Edison comes up just shy against Servite
COSTA MESA — Down a touchdown and driving in the waning moments of its nonleague game against Servite Friday, Edison needed 13 yards for a first down to keep its hopes alive.
A big gain on a pass play looked as though it had picked up the necessary yardage to sustain the drive, but the official measurement proved the Chargers to be just shy of retaining possession.
The play would sum up the night for Edison, and Servite ran out the final 38 seconds on the clock to come away with a 21-14 victory at Orange Coast College’s LeBard Stadium.
“It’s a tough way to lose,” Edison Coach Dave White said after his team had a two-game win streak snapped and fell to 2-2. “I just want the kids to decide the game, not the refs. I’m proud of our kids. They gave it their all.”
Quarterback Grant Lowary’s pass to receiver Garrett White on a 4th-and-13 call put the ball at the Servite 26, and it appeared the play would yield a first down. The Chargers needed it, as they had moved downfield with their final possession after Servite had come from behind to take the lead with 3:55 remaining.
The Friars (2-2) came back from deficits of 7-0 and 14-13 to earn the win and end a two-game skid. They were coming off lopsided losses to Bishop Amat and De La Salle.
Servite mounted its winning drive from its own 34 with 5:28 to play, a drive that was aided by two questionable calls. The first was a helmet-to-helmet call against Edison on the takedown of Servite running back Jackson Taylor after a seven-yard gain. Now at the Edison 33, Friars quarterback Aaron Simpson threw a first-down pass into the ground under a heavy rush, and was called for intentional grounding. A discussion between the officials followed, and the flag eventually was waved off. Two plays later, Simpson stepped back to pass, took off through a hole on the left side and scored on a 20-yard run. Simpson also ran in a two-point conversion to give the Friars a 21-14 lead.
Edison had controlled much of the first half but a pair of Servite touchdowns, one coming from its defense, in the final 3:13 of the half, put the Friars in front at the break, 13-7. The Chargers took the second-half kickoff and marched in for a touchdown to retake the lead. They covered 80 yards and key plays in the 10-play drive included gains of 11 and 13 on consecutive runs by running back Jacob Marines, and an 18-yard pass from Lowary to Garrett White. Marines capped the drive by taking a handoff straight up the middle for a nine-yard touchdown run.
Bobby Jinkins’ conversion put the Chargers up, 14-13, a lead they would hold until the final 5 minutes of the game.
Marines would leave the game later in the third quarter and not return, and Jinkins was just wide left on a 28-yard field goal attempt that would have extended the Edison lead to 17-13 with 10:24 to play.
Edison held prime field position throughout the game, but couldn’t cash in on its opportunities. Following Marines’ TD run that led to their 14-13 lead, the Chargers got the ball right back at the Servite 35 when the Friars failed on a fourth-down pass play. With a chance to build on a precarious lead, Lowary thew over the top toward the end zone on first down and receiver Shaun Colamonico stretched out to make a great grab before stumbling down at the two. The 33-yard gain, however, was wiped out by a holding call. The Chargers couldn’t recover, and ended up punting from midfield.
Edison also had scored on its first possession of the game. Early in a 59-yard drive, Lowary and receiver David Atencio teamed on pass plays covering 11 and 10 yards. Later, on a third-and-six play from the Servite 29, Lowary (245 passing yards) delivered a perfectly placed pass to Atencio who ran under the ball inside the 10 and went into the end zone.
“We did some nice things out there, but were still not there yet offensively,” White said. “We had field position, but their defense is really good.”
The Chargers had other opportunities to increase their lead, but couldn’t take advantage of field position.
They reached the Servite 39 on their second possession but consecutive false start penalties moved the ball back to the Servite 49, and they punted four plays later from midfield. On Servite’s ensuing possession, Edison defensive back Nick Warren intercepted Servite starting quarterback Tyler Lytle near midfield and returned the pick inside the Servite 40. A block in the back call on the return put the ball back at midfield, but the Chargers got the 15 yards back on a pass interference call. They ended up punting again from midfield.
Edison also started its fourth possession at its own 45 but only gained a yard on three plays and punted.
A huge defensive play and a change at quarterback in the second quarter, seemed to ignite the Friars.
Simpson replaced Lytle with 6:35 left in the first half, but the Edison defense forced the Friars to punt on Simpson’s first series. The Friars, however, got on the scoreboard moments later when cornerback Keyon Riley stepped in from of a Lowary pass intended for White to make an interception near midfield. Riley switched gears and field direction, then zig-zagged his way downfield and leapt into the end zone to complete a dazzling return for a touchdown. Asa Fuller’s kick tied the score.
Servite, which defeated Fountain Valley in its season opener, got the ball back at its own 41 with 1:11 left in the half but needed only three plays to move in for the go-ahead score. Simpson rolled out to his right, turned and threw opposite direction to receiver Terrell Bynum in the left flat, and Bynum found an opening and raced upfield untouched for a 38-yard scoring play.
The point after was blocked, but the Friars took a 13-7 lead into the break.
The touchdown was the first surrendered by the Edison defense in nine-plus quarters.
At halftime, Edison paid tribute to its CIF championship teams of 1970, 1980 and 1985.
Edison will face its second Trinity League opponent in as many weeks when the Chargers go to the Santa Ana Bowl Sept. 25 to take on Mater Dei.
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Other Friday scores:
Fountain Valley 55, West Adams Prep 12
Moorpark 41, Huntington Beach 38
San Juan Hills 51, Marina 6
Ocean View 35, La Quinta 23
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Saturday
Capistrano Valley Christian (2-1) vs. Brethren Christian (3-0)
(at Ocean View High, 7 p.m.)
