Column: Dave White’s class act comes to a close after 31 years at Huntington Beach Edison

“I love you guys.”

Those were Dave White’s heartfelt words as he started greeting and hugging more than 100 former players who walked onto the field to celebrate White’s final Sunset League game as football coach at Huntington Beach Edison.

For 31 years, White has pulled off the improbable. He has earned universal respect from virtually all the constituencies involved in high school sports — administrators, parents, players, opposing coaches, college recruiters, even sportswriters.

Fourteen league titles and one Southern Section title would look good on any trophy, but it’s the lives he’s touched that will leave a lasting legacy.

To me, the most amazing accomplishment is that 10 times he has taken his teams to Hawaii to play games, and not once has he had to suspend a player for failing to uphold the rules and expectations of the program.

“I’m not sure you can say no one has gotten into trouble, but not any major incident,” said White’s son, Garrett, who’s now at Yale after playing four years for his father. “It’s a great team-building trip where they really see how much trust he has in them and how they have to hold up their end of the deal.”

White said the secret is, “I lock them in a room the day before we leave and read them the riot act. ‘You don’t want to do anything wrong because I’m going to fly your fanny home.’”

In truth, it’s about mutual respect between coach and players, and when it happens, it’s magical.

“We love you, Coach,” several of his current players were shouting during the ceremony after Edison’s 42-6 win over Huntington Beach two weeks ago.

Edison has been White’s home away from home seemingly forever. He was a quarterback for the Chargers and has taught and coached there for 38 years.

Asked about the “little things” head coaches must do, White said, “You’re always worried about grades and you’re worried about parents that are kind of in it for themselves and not the whole team. You’re always dealing with egos. Is there enough touches my son is getting?

“I had a player whose girlfriend was pregnant, so that was really emotional trying to help the player deal through stuff. We’ve had a lot of competitions at certain positions, and you have to go with what’s best for the team. It helps a majority of our parents are unbelievably great. It helps we win more than we lose.”

It also helps that half of your assistant coaches are former players. And it helps that the head coach, no matter how competitive and ambitious he might be, knows the difference between right and wrong.

Edison coach Dave White talks to a player in 1998.

(Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times )

“I had two great parents who taught me right from wrong,” White said. “I’ve tried to live by that. I have three boys, and I want them to look up to me as a positive role model. I’m in charge of 150 football players every year. It’s on my shoulders to be a leader and role model, and I pride myself in that.”

White turns 61 next month. He’s had to wear glasses since he turned 45, so seeing him on the sideline trying to read a play he wants to call is always interesting.

Edison is 10-1 overall and plays a Southern Section Division 3 quarterfinal playoff game on Friday night against Buena Park at Huntington Beach. Whenever the season is over, White will step down as head coach. He’s going to follow Garrett’s playing career in the Ivy League.

White has always exuded class.

I remember in 2009 when Edison had one of its best teams but lost to Anaheim Servite, 16-6, in the Division 1 championship game on a muddy field at Angel Stadium. There were no excuses offered.

“The surfer boys weren’t quite ready for the mud bowl,” Garrett said. “That was one of the toughest games I’ve watched him coach.”

Life went on. White never stops teaching lessons, win or lose.