High School Football Preview: Edison football turns to first-year coach Jeff Grady

Edison High coach Jeff Grady, right, and quarterback Griffin O'Connor are looking forward to the season ahead of them. The Chargers are coming off a 2016 campaign in which they won the CIF Southern Section Division 3 championship.

By David Carrillo PeñalozaAssistant Editor, Fast Break Desk

Aug. 22, 2017 7:35 PM PT

Away from the Edison High football team, Dave White stood behind the end zone at Cap Sheue Field last week. For the first time in 32 years, he was not leading the Chargers, a big reason why he said he did not feel nervous.

Another person who said he was not nervous either was Jeff Grady, who took over for White.

That might have been hard to believe.

Having to face Mater Dei, the top-ranked team in the nation by USA Today, would worry any coach, even if it were in a scrimmage.

“I was more excited,” Grady said.

Sure, Grady was about to see a high school dream team, but he was embarking on his high school dream job.

There aren’t many coaches as fortunate as Grady. His first stint as a head coach is at his alma mater.

On the day the Chargers scrimmaged Mater Dei, Grady and his former coach never got the chance to talk.

“He’s really given me space and kind of allowed me to go about my business,” Grady said of White. “But he’s always there if I have any questions, any concerns, or [need] advice.

“He’s just been super supportive. There [has] been nothing specific [he has told me]. Somebody did say, ‘You got awful big shoes to fill, and [White] looked at me and goes, ‘You got bigger feet than I got.’ ”

Anyone following White will feel the pressure to succeed.

At a school such as Edison, which opened its doors in 1969, only four previous men had been in charge of the football program. White won the most games (238) and league championships (13), to go with two CIF Southern Section titles.

Grady is Edison’s fifth coach, and prioritized continuity in regards to his staff.

“Everybody that wanted to return [from White’s staff], I believe returned,” said Grady, adding that he has Rick Justice as the defensive coordinator and Al Granado coaching the defensive line, Gregg Campbell the offensive line, Mike Walters the linebackers, Freddie Marquez the defensive backs, Dave Yonts the kickers, and Jimmy Flanagan the secondary and receivers. “They’re all Edison guys. They’re passionate about the school. They’re passionate about the program. I think that goes a long way, and a lot of the guys are on campus, which is huge.”

The expectations are also always huge for the Chargers, and Grady — a 1998 Edison graduate — is well aware of them. A year ago, Edison claimed the CIF Southern Section Division 3 championship, and went 13-2 overall and 5-0 in the Sunset League.

Grady isn’t one to look to the future, though. He has his eyes set on Edison’s season opener at 7 p.m. Friday at Tesoro.

As for winning league and section titles this year, Grady isn’t even going to say whether those are goals. The Chargers are the favorites to finish atop the league for the third year in a row and to win a second straight section crown, as they’re No. 1 in the Division 2 preseason poll.

A run at a CIF State championship isn’t out of the picture. The Chargers came close to playing for one in White’s final year, losing 39-35 to San Clemente in the CIF State Southern California Regional Division 1-A Bowl Game at Cap Sheue Field. Many standout Chargers return off that team.

The returning starters on offense are senior quarterback Griffin O’Connor, a recent Yale commit, senior wide receivers David Atencio and McCade Barrett, senior running back Jack Carmichael, and senior offensive linemen Griffin Kosick and Ryan Osterkamp. On defense, the returning starters are Barrett at cornerback, senior defensive end Parker Thomas, junior linebacker Luke Hoggard and senior linebacker Mateo Gallego.

There’s a talented transfer in Hunter Griggs, from Pinnacle High in Phoenix. Grady said the 6-foot-2, 215-pound senior will see time at defensive end, running back and receiver right away.

The first game is nearing, and the site of it isn’t far from where Grady spent the past five seasons as an assistant. The next trip he makes to Rancho Santa Margarita won’t be to his former private high school, Santa Margarita, but to the public school 10 minutes away.

Grady said he enjoyed his time at Santa Margarita, especially when Harry Welch was at the helm. Welch is the first coach to guide three high school programs to state titles.

“I learned a lot about how to communicate with the kids and learned a lot about coaching,” said Grady, who was under Welch for the 2012 and ’13 seasons, the last two of Welch’s 25-year legendary career as a head coach. “He was so big on the little things, and demanding that [the players] did the little things right.”

Joining Welch’s staff at Santa Margarita in 2012 was how Grady made his way back to Orange County. He played quarterback at Fresno State and then coached there for seven seasons.

The coach Grady played for and coached with at Fresno State was Pat Hill, who was good friends with Welch.

“We just decided that it was best for our family, at the time, to get out of college and get out of that lifestyle, come back home,” said Grady, who as an offensive coordinator with the Bulldogs coached future NFL quarterback Derek Carr.

Grady has another quality quarterback to work with in O’Connor. Grady compared the 6-3, 200-pounder to some of the best to play the position at Edison.

“He has already established himself as a heck of player, a record-breaker from last year,” Grady said of O’Connor, who passed for 3,600 yards and 37 touchdowns, both Edison single-season records, while only throwing six interceptions. “I’m pretty biased. I think my [younger] brother [Tommy] was a pretty good player. I’m not saying he’s the best. You got your Frank Seurer and a number of other guys, the Angelovic brothers [Mike and Greg]. There [have] been a lot of really good players to come out of here.”

The next crop wants to make Grady’s debut season one to remember.

With Grady, O’Connor said he only makes the Chargers better. They will have to be better in a hurry.

The team has a challenging nonleague schedule with Tesoro, followed by a home date Sept. 1 with Westlake Village Oaks Christian, No. 2 in Division 2. Then Edison is at home Sept. 15 with San Juan Hills, No. 2 in Division 4, before traveling on Sept. 29 to San Clemente, No. 9 in Division 1.

“Hopefully we can duplicate last season,” O’Connor said. “I definitely want to win another CIF [championship], and hopefully we will win state this year.

“I want to make this the best Edison team that’s ever [been at the school].”