Edison dug in defensively to chart championship course
The Edison football team celebrated a CIF Southern Section championship on its home field on Friday in Huntington Beach, enjoying Ring Pops that were equal parts symbolic of the spoils of victory and of how truly sweet it is to come out the other side of a challenge.
Season-opening losses to Clovis West and Yorba Linda — both by one point — came with the Chargers’ defense surrendering the go-ahead score in the closing seconds, surely leaving a sour taste in their mouths.
After back-to-back losses to close out the schedule in the stacked Alpha League, Edison made sure its run through the Division 3 bracket was never in doubt.
It began about as smoothly as possible, Edison delivering shutout victories over North Torrance and La Verne Bonita. At Vista Murrieta in the semifinals, the Mustangs returned a kick for a touchdown, but the Chargers had still allowed only one score while lining up on defense.
Then the latest spate of adversity dropped, the Chargers learning that star running back Julius Gillick would be suspended for the Division 3 final against Simi Valley after he received two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in the semifinals. The Chargers appealed, but neither penalty was rescinded by the officiating crew of that game.
Jake Minter, who went both ways as a receiver and a free safety, said the Chargers continued to believe they would win the championship game, adding that the school of thought was to limit “big plays.”
Edison did so in a 35-21 win over Simi Valley, holding the Pioneers to 73 rushing yards, producing five sacks, and coming up with timely stops.
“It’s just along the season, us connecting more as a family and just building a stronger bond together as a team,” Minter said. “I think that’s what really separated us in these defensive games, only allowing 28 points [from scrimmage] in the playoffs.”
Edison defensive coordinator Troy Thomas held the same position at Westlake when Jim Benkert, now the head coach at Simi Valley, won the first of his six coaching titles in 1999. That added a bit more to the game within the game, though Thomas indicated the Chargers are a quick study.
“They study a ton of film,” Thomas said. “We knew some of their plays. When they would line up in certain formations, they would give it away, and our kids were running to the place they were going to go.
“That’s a really good offense over there. Jim Benkert’s about as good as I’ve gone up against, and I’ve coached up against them all.”
Thomas has overseen a defense that held opponents to 19.4 points per game in the regular season, and that allowance has shrunk to 8.8 points per contest since the playoffs started.
Conrad Barrera tallied two sacks, Jack Knudtson added 1½ sacks, Nathan Stevens had a sack, and Devyn Blake picked up two tackles for lost yardage and half a sack.
In a final that did not feature a turnover, the Chargers’ ability to create negative plays was a difference-maker.
“Our defensive line, as a linebacker, I love them because they’re giving me holes to go through,” said Matt Lopez, who had 2½ tackles for a loss. “Our defensive line does a good job at keeping us on their side of the ball, not them moving us.”
Thomas said the team has “no superstars” on defense. Lopez echoed those sentiments in sharing that the unit is greater than the sum of its parts.
“We have all 11 players doing their thing,” Lopez added. “Once everyone does their part, then there’s players who go make that tackle. Our defense doesn’t work with[out everyone] doing their job. Everyone has to do their job, so there’s no certain credit that goes to one person. Huge team effort by everyone that played defense.”
The connectivity of the Edison defense was on display in the closing seconds of the first half. Simi Valley quarterback Tagg Harrison attempted to run up the middle, but the rushing lane was closed off by Stevens. Harrison then scrambled out to the right, but Gavin Slaughter met him at the edge, and Jeremiah Ross and Cooper Cirillo rallied to the football to finish the play.
Time expired on the first half, leaving Simi Valley 8 yards short of the end zone, and sending Edison into halftime with a 21-7 lead.
“You can hear them,” Cirillo said outside a raucous Edison locker room after the game. “Everyone’s just ecstatic to get this win. It’s what we prepared for for so long, and just to finally be here, it’s unreal.”
Edison (10-4), which plays host to El Cajon Granite Hills (11-2) on Saturday, rattled off six wins in a row after its initial two-game slide, and if it could pull off two more wins, it would have its second six-game winning streak of the season and a state title to boot.
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