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Dan Albano. Sports HS Reporter.

// MORE INFORMATION: Staff Mug Shot taken August 26, 2010 : by KATE LUCAS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER.

Edison graduate Tom Shields, who dueled with Michael Phelps at the U.S. Olympic Trials this summer and claimed a gold medal at the Rio Olympics, will serve as an honorary captain for the Chargers’ football team Saturday night when it plays host to Tesoro at Huntington Beach.

“Yes! Shields!” Edison football coach Dave White said in a text confirming the news. “Gold medal winner.”

Edison (1-0) takes on the Titans (0-0) at 7 p.m. The Chargers are looking to rebound from a 35-16 loss at Tesoro last season.

In his first Olympics, Shields, 25, earned the gold for racing the butterfly on the winning U.S. 400-meter medley relay during prelims. All swimmers who race in prelims for teams that earn medals in finals are honored for their contributions.

Shields, pictured above with his Olympic gold medal and longtime coach Dave Durden of Cal, holds American records in the 50, 100 and 200 butterfly in short-course meters. At the Olympic distance, he is the fourth-fastest American in history in the 100 fly and seventh in the 200 butterfly.

He set a national high school record in the 200-yard freestyle to highlight his Edison career and became an NCAA swimmer of the meet at Cal.

The O.C. product also swam club at Splash, Golden West, Novaquatics and Nadadores.

Photo courtesy of Tim Shields

Please send football and swimming news to Dan Albano at @dalbano@scng.com or @ocvarsityguy on Twitter