For the first time in a long time, both Edison and Fountain Valley are entering the Bell Game after disheartening losses.
The good news, however, is that with the parity everyone expected in the Sunset League, the winner of the 45-year-old rivalry game will be in good shape for at least a share of a league title.
Edison, Fountain Valley, Los Alamitos and Newport Harbor are all tied for first place in the Sunset League with 2-1 records, so the Bell Game winner will likely stay tied for first heading into the final week of the season.
“This game is always huge,” said Edison coach Dave White, who will be coaching his 28th Bell game Friday night at Orange Coast College. “Now it’s for a chance at a league championship. The winner has a chance; the loser probably doesn’t.”
As experienced as White is in the rivalry, his opponent, Fountain Valley coach Ray Fenton, is coming in fresh.
Although he said he’s admired the Bell Game from afar when he was a student and coach at Cypress, being directly involved in his first year as coach at Fountain Valley has brought a different perspective.
Now he’s getting calls for tickets for the game, which is already sold out.
“I didn’t expect that,” Fenton said. “Playing Edison is hard enough. It’s special. There’s no two ways about it. Then you compound it by it being a great, passionate rivalry.”
The Chargers (5-3, 2-1) have won eight straight games against Fountain Valley (the longest streak in the series), but are entering the rivalry game coming off a loss – a discouraging 16-10 defeat to Los Alamitos last week – for the first time since 2002.
Edison outgained the Griffins, 459-132, in total yardage, but four crushing turnovers derailed the Chargers.
“We responded pretty well after (our loss to) Mater Dei, when we had five turnovers and were ahead in the fourth quarter,” White said. “We’ll bounce back. It’s really about us – about us getting better, not having stupid penalties and taking care of the ball.”
Fountain Valley (6-2, 2-1) had its share of discouragement last week in a 45-25 loss on the road at Newport Harbor. The Barons led, 17-7, at the half but were outscored 38-8 after the break.
“When we play well, we’re as good as anybody,” Fenton said. “And there are times when we’re as bad as anybody.”
A new week brings new life for each team, but both coaches acknowledge the pressure of the Bell Game and are concerned with how their players will respond.
“It’s just a football game,” White said. “You can’t get too high. Sometimes you can get out of your comfort zone and do things you wouldn’t do. We’ve done a good job lately of not getting too hyped.”
Fenton even acknowledged the potential perils of a win. He fears that due to the importance the Barons put on the game, they might become complacent if they win.
“There is life after Friday night and we’re hoping to be in the playoffs,” Fenton said. “This isn’t the last game of the season and we need to make sure we keep that balance that there is another game to play. We need to keep them grounded win or lose, because a game like this can devastate a program on both sides, even if you win it.”
Contact the writer: jbalan@ocregister.com, 714-796-2430, Twitter: @jeremybalan
