Defenses Rest as Capo Valley Defeats Edison

It wasn’t defense that stopped Edison High School from pulling out a victory in its nonleague game with Capistrano Valley Friday night at Cougar Stadium.

Luck might have played a part. Certainly fatigue, but defense?

No way.

Capistrano Valley stopped Edison on a two-point conversion attempt with 3:17 left, then held on for a 29-27 victory.

But it was more a case of Edison misfiring on the pass from Charger quarterback Greg Angelovic to Brian Ryder.

“You had two great offenses out there,” said Dick Enright, Capistrano Valley coach. “I wouldn’t give the defenses any credit tonight.

“We could do whatever we wanted and they could do whatever they wanted. They ran all over us. (Kaleaph) Carter is great. And we could pass all over them.”

Indeed, Carter had a most productive night for the Chargers.

And Todd Marinovich, Cougar quarterback, was superb, completing 17 of 23 for 190 yards and a touchdown. He was intercepted once.

Leading 22-21 in the third quarter, Marinovich led the Cougars (2-0) on an 81-yard scoring drive that gave Capistrano Valley a 29-21 lead with 8:10 left.

Tommy Adams’ two-yard plunge capped the drive.

Angelovic, who passed for 233 yards and 2 touchdowns, put together a 74-yard scoring drive that pulled the Chargers to within 29-27. He hit Ryder for a four-yard touchdown pass with 3:17 left to play.

But his two-point try to Ryder, who had Rich Thomas draped all over him, fell incomplete.

The difference in the final score? Adams’ two-point conversion run that gave the Cougars a 22-21 halftime lead.

Each team scored on every possession of the first half. Only halftime stopped Edison on its final drive. It wouldn’t be until 11:51 remained in the game that either team would punt.

Each completed impressive first-half drives. Capistrano Valley’s 87-yard, 9-play drive to give it the halftime lead was not the most artistic, but it was hard to match Marinovich’s 14-yard scoring pass to Adams.

Marinovich was forced out of the pocket to his left, then just before it appeared he would be sacked, he spotted Adams deep in the end zone.

The pass was high, but Adams, who is 6-foot 1-inch, leaped to grab it.

Edison was equally impressive on the 88-yard drive that gave the Chargers a 21-14 lead with 4:43 left in the half.

The Chargers made five straight first downs, advancing to the Capistrano Valley 39 before Enright called timeout in an attempt to stop the Chargers’ momentum.

Angelovic threw to Ryder for the 24-yard touchdown.

Edison, which appeared lackluster in its season-opening loss to El Modena, got more yards rushing in one play Friday night than all of last week.

Carter, who played sparingly last week, gained 71 yard on the game’s second play, setting up the Chargers’ first score.

A week ago, the Chargers (0-2) gained only 62 yards on the ground.

In all, Carter rushed for a touchdown and a game-high 161 yards in 15 carries.

Adams was the workhorse for the Cougars, gaining 85 yards in 21 carries. He scored four touchdowns, three rushing and the one catch.