Prep Football : Edison Stays Unbeaten With Another Victory Filled With Penalties

His team having just beaten up on a good team gone bad, Edison High School football Coach Dave White offered this pearl of wisdom.

“Five and O is better than O and five.”

Putting aside the obvious mathematical implications, White’s comment was about how far Edison has come and how far it has to go.

The Chargers’ 42-0 victory over St. John Bosco Friday at Huntington Beach High was not entirely pleasing to White--the Chargers were called for 13 penalties totaling 125 yards--but it does mean Edison ends the nonleague season 5-0.

Just a season ago, Edison ended the nonleague season at 0-5 en route to a 2-8 year.

Against St. John Bosco--a Big Five finalist as recently as 1986, but a team now 1-4--Edison demonstrated why it’s undefeated and why White thinks it still can’t be favored to win the Sunset League championship.

On the good side is a well-balanced, diversified offense that gained 484 yards in total offense, second best in school history. Leading the way was quarterback Greg Angelovic, who was the game’s leading passer (15 of 24 for 209 yards) and rusher (8 carries, 74 yards).

Angelovic accounted for three of Edison’s touchdowns. Running 4 yards for the first score of the game, passing 12 yards to Patrick Reilly for the second, and, after Edison’s Gus Miranda had scored on a 4-yard run, Angelovic closed out the first-half scoring with a 33-yard scoring pass to Art Baird.

Edison gained 304 yards in the first half, while the defense limited St. John Bosco to two first downs.

Edison’s second-half touchdowns came in the fourth quarter, the first a 3-yard run by Shane Sherman, the last a 5-yard run by backup quarterback Donnie Smith.

There were just so many people doing so much for Edison. The Chargers used nine rushers to gain 275 yards on the ground. Angelovic completed passes to six receivers. Edison’s six touchdowns were scored by six players. The Chargers even used two kickers on conversions.

In the debit column is the matter of penalties. Edison came into the game averaging 10 penalties per game, and 100 yards in penalty yardage.

The 13 penalties Edison got Friday killed a couple drives and nullified a 4-yard touchdown run by Angelovic in the third quarter. In one messy third-quarter stretch, Edison was penalized on five consecutive plays.

“We’re just making too many penalties to contend for a league championship,” White said.

Of course, close to 500 yards in offense has a way of canceling out a lot of mistakes.