Edison Turns Tables on Esperanza

With its offense sputtering and its defense getting run over, Huntington Beach Edison found itself in desperate condition Thursday night against Anaheim Esperanza. Then, with little warning, everything changed.

Quarterback Brian Shrock led a second-half rally, wiping out a 21-6 halftime deficit and lifting Edison to a 34-21 victory in its Sunset League opener at Placentia Valencia.

Shrock, limited to 88 yards passing in the first half, completed eight of 11 passes for 160 yards and two touchdowns in the second half and also scored a touchdown. Casare Nieto finished with 124 yards rushing and one touchdown.

Shrock hadn’t practiced in two weeks because of strep throat, and it showed early. But Edison (5-1), ranked No. 2 in the Southland by the Times, began its comeback when Hunter White stopped Charles Neal on a fourth-down play on the Edison 39 with 4:42 left in the third quarter. Shrock soon hit White on a nine-yard touchdown pass.

Then the 12th-ranked Aztecs (4-2) lost the ball on a fumble on their 39. Nieto ran five yards for a touchdown, cutting the lead to 21-19. Early in the fourth quarter, the Chargers took the lead for good on Shrock’s 40-yard touchdown pass to Dominique Vinson.

Edison looked rattled and out of sync throughout the first half in falling behind, 21-6. The Aztecs’ punishing ground attack ate up yards and consumed time, even lulling the Chargers into complacency, resulting in a 60-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Keith Jablonsky to Shane Henry at the end of the second quarter.

But Esperanza seemed to tire in the second half. Three times Aztec drives stalled on fourth down.

Rocky Taloa finished with 107 yards rushing, including 85 in the first half.