Football: Edmonson could be in trouble against Notre Dame

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This time last year, Austin Edmonson had the unenviable task of taking over the featured back role over at Moorpark following the departure of highly regarded Darrell Scott, who ended up transferring to nearby St. Bonaventure. And the sophomore did well, finishing with 1,063 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns.

Nearly 12 months later, Edmonson has another unenviable task to deal with. On Friday, he will face one of the Southland’s toughest teams, Notre Dame, ranked No. 7 by The Times. The chances of winning are slim, but if the 5-foot-8, 170-pound junior plays well, the Musketeers could end up keeping things somewhat close.

‘We thought Austin was ready to go last season, and he proved he was capable of carrying the load for us at times,’’ Moorpark Coach Tim Lins said. ‘He was able to forge his own identity. With a year under his belt, we think he’s ready. We think he’s prepared for the challenge a powerhouse team like Notre Dame presents.’’

It’s easy to say someone is ready, or prepared. Whether he is remains to be seen. This much is certain, linebacker Jordan Barrett and the rest of the Knights defense is well aware of the fact that Moorpark would like to establish some sort of running game. It will be interesting to see if Edmonson is up to the task.

-- Sean Ceglinsky