Edison, H.B. impress

For the second-straight week, Edison and Huntington Beach posted impressive prep football victories. As openers go, Marina was ohsoclose to ending a streak, and Ocean View found the going tough.

All four local schools continue their 2006 journeys Friday, with Edison playing its first home game of the season.

FRIDAY

L.A. Jordan (0-2) vs. Edison (2-0)

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

Edison worked a few new wrinkles into its offense last week in beating highly-regarded San Clemente on the road, 27-14. The Chargers used the option with receiver/linebacker Hunter White at quarterback, and received strong performances from starting quarterback Nick Crissman, running back Ceasare Nieto, receiver/defensive back Dominique Vinson, their offensive line and defense.

“It was a good all-around performance by our team,” Coach Dave White said of Edison, which held a San Clemente team that had scored 49 points in a season-opening win over Fallbrook, to just 14 points.

“Ceasare had a real good game with some great runs and second efforts and Dominique had another good game,” he said. “We made some nice strides from our first game to this one, and that’s encouraging. Our offensive line did a lot better job of protecting Nick, and Nick did a nice job throwing the ball.”

Edison plays its home opener against a Los Angeles Jordan squad that has opened the season with a loss to Locke, and last week was shut out by Dorsey, 39-0.

The run-oriented Bulldogs qualified for the city section playoffs last year. Five players from that squad were named to the All-Los Angeles City Championships Division Team, and two of those players return in 2006. They are receiver/defensive back Antwoine Baker and junior offensive lineman Steve Tovar.

Baker, a senior, is being recruited by several NCAA Division I programs.

This is the first meeting between the Chargers and Bulldogs.

Huntington Beach (2-0) vs. Costa Mesa (0-2)

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

Huntington Beach has scored 42 points in each of its first two games of the season — wins over Long Beach Millikan and Los Amigos. The Oilers might hit 40 or more again Friday against the Costa Mesa Mustangs in their first road test of the season.

Costa Mesa is still looking for its first victory this year following lopsided losses to Savanna (55-7) and last week to Rancho Alamitos (42-12).

Costa Mesa gave up more than 500 yards of total offense to Rancho Alamitos, including 284 on the ground. The Mustangs could be in for another long night against Huntington’s potent run-oriented offense.

“We expect a physical game from Costa Mesa, but we feel pretty strong and we’re ready to go,” Huntington Coach Mike Groscost said. “The boys have played well and have had two good weeks of practice.”

In last week’s home win over Los Amigos, the Oilers attacked the Lobos from every angle, jumped out to a big lead and substituted freely in a 42-15 victory. Their defense recovered four fumbles and blocked a punt, with Tyler Haunreiter recovering two of those fumbles. Offensively, senior running back Stephen Gabbard set the tone by scoring on a 60-yard rumble on the first play from scrimmage. Gabbard went on to score four TDs — including one from 79 yards out — and rush for 258 yards.

In two games, Gabbard has scored nine touchdowns and amassed 665 yards on 63 carries.

Last year’s score: Oilers 37, Mustangs 14

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

(at Westminster High, 7 p.m.)

It’s only the third week of the season, but both schools have already played “what if” games, as Marina travels across the field to battle host Westminster.

Marina dropped its season opener last week to Capistrano Valley, 21-14, in a game that featured big plays that worked against the Vikings and dictated the outcome of the game.

The Vikings were victims of an interception return for a touchdown, had a fumble returned nearly 70 yards, a field goal attempt blocked and gave up the winning touchdown — a 42-yard pass — with just under four minutes to play.

“There were a lot of strange happenings in that game,” said Marina Coach Mike Dodd, whose Vikings dropped their 11th-straight game. “We played well but we don’t want to make excuses for losing.

“The difference between this team and last year is that this team has a real positive attitude. We just need to work hard in practice to correct the mistakes we made in our first game.”

Josh Jordan and Jimmy Irvin, both two-way starters, along with running back Josh Martinez, gave strong first-game performances, Dodd said.

Jordan, Marina’s starting quarterback, hooked up with Irvin on a 15-yard TD pass play in the second quarter. Running back Justin Steen scored on a short run in the first quarter to give the Vikings their first touchdown of the season.

Next up for Marina is a Westminster team that Dodd said, “isn’t as big but has more speed,” than Capistrano Valley.

The Lions dropped a 22-15 decision to Aliso Niguel in their opener and last week, fell to Troy, 43-27. They are led by senior running back Charles Osgood and senior quarterback Ben Chapple.

Technically, this is a “road” game for Marina, which uses Westminster High’s Bill Boswell Field for its home games.

The two schools didn’t meet last year.

University (0-1) vs. Ocean View (0-1)

(at Ocean View High, 7 p.m.)

Both the Trojans and Seahawks will be looking to notch that first win in 2006 when they square off at Ocean View Stadium.

Ocean View dropped its opener to visiting Santiago of Garden Grove, 33-7, getting its only touchdown on an eight-yard pass from Dana Maley to Charlie Pickle.

University also struggled offensively in its first game, a 23-10 loss to Northwood. Joe Galvez, one of the Trojans’ top players, scored on a 46-yard run.

The teams didn’t meet last year.

CIF RANKINGS:

Edison, previously ranked ninth, has moved up to No. 8 in this week’s CIF-Southern Section Pac-5 Division football poll. Mission Viejo tops the poll, followed in order by Mater Dei, Los Alamitos, Loyola, Notre Dame/Sherman Oaks, Long Beach Poly, Esperanza, Edison, Orange Lutheran and Compton.