Edison Gets Victory Amid Sea of Turnovers : Football: Both offensive units lack polish. Miscues by Corona del Mar’s line prove to be the difference as Chargers win, 14-7.

Opening night brought out the worst in Corona del Mar and Edison’s offenses. Fumbled snaps, dropped passes, botched plays and horrendous blocking was the norm. If you were looking for excitement, Huntington Beach High wasn’t the place to be Friday night. Between the two offenses, there were 268 yards gained and five turnovers.

But Edison Coach Dave White wasn’t looking for a thrill a minute, just a victory. He got one, 14-7, thanks to his defense and mistake-prone Corona del Mar.

“Our ‘D’ is something else,” White said. “They’ll have to carry us for awhile until our offense gets going.”

Edison’s defense spent most of the night in Corona del Mar’s backfield and limited the Sea Kings to 104 total yards. Corona del Mar running back J.R. Walz was stuffed nearly every time he touched the ball, gaining 28 yards in 17 carries.

“He’s the key,” White said. “He’s a great player. Our kids did a great job stopping him.”

Corona del Mar Coach Dave Holland wasn’t as generous regarding his offensive line.

“Our line didn’t play real well,” Holland said.

Holland’s skill players didn’t hold the ball well either, fumbling six times. The Sea Kings’ most costly fumble came early in the third quarter with the score tied at 7. Punter Scott Witucki fell on the ball at his four, 32 yards from where it was snapped.

Edison halfback Jason Simmons (22 carries for 54 yards) scored two plays later on a one-yard run to make it 14-7 with 8:54 remaining.

After that, Corona del Mar’s best opportunity to score came with 4:10 left in the game. With Edison pinned at its five after a 55-yard Witucki punt, quarterback Tood Belitz ran an ill-advised option in his end zone. He appeared to be tackled for a safety, but the officials ruled he made it back to the one.

“I’d like to maybe have that (call) back,” White said. “They had a stunt on. They guessed right. I’m just glad Todd got out of there.”

Edison fullback Brodie Riederich busted out to the 12 on the next play and Chris Young gained four to get a first down and allow the time to run out.

Young scored the game’s first touchdown on an eight-yard run with 2:55 left in the first quarter. Corona del Mar got it back late in the second quarter on a gift from Simmons, who fumbled on his own six with 35 seconds left in the half.

Again, White wondered about the intelligence of his play call.

“You always regret something that doesn’t work,” White said. “Jason’s a great back and he hardly ever fumbles.”