Edison vs. Servite, Part II

The defensive game plan might not be quite as simplistic as “Stop No. 4,” but that will be a big component of what the Chargers try to do Saturday night in the CIF Southern Section Pac-5 Division championship game at Angel Stadium of Anaheim.

There’s no denying it. Servite senior quarterback Cody Fajardo, who has thrown for 2,115 yards, 18 touchdowns and just two interceptions, is the man for the Friars.

He’s also their leading rusher (763 yards and seven touchdowns), although speedy senior Chris Nicholls is also a weapon.

“Contain No. 4 is the big thing,” Edison defensive coordinator Rick Justice agreed. “Defensively, we’re just going to have to limit the big plays and do what we’ve been doing all year, and that’s get the ball back to the offense. That’s been the goal all year, three-and-out and get the ball back to the offense.”

Edison (13-0) did an excellent job of that in its nonleague, 23-9 victory over Servite on Sept. 25. The Friars (12-1) scored no offensive touchdowns; their lone time in the end zone came on a blocked field goal return.

“They’ll probably have some different wrinkles, some different things for us,” Justice said. “That was fairly early in the year. Their quarterback seems to be doing a lot more things than he was at that time in the year.”

Chargers senior quarterback Matt Viles leads the county with his 2,866 yards passing, and 27 touchdown passes against just six interceptions. Although Edison’s receiving corps led by Jeff Trojan and Dylan Leener was more than capable against Lakewood, it will be bolstered if senior receiver Michael Rivera (hamstring) can play Saturday night.

Junior defensive end Charles Burks, who leads Edison with 14 sacks but has missed the last two playoff games with a cracked fibula, is another guy the Chargers are hoping to get back for CIF finals.

“They both definitely were not ready the other night [against Lakewood],” Edison Coach Dave White said. “If we feel like they’re ready, we’ll let them play. If not, this isn’t the pros. They’re not getting paid $5 million a year. We’ve got to think about their health and their future.”

The Friars also have a player, senior two-way lineman Kirifi Taula, who is questionable. Coach Troy Thomas said Monday he wasn’t sure if Taula, who came back from a broken arm in the Friars’ semifinal win over Mission Viejo but sat out the second half of that game, would be ready to go.

The game — which starts at 7:37 p.m. and will be shown on Prime Ticket — could be won in the trenches, even more so if the rain that is being forecast for Saturday comes to fruition. But the Chargers, who took away Servite’s top ranking in Orange County and the Pac-5 after that September game, are confident that they’ll have a good showing.

“Their quarterback has made a lot of big plays the last two years to win games for them,” White said. “He’s a lot like Matt Viles. He’s a winner, he’s a playmaker. We have to limit his big plays. If we play our best game, I think we’ve got a great chance to win.”

Senior linebacker Jordan Zumwalt would agree.

“We were supposed to be the special team, and we’re pulling it off,” Zumwalt said. “Servite’s in the way, and they’re a good team too. It’s going to be hard to beat them twice, and we know they’re going to want it. It’s going to be one hell of a battle.”

If You Go

Who: Edison vs. Servite

What: CIF Southern Section Pac-5 Division title game

Where: Angel Stadium of Anaheim, 2695 E. Katella Ave., Anaheim

When: 7:37 p.m. Saturday

On TV: Prime Ticket

Did You Know? Edison defeated Servite, 23-9, earlier this season.