Shrock Electrifies Edison
Huntington Beach Edison was clinging to a lead Friday night, courtesy of two missed extra-point attempts by Los Alamitos.
Then Edison quarterback Brian Shrock let the opposing kicker off the hook, scoring on a 76-yard touchdown in the closing minutes to secure a 27-19 victory at Orange Coast College.
Shrock finished with a career-high 206 yards in 18 carries and scored three touchdowns to lead the Chargers, ranked No. 2 in the Southland by The Times, to the victory over No. 9 Los Alamitos that virtually clinches the Sunset League title.
“Brian Shrock willed us to win this game,” Edison Coach Dave White said. “His legs won this one for us tonight.”
The victory marked the first time Edison has defeated Los Alamitos and Anaheim Esperanza in the same season since the teams joined the Sunset League in 1994.
Edison, which trailed Esperanza, 21-6, two weeks ago before scoring 28 unanswered points, overcame a slow start and scored 10 points in the closing minutes of the second quarter to take a 10-7 halftime lead. Shrock, who completed 16 of 33 passes for 165 yards with one interception, ran for 187 yards in the second half.
The Griffins (7-1, 2-1) scored on their first offensive series, marching 73 yards in 10 plays and taking a 7-0 lead on a three-yard run by junior Tom DeWeese. They were in good position to add to the lead, starting their next three drives in Edison territory, but went away scoreless each time.
Edison (7-1, 3-0) dropped four passes in the first half and Logan Cunningham intercepted another pass by Shrock.
After a personal foul on an Edison player nullified another drive, the Chargers finally began to gel midway through the second quarter. Justin Christjaener made a fingertip catch on fourth and seven to keep a drive alive and Shrock scored two plays later on a five-yard run to tie the score, 7-7.
Los Alamitos then returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown, but it was called back on a holding penalty. The drive stalled and Edison took over at midfield. A face mask penalty on the Griffins then set up a 28-yard field goal by Chad Blauer with 1:05 remaining in the half, giving the Chargers a 10-7 lead.
Los Alamitos regained the lead on its first drive of the second half when DeWeese scored on a 43-yard reverse, but Hunter White blocked the point-after attempt. That enabled Edison to march down the field and tie the score, 13-13, on a 24-yard field goal by Blauer with 6:03 remaining in the third quarter.
A successful conversion on fourth and two kept Edison’s next drive alive and Shrock took advantage, cutting to the sideline to elude a blitz and scoring on a 32-yard run to give the Chargers a 20-13 lead with 2:13 remaining in the second quarter.
The Griffins appeared set to tie the score after Chris Soto scored on a 34-yard run with 6:53 remaining in the game, but Dustin Abrams sent the point-after attempt wide left, leaving the score at 20-19.
Abrams, who also missed a 42-yard field goal in the first half, made a 32-yard field goal at the end of regulation last season against Edison, tying the score and allowing the Griffins to win in overtime, 31-24.