Edison edges Los Alamitos, 17-14
Edison High scored an important football victory Thursday, and it came in unlikely fashion.
The Chargers overcame the loss of starting quarterback Grant Lowary in the early stages of its key Sunset League opener against Los Alamitos, rode the play of Lowary’s replacement, sophomore Griffin O’Connor, and a defense that held it all together, to a 17-14 victory over the defending league champions at Sheue Field at Huntington Beach High.
“I’ve lost so many close games to Los Al, and it went to the wire again,” a relieved Edison Coach Dave White said. “[Los Alamitos Coach] John [Barnes] and I have had a lot of battles through the years.
“I’m proud of this win, proud of the team and really proud of our defense. We lost our starter (Lowary), and our sophomore (O’Connor) comes in and does a nice job, has a baptism by fire. He never gets any reps.”
O’Connor took over on Edison’s second possession of the game, the Chargers already down, 7-0, midway through the opening quarter. Lowary went out of the game after he was hit in the backfield near midfield by Los Alamitos middle linebacker Will Armstrong who caused a fumble and came up with the recovery.
Los Alamitos, ranked 10th in the CIF Southern Section West Valley Division, took advantage of the miscue and scored in seven plays with senior quarterback Jack Telenko doing the honors on a one-yard keeper.
It turned out to be the only score for the Griffins, who dropped their fourth-straight game to fall to 2-4, until early in the fourth quarter.
Lowary did not return. White said after the game that Lowary appeared to have a shoulder injury that “didn’t look good.”
“I think he’ll be out a while,” he said.
Enter O’Connor.
The sophomore promptly hit his first two passes, including a 30-yard completion to receiver Shaun Colamonico. The drive reached the Los Alamitos 28 but stalled when O’Connor was sacked for a two-yard loss on fourth down.
Still, O’Connor got a quick feel for the game.
“You can’t be nervous in a situation like this,” said O’Connor who threw for 197 yards and a touchdown, and rushed for a score, in his debut. “I feel bad for my quarterback (Lowary), but my team needed a quarterback, needed someone to step in. It felt good to hit those first two passes and start off with some momentum.”
Edison, which ended a two-game losing streak and improved to 3-3 overall, drew to within 7-3 when senior Bobby Jinkins hit a 46-yard field goal with 2:07 left in a long first quarter. The Chargers got the ball back a little more than a minute later on a fumble recovery at the Los Alamitos 43-yard line. Two plays later, O’Connor faked a hand-off to running back Jacob Marines, kept around right end, found a hole at the line and got past a final group of defenders at the 21 who he outraced to the end zone. His 34-yard scoring run, and Jinkins’ kick, put the Chargers in front for good, 10-7, with nine seconds left in the quarter.
Edison extended its lead to 17-7 midway through the third quarter. On third-and-goal from the 10, O’Connor placed a nice pass to the left-corner of the end zone where Colamonico slipped past the defensive backfield to make a diving catch.
The Chargers were able to hold on for the win despite some turnovers that could have been disastrous. Both Los Alamitos scores came after Edison turnovers. In addition to Armstrong’s fumble recovery that set up their first score, the Griffins came up with a fumble recovery in the third quarter and interception 25 seconds into the fourth quarter. The fumble recovery came at the Edison 26 and three plays, each runs by R.J. Gonzalez, ended on his two-yard plunge and brought the score to 17-14 with 3:32 left in the quarter.
Defensive back Holden Edmondson’s interception of an O’Connor pass intended for receiver Garrett White, who the Griffins keyed on throughout the game, came at the Edison 27 with 11:35 left to play. The drive only reached the 21 and the Griffins’ chance to tie the score went wide right when kicker Jacob Gasser missed a 39-yard field goal attempt.
Edison’s defense stood tough throughout the game’s final 11 minutes. In addition to limiting Los Alamitos to the missed field-goal attempt, the Chargers swarmed running back Schuyler Whitehead for a three-yard loss on a fourth-and-two play from the Edison 21, and the Chargers took over on downs with 5:36 left. The Griffins got the ball back at their own five two minutes later, but Telenko was stopped four yards shy of the first-down marker by a host of Chargers led by Turner Maza, which ended Telenko’s fourth-down scramble at the Los Alamitos 21.
“Our defense played lights out,” White said. “Our offense tried to give the game away, but our defense came through. They were terrific.”
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Barons win Sunset opener
In another Sunset League opener Thursday, Fountain Valley went to Newport Harbor and rolled to a 51-20 victory over the Sailors (2-4).
The victory was the fourth straight for the Barons who improved to 4-2 overall.
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Friday’s Schedule
(all games 7 p.m.)
Sunset League
Marina (1-4) at Huntington Beach (2-3)
Golden West League
Ocean View (3-2) at Westminster (4-1)
Nonleague
Rio Hondo Prep (2-2) vs. Brethren Christian (5-0)
(at Ocean View High)
