Edison Lights Up Mater Dei, 41-7

As Huntington Beach Edison High receiver A.J. Martinez wove his way through the Santa Ana Mater Dei secondary early in the fourth quarter on a 62-yard touchdown, Monarch defenders stuck out an arm here and a hand there in half-hearted attempts to bring him to the ground.

The play was indicative of a game in which it seemed as if the Chargers showed up to play tackle football and the Monarchs touch.

Martinez’s touchdown was the crowning blow in Edison’s 41-7 victory over Mater Dei Friday night before about 7,000 at Santa Ana Stadium in a Southern Section Division I semifinal. The Chargers (11-0-1) advanced to the championship against top-seeded Long Beach Poly (11-1) next Saturday at Edison Field.

It will be Edison’s first appearance in a title game since 1985, when it tied the Jackrabbits, 14-14, for the Big Five championship.

“We’re going to have to play our best game,” Edison Coach Dave White said after his team defeated Mater Dei (8-5) for the second time this season. “We’re not afraid of them. I think we’ll do some good things to them.”

If the Chargers play as well as they did Friday, they’ll have a chance. Edison’s defense sacked Mater Dei quarterback Colt Brennan eight times for minus-43 yards and didn’t allow the Monarchs past midfield in the second half. On offense, Charger quarterback Tommy Grady completed eight of 10 passes for 293 yards and two touchdowns.

Grady didn’t need to pass much after Edison (11-0-1) took a 21-0 lead in the first quarter.

Dominik Bronowicki’s game-opening onside kick bounced off Blake Meredith and was recovered by Charger defensive back Dayne Acosta at the Mater Dei 48-yard line. Edison capitalized seven plays later when Martinez plowed into the end zone for a one-yard touchdown to make it 7-0.

Defensive back Denny Flanagan gave the Chargers a 14-0 lead when he intercepted a Brennan pass and returned it 60 yards for a touchdown.

“I stuck my hand out to knock the ball down and it ended up in my hands,” Flanagan, who also caught three passes for 171 yards.

Flanagan pulled in a Grady pass with one hand on an 82-yard catch-and-run on Edison’s next series to give the Chargers the ball at the one. Running back Chucky Linman stumbled into the end zone on the next play to make it 21-0.

Keith Greer scored Mater Dei’s only touchdown on an eight-yard pass late in the second quarter.