O’Connor to Atencio connection takes Edison to Battle at the Beach semis
Passing leagues put the football hype machine in motion.
Months before the first snap of the fall, the debate is on to declare this season’s Mt. Rushmore of Southern California high school quarterbacks.
The 19th annual Battle at the Beach on the campus of Edison High had plenty of fireworks on Saturday, and in the end, two of the region’s signature programs went toe-to-toe for the crown.
Santa Ana Mater Dei clipped Bellflower St. John Bosco, 7-6, in the final.
All preseason championships aside, what coaches want to see the most out of their teams in these 7-on-7 drills is their compete level.
Some might argue that the most important thing to come out of the passing league season with is a strong connection. Edison quarterback Griffin O’Connor and wide receiver David Atencio feel that theirs ranks up there with the best.
The Chargers marched into the tournament’s semifinal round, thanks in large part to the senior duo. O’Connor is already committed to UNLV. Atencio is on the school’s radar, and the two hope that the Rebels will opt to keep the connection of O’Connor to Atencio alive for years to come.
“They like me a lot,” Atencio said of UNLV’s interest. “They said they want to see the first part of the season, see how that goes and go from there. It would be sweet to keep the duo together.”
Atencio suffered a torn ACL in June following his sophomore season. He underwent the LARS procedure to speed up the recovery process, and he finished third on the team with 704 receiving yards after playing in 10 of the Chargers’ 15 games last season.
Teams may have chosen to be cautious with Atencio due to his injury history. Atencio said he was told that the Rebels want to see him play about four games in pads to start this year.
“We went to camp, and he did really well up there,” O’Connor endorsed his receiver. “He kind of opened up some eyes. I think once they see him in pads, they will probably for sure pull the trigger on him.”
Another reliable option for O’Connor in the passing league competition was McCade Barrett.
Several players demonstrated their ability to play on both sides of the ball for Edison. Brandon Moradian and Barrett had a handful of interceptions. Mateo Gallego and Atencio also played two ways.
After 31 years with Dave White at the helm, the Chargers have a new coach in former Edison quarterback Jeff Grady. It was the call of family that brought Grady home after ascending the ranks to offensive coordinator at Fresno State.
“I want to be a good husband, and I want to be a good father,” Grady said. “It just wasn’t for me. I decided to come on down for…a lifestyle change.”
As for what he has inherited from his former high school coach, Grady agrees that he could not have walked into a better situation.
“It’s a big help, especially when you have good senior leadership, which we have,” Grady said of taking over the defending CIF-SS Division 3 champions. “We have a good group of seniors who have kind of taken over the team, and it’s been huge for me.
“I’m just trying to build upon what is already here. We’re going to continue trying to take things to the next level. Obviously, that’s going to be tough because the standard here has been set real high. I’m happy that the standard has been set way up there. That’s a good thing.”
Edison recorded wins against Valencia (16-13), La Puente Bishop Amat (23-0), Eastvale Roosevelt (31-7), and Mission Hills Alemany (21-12). The Chargers lost to Anaheim Servite in pool play, 22-19. They were dismissed in the semifinals by Iowa State committed quarterback Re-al Mitchell and St. John Bosco, 20-12.
A wealth of football talent walked the grounds at Edison High on Saturday. None stood out more than Servite’s Delon Hurt. The physical receiver displayed an endless motor to go with strong hands and an imposing physique.
Servite coach Scott Meyer, the former head of the Corona del Mar program, lauded Hurt for his work in the offseason.
“He’s had an amazing spring and this summer,” Meyer said. “He’s gotten much bigger. He’s a physical receiver, and he goes up and gets the ball. Real strong hands, so he’ll go up and get the ball.”
Hurt’s list of college offers includes Utah, Colorado, BYU, and Hawai’i.
Twitter: @ProfessorTurner
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