COSTA MESA – Edison tried to beat Hart of Newhall and its blue-chip quarterback and wide receiver at their own game Friday in the first round of the CIF West Valley Division playoffs.
The Chargers came up 2 ½ yards short of getting a shot at the Indians and their potent passing attack in overtime.
Edison drove to the Hart 2 with 18 seconds left in the fourth quarter but couldn’t get into the end zone as the Indians rallied for a thrilling, 30-22, victory at Orange Coast College.
While Edison’s junior duo of quarterback Grant Lowary and Garrett White attempted to match Hart passer Brady White and receiver Trent Irwin, the Chargers used running back Manase Time to drive from their 21 to the Hart 2 in the final 3:50.
Edison (7-4) faced a third-and-inches at the Hart 2 ½ when it handed the ball to Time for the 11th consecutive play and was called for a false start. Time was tackled short of the end zone and left with cramps.
After the penalty moved the ball to the Hart 7, the Indians (8-3) forced two incompletions, including a deflection by defensive back Conner Byrnes just before the goal line with 5 seconds left to seal the victory. Edison needed a TD and the 2-point conversion to force overtime.
“We did a lot of good things, we just didn’t make quite enough of them,” Edison coach Dave White said. “We had a nice drive right at the end, and we get a false start. That’s how we were.
“We didn’t guard a couple guys. You can’t do that. You got to play a little better to win a playoff game against a good program.”
Edison lineman Lefulefu Pasa blocked a 29-yard field goal attempt by Hart with 3:50 left to keep the Indians’ lead at 30-22. Pasa also helped clear a path for Time on Edison’s final drive as Edison ran mostly toward his side on the line.
The Chargers led, 22-10, after a 22-yard field goal by Bobby Jinkins with 8:52 left in the third quarter. But White, an Arizona State commit, threw three touchdown passes to rally the Indians, who advance to play top-seeded Upland, which handled San Juan Hills. He threw TDs of 22 and 37 yards on fourth-down plays. His 37-yard connection to Isaac Dominguez gave Hart a 23-22 lead with 9:27 left in the fourth.
White passed for 350 yards while Irwin had 10 receptions for 174 yards and an interception that led to Hart’s final score.
Lowary threw for 324 yards while White had nine receptions for 114 yards, and two TDs. Edison’s Matt Gane also played quarterback early but left with a concussion, Coach White said.
Hart’s 20-0 run in the second half started when Edison snapped high over punter Taylor Kane with 2:19 left in the third. The Chargers argued that Hart had 12 players on the field but the Indians tackled Kane and took over at the Edison 18. White then started the comeback with a 22-yard TD to Irwin on fourth-and-14 with 44 seconds left in the third. Irwin, who has narrowed his college picks to Arizona State and Stanford. made a well-timed leaping grab in the end zone.
Then early in the fourth, White found a wide open Dominguez on a fourth-and-10 for a 37-yard TD coming out of a timeout. White’s 2-point conversion failed but Hart led, 23-22.
On Edison’s next play, Irwin return an interception 28 yards to the Edison 12, leading to White’s TD pass to Blake Fall with nine minutes left in the fourth to complete the 20-0 run.
Edison scored 16 unanswered points in the final 3:30 minutes of the second quarter to take a 19-10 lead at halftime.
Lowary sparked the late outburst by throwing a 20-yard touchdown to White, who made an over-the-shoulder catch in the back, corner of the end zone with 3:12 left. The PAT by Jinkins tied the score, 10-10.
Edison’s special teams and defense then combined to give Edison the lead, with an assist from Coach White.
With the score still tied, 10-10, the veteran coach opted to punt from the Hart 39 and punter Taylor Kane rewarded the decision by pinning Hart at its 1 with a punt that took a sideway bounce out of bounds. On the next play, linebacker Jeff Evans tackled C.J. Sioussat for a safety and 12-10 lead with 1:30 left in the half.
Lowary then drove Edison for a 5-yard TD pass to White with 21 seconds left in the half as the Chargers opened a 19-10 advantage.
Edison finished with six sacks, including two by Braydon Wilson. Cornerback Sharky Reza drew the assignment of covering Irwin but the Chargers tried to assign double coverage. Reza broke up three passes while Jake Favreau intercepted a deep pass in the second half intended for Irwin.
Contact the writer: dalbano@ocregister.com
