Edison Soars and Stumbles During Defeat of Dana Hills
Call them the Edison Enigmas.
For three games now, second-ranked Edison has looked alternately brilliant and average, dominating for long stretches only to suffer self-inflicted woes with listless play.
The Chargers turned in another schizophrenic performance Friday night when they limped to a 42-21 nonleague victory over host Dana Hills after leading 35-0 in the third quarter.
On the positive side, Edison running back Darryl Poston posted his first breakthrough game of the season with 197 yards rushing and three touchdowns in 22 carries. Charger defensive back Travis Wilson chipped in with two interceptions.
But Edison (3-0) couldn’t stop Dana Hills (1-2) in the second half. After limiting the Dolphins to 73 yards in the first half, the Chargers surrendered 21 unanswered points as Dana Hills mounted a spirited rally.
“In the second half, we started slowing down,” said Edison running back Marcus McCutcheon, who contributed to his team’s fast start when he returned the game’s opening kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown. “It looked like we came out kind of flat and it took them scoring a couple of times for us to come back.”
The letdown, and Edison’s on-again-off-again play, gives Charger Coach Dave White ample reason for concern heading into next week’s game against No. 1 Mater Dei.
“We’re not as good as we need to be for Mater Dei,” White said. “Mater Dei is a great team. We will have to play perfectly to stay with them.”
To the Chargers’ credit, they put together a near-perfect first half. After McCutcheon’s return, Charles Linman ran two yards for a touchdown and a 14-0 advantage. Poston added touchdown runs of 87 and eight yards to make it 28-0, then added a 13-yard score in the third quarter.
From there on, though, it was almost all Dana Hills as running back Kyle Kelly (133 yards in 15 carries) scored three consecutive touchdowns before the Chargers tacked on a late score.
“We’re not going to be able to play like that against the Monarchs,” McCutcheon said. “That game is going to be a challenge.”
