Edison football powers past La Serna, wins fourth straight game

Edison High football senior running back Julius Gillick remembers quarterback Sam Thomson’s first varsity start well.

Last year, Thomson was under center against Huntington Beach. All Gillick did in that game was rush for a school-record 312 yards and five touchdowns.

Thomson, now a sophomore, was cast into a starting role again Friday night, as senior quarterback Savelio Niumata missed the game against Whittier La Serna with a minor injury.

“I’ve got some good chemistry with Sam,” Gillick said. “Obviously, Save, that’s family … but if anybody on the planet is to step in for him, I’m grateful it’s Sam Thomson. He’s a dog, he’s a young stud, and there’s a lot of potential in him. Very poised.”

Edison running back Julius Gillick hits the hole strong against La Serna on Friday night.

(JP Westerbeck)

The Chargers scored touchdowns on three of their first four drives, earning a 32-21 nonleague triumph over La Serna at Cap Sheue Field.

Thomson threw two touchdown passes for Edison (4-2), while Gillick rushed for a pair of scores and also had a receiving touchdown. The Chargers won their fourth straight game, and have brushed off back-to-back one-point losses to Clovis West and Yorba Linda to open the season.

“We got punched in the mouth early, but I think it morphed us into a stronger team, a more competitive team,” Thomson said. “We have more fire, and I think these last four games we’ve been firing on all cylinders. I think we’re going to give people a run for their money.”

Edison head coach Jeff Grady and assistant coach Earnie Sagiao congratulate Jake Minter (17) after he scored in the second quarter.

(JP Westerbeck)

La Serna, which won CIF Southern Section Division 4 and CIF State Division 2-AA titles last year but has a much younger team this year, fell to 3-3.

Gillick found the end zone three times early for Edison, first on runs of 30 and 27 yards. His 13-yard touchdown reception from Thomson gave the hosts a 20-0 lead midway through the second quarter.

With 154 yards rushing Friday night, Gillick has already surpassed 1,000 yards for the season.

The Chargers fumbled the ball on the La Serna one-yard line later in the half, but that provided an opportunity for senior linebacker Jeremiah Ross. He tackled the La Serna running back in the end zone for a safety.

On the ensuing drive, Thomson hooked up with senior receiver Jake Minter for a 27-yard score. Minter made a nice contested catch near the goal line, and all of a sudden Edison had a 29-0 lead late in the half.

Ross also had a sack for the Chargers, who had fellow seniors like Carson Schmidt and Matt Lopez also make plays on defense.

Edison’s Jeremiah Ross makes the tackle in the end zone to get the Chargers two points on a safety against La Serna.

(JP Westerbeck)

“I feel like our guys are confident and they’re playing fast,” Edison coach Jeff Grady said. “I think they’re enjoying it. I like where we’re at, but obviously, we have to get better, just like everybody else.”

Senior kicker Nico Bammer made a field goal in the second half to cap the Edison scoring.

La Serna used two quarterbacks, sophomores Grady Long and Jordan Bonilla. Bonilla led the Lancers on a long drive of more than nine minutes to open the second half, but the visitors couldn’t come away with points.

Sophomore Daniel Moreno had a pair of one-yard plunges for a score for La Serna, while Bonilla found standout senior Kaimana Tufuga for a 30-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter.

La Serna outscored Edison 21-3 after Minter’s touchdown reception, providing issues for the Chargers to address next week in practice.

Edison senior receiver Jake Minter runs after catching the ball in the first quarter Friday night against La Serna.

(JP Westerbeck)

“I’ve got to say, I’m not satisfied with what we did today,” Gillick said. “I think we made way too many mistakes, and I think that the film that we put out today is not Edison football. I’m disappointed in myself. I’m not disappointed in my teammates, I think my teammates are holding their own, but there’s a lot that needs to be worked on.”

Edison hosts La Mesa Helix (2-3) on Friday night, the Chargers’ last nonleague tuneup. They then have their bye week before playing rival Los Alamitos in their Alpha League opener on Oct. 18.

Grady said he is optimistic that Niumata will be able to return next week.

*

Nonleague

Edison 32, La Serna 21

SCORE BY QUARTERS

La Serna 0 – 7 – 0 – 14 — 21

Edison 13 – 16 – 0 – 3 — 32

FIRST QUARTER

E — Gillick 30 run (kick failed), 7:48.

E — Gillick 27 run (Bammer kick), 5:01.

SECOND QUARTER

E — Gillick 13 pass from Thomson (Bammer kick), 8:16.

E — Safety (Ross tackled ball-carrier in end zone), 2:03.

E — Minter 27 pass from Thomson (Bammer kick), 1:27.

LS — Moreno 1 run (Armenta kick), 0:39.

FOURTH QUARTER

E — Bammer 32 FG, 9:27.

LS — Tufuga 30 pass from Bonilla (Armenta kick), 4:34.

LS — Moreno 1 run (Armenta kick), 0:56.

INDIVIDUAL RUSHING

LS — Bonilla, 7-48.

E — Gillick, 18-154, 2 TDs.

INDIVIDUAL PASSING

LS — Long, 4-8-0, 70; Bonilla, 11-15-0, 105, 1 TD.

E — Thomson, 12-19-0, 212, 2 TDs.

INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING

LS — Armenta, 4-67; Tufuga, 5-66, 1 TD.

E — Degiacomo, 5-63; Slaughter, 2-55.