand it to them,” Fountain Valley Coach Ray Fenton said after his Barons (6-3) had a six-game winning streak snapped. “They played at a level they hadn’t been playing at, and you have to respect what they did tonight.”
Edison looked as though it would increase its lead early in the second quarter when it marched from its own 29 down to the Fountain Valley 19. On a third down play, the Chargers fumbled the ball away on a handoff exchange, and the Barons’ linebacker Blake Vasquez recovered at the 13.
Fountain Valley climbed back into contention later in the quarter. Starting at their own 35, the Barons took only four plays to get on the scoreboard. Olberding, who suffered an ankle injury during last week’s 49-7 win over Marina and “didn’t take a snap in practice all week,” Fenton said, scampered 22 yards on a keeper. At the end of the play, Edison, plagued by penalties throughout the game, was called for a late hit, and the Barons had the ball at the Edison 25.
Olberding’s run was the longest gain of the half for Fountain Valley until one play later, when Olberding found Moe Falealii over the middle at the 11 and the junior went in for a 25-yard touchdown reception. Filipek’s kick pulled the Barons to within 13-7 with 4:38 left in the half.
Fountain Valley had a sense of momentum on its side, but it quickly disappeared.
The Barons defense had the Chargers facing a third-and-10 at the Edison 17, but O’Connor connected with Colamonico on a 13-yard pass play for a first down at the 30. On the next play, O’Connor lofted a pass down the right sideline toward Colamonico, who ran under the ball at the Fountain Valley 30 and raced untouched to the end zone on a 70-yard scoring play.
Jinkins’ conversion gave Edison a 20-7 lead with 3:45 to go until halftime, a lead the Chargers would take into the break.
“Our defense was unbelievable,” Dave White said. “We had too many penalties, turned the ball over, and our offense misfired, but our defense kept picking it up for us.”
Edison’s defense continued its torrid play in the second half. Linebacker Miguel Moreida intercepted Olberding and scored on a 43-yard run seven minutes into the half. Defensive back Gasper Atencio intercepted Fountain Valley’s other quarterback, Kent Swift, later in the third quarter. Early in the fourth quarter, Ginnis came up with an interception of a Swift pass inside Fountain Valley territory. The Chargers took over at the 47. After a three-yard loss on a run play, Maza fought his way down the Edison sideline for a 47-yard gain on a screen play down to the three. Two plays later, he scored on his second two-yard run of the night to make it 33-7 with 9:05 remaining.
Edison won the game but suffered another significant loss. Early in the second quarter, Garrett White was injured after making a pass reception (which ended in a lost fumble). He was attended to on the field, then escorted off and didn’t return. He was on the sideline in the second half walking with crutches and an ice pack around his left knee.
White said he “felt all right.”
The Chargers were without four other injured senior starters Friday, two of whom are team captains. Quarterback Grant Lowary, who started the season before an arm injury sidelined him, was wearing an arm sling. Running back Jacob Marines, injured in the first half of Edison’s 28-13 win over Huntington Beach last week, also was on crutches on the Edison sideline.
Receiver/linebacker Jacob Price and fullback/defensive end Shane Fullbright also didn’t suit up.
“I’m a coach, but I’m a father, and I feel bad for Garrett, who’s also one of our captains,” Dave White said of his son. “We had four other seniors who didn’t get the chance to play in this rivalry game and tonight, Garrett goes down. We’re running out of seniors, and team captains.
“I’m happy for the team, and proud of our defense, but bummed for my son.”
White, in his 30th year as head coach at Edison, said the 11-game winning streak in the series is special.
“I’ve been part of it as a player and coach, and been part of it when we won five in a row, and lost five in a row,” he said. “It’s just too much of an emotional game. Sometimes we’ve lost when I thought we were the better team, and sometimes we’ve won when I thought they were the better team.
“To win 11 in a row is pretty special in this rivalry. We’ve now won league in nine of the last 11 years. I’m really proud of the program.”
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Scoreboard
Sunset League
Edison 33, Fountain Valley 7
Newport Harbor 60, Marina 35
Los Alamitos 56, Huntington Beach 10 (Thursday)
Golden West League
Segerstrom 38, Ocean View 14
Academy League
Brethren Christian 49, Sage Hill 7
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Nov. 5 Schedule
Academy League
Crean Lutheran vs. Brethren Christian
(at Ocean View High, 7 p.m.)
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Nov. 6 Schedule
Sunset League
Edison vs. Newport Harbor
(at Orange Coast College, 7 p.m.)
Huntington Beach vs. Fountain Valley
(at Westminster High, 7 p.m.)
Los Alamitos vs. Marina
(at Huntington Beach High, 7 p.m.)
Golden West League
Loara at Ocean View, 7 p.m.
