Edison 14 - Eagles 3
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| Photo: Paul Rodriguez |
Chargers seek trio of Trinity triumphs.
After beating Santa Margarita, Edison faces Orange Lutheran for the title.
CARSON, CA., December 1, 2006 – Edison's Tour de Trinity continues next week.
The Chargers beat a Trinity League team for the second week in a row, with a 14-3 victory over Santa Margarita on Friday in a CIF-Southern Section Pac-5 Division semifinal playoff game at The Home Depot Center.
Last week, Edison beat Servite of the Trinity League, 28-21, in a second-round game. Now the Chargers (11-2) prepare to play the Trinity's Orange Lutheran (12-1) in the Pac-5 championship game next Saturday here. They also played the Trinity League's Mater Dei in the regular season and had a regular-season game against Servite.
Edison coach Dave White said the decision to play Trinity League teams in non-league games helped prepare the Chargers for Friday's game and could be useful again when they play Lutheran.
"I know they're the best league in Southern California," he said. "That's why I play them in the preseason."
Edison advances to a CIF-SS football championship game for the first time since 2001, when the Chargers lost to Long Beach Poly in the Division I final. They have won four section football championships, the most recent in 1985.
Edison's defense held Santa Margarita to its lowest point total of the season. The Eagles' previous low was in a 7-6 victory over Fountain Valley. Santa Margarita was averaging 26 points going into Friday's game and had scored a combined 74 points in playoff victories over Lakewood and Mission Viejo.
"We talked about how offense brings fans to the games," Edison coach Dave White said. "But defense wins championships."
The Chargers took a 7-0 lead on a second-and-11 play from Edison's 9-yard line on the first play of the second quarter. Edison quarterback Nick Crissman connected with wide receiver Dominique Vinson on the run at the right sideline, around the Chargers 35. Vinson bobbled the football before getting a handle on it, then outran Santa Margarita's defense to the end zone.
Santa Margarita then went on a 14-play drive that ended with a 26-yard field goal by Rob Maniaci to make it 7-3 with 4:33 left in the half. The drive got a boost from a 15-yard personal-foul penalty against Edison.
The teams exchanged interceptions in the final minute, with Santa Margarita's John Michael Davis getting one and Vinson the other.
That capped quite a first half for Vinson. He scored the half's only touchdown, forced a fumble that he recovered and made that interception.
His second half was not too bad, either. He scored the half's only touchdown on a 41-yard pass from Crissman. Vinson finished with seven catches for 189 yards.
The Eagles (10-3) did not threaten to score over the final two quarters.
Edison's Hunter White played on almost every offensive play of the game, a couple of defensive plays in the first half and all of the Chargers' defensive plays in the second half. He suffered a concussion last week. After appearing tentative in the first quarter, White asserted himself more as the game progressed and by the midway point of the third quarter was playing with his usual aggressiveness.
| Edison | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
| Santa Margarita | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
EDI – Vinson 91 pass from Crissman (Vandeman kick)
SM – Maniaci 26 FG
EDI – Vinson 41 pass from Crissman (Vandeman kick)
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
Rushing: Edi - Lakey 11-66, Bahrami 8-29; SM - Maxwell 1-3, Spangenberg 17-63
Passing: Edi - Crissman 15-26-3-271; SM - Reisinger 10-15-1-76
Receiving: Edi - White 5-62, Vinson 7-189; SM - Maxwell 6-51, Gotschall 2-16
Records: Edi - 11-2: SM 10-3
By Steve Fryer
Saturday, December 2, 2006
The Orange County Register - Varsity 1
