Edison football continues to dominate rival Fountain Valley in Battle for the Bell
The Battle for the Bell is one of Orange County’s most heralded high school football rivalries. But after Edison High claimed its 15th straight victory with a dominant 56-7 Sunset League verdict over the visiting Barons on Friday at Orange Coast College, the Chargers have clearly become the bullies with the Bell.
Edison (6-3, 3-1 in the league), ranked No. 7 in CIF Southern Section Division 3, scored the game’s final 56 points, including 21 in the second quarter and 28 in the third quarter to create the biggest victory margin in the 15-game winning streak against the Barons.
After a would-be touchdown pass to end the first half was erased by an Edison holding penalty, the Chargers used just four plays to score with the second-half kickoff in front of an overflow crowd of 8,500.
Junior quarterback Braeden Boyles hit Cole Koffler for an 89-yard scoring pass to begin the third-quarter blitz for the Chargers and create a 35-7 bulge.
The first of two one-play touchdown drives for Edison followed.
Receiver Nico Brown took a lateral and lofted a strike to PJ Campbell for a 56-yard touchdown pass that mirrored the Philadelphia Eagles’ “Philly Special” gadget play used to help beat New England in the Super Bowl two seasons ago.
After Edison took over at its own 27 following a subsequent Fountain Valley punt, Boyles threw deep to Koffler for a 73-yard touchdown with 5:37 left in the third quarter.
Boyles appeared to increase the lead with a 36-yard scramble into the end zone on the first play of Edison’s next offensive possession, but a holding penalty nullified the play. It was one of 13 infractions for 137 yards by the Chargers.
Eight plays later, however, Mike Walters scored on a six-yard keeper out of the Wildcat formation to finalize the scoring on the last play of the third period.
Boyles completed 10 of 14 pass attempts for 271 yards and two touchdowns for the winners, who remain one game behind first-place Corona del Mar (9-0, 4-0) in the league standings heading into the Chargers’ regular-season finale at Newport Harbor (7-2, 2-2) on Oct. 31.
The Sea Kings beat the Sailors 56-17 and secure at least a share of the Sunset League championship on Friday at Davidson Field, giving them eight straight league titles.
Koffler had five catches for an impressive 196 yards and two touchdowns, while Walters paced the ground game with 95 yards and three touchdowns on 16 rushing attempts.
“We really did a good job up front and that’s where it starts,” Edison coach Jeff Grady said. “[Ballcarriers] are not ripping off those big runs unless we are getting a push up front and we did that tonight.”
The Barons’ defense had no answers, as Edison scored on eight of nine possessions, with the lone exception coming when the aforementioned touchdown was called back to end the half. The Chargers did not punt.
“It doesn’t always happen that way, but when things click like that, it’s fun,” Grady said. “I just thought we executed well and we controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. Our backs, receivers and quarterback did a great job. It was a good team effort.”
Grady said the two long passes and the trick play in the third quarter, after taking a 28-7 halftime lead, were not excessive.
Fountain Valley coach Chris Anderson said it was incumbent upon his team to stop the Chargers’ offense, though he did not agree with Edison’s aggressive aerial barrage after halftime.
“I will say that is not what I believe and not how I perceive the game,” Anderson said. “But it’s on us to stop it.”
Edison’s starting offensive line of tackles Trent Jordahl and Ryan Easterday, guards Mateo Lopez and Cade Jones, as well as center Jake Parsons, helped the hosts amass a 511-139 advantage in offensive yards.
Defensively, Edison tackled Barons for losses on eight rushing attempts and stopped nine more runs for one or zero yards. Stalwarts for the Chargers included Walters, Mario Roberts, Tanner Nelson, Trent Fletcher and Payton Valentine.
Nelson also ripped off scoring runs of 32 and six yards, the first of which included hurdling a tackler on his way to the end zone.
Fountain Valley (3-6, 0-4), which has been outscored 490-134 by Edison since it edged the Chargers 21-20 in 2004, played without star receiver Blake Anderson, who broke his collarbone in last week’s loss to CdM, Chris Anderson said.
Barons quarterback Jimmy Russell completed 12 of 18 passes for 89 yards.
Tanner Ciok carried seven times for 29 yards and had six receptions for 38 yards for the Barons, who trail Edison 37-14-1 in the rivalry.
Sunset League
Edison 56, Fountain Valley 7
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Fountain Valley 7 – 0 – 0 – 0 — 7
Edison 7 – 21 – 28 – 0 — 56
FIRST QUARTER
FV– Martinez 1 pass from Russell (Martinez kick), 4:58.
E – Nelson 32 run (Tro. Fletcher kick), 3:47.
SECOND QUARTER
E – Nelson 6 run (Tro. Fletcher kick), 10:03.
E – Walters 9 run (Tro. Fletcher kick), 5:10.
E – Walters 4 run (Tro. Fletcher kick), 2:46.
THIRD QUARTER
E – Koffler 89 pass from Boyles (Tro. Fletcher kick), 10:34.
E – Campbell 56 pass from Brown (Tro. Fletcher kick), 8:03.
E – Koffler 83 pass from Boyles (Morrell kick), 5:37.
E – Walters 6 run (Morrell kick), 0:00.
INDIVIDUAL RUSHING
FV – Russell, 13-25.
E – Walters, 16-95, 3 TDs.
INDIVIDUAL PASSING
FV – Russell, 12-18-0, 89, 1 TD.
E – Boyles, 10-14-0, 271, 2 TDs.
INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING
FV – Ciok, 6-38.
E – Brown, 5-196, 2 TDs.
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