"My pregame speeches aren’t working," Edison Coach Dave White said after the game where he watched his team rally from a halftime deficit for the third week in a row. "I’m going to have to use my halftime speech before the game."
Edison (5-0), the top-ranked team in the CIF Southern Section Pac-5 Division poll and ranked No. 6 in the state by Calhisports.com, played without senior linebacker Jordan Zuwmalt (hand). The Chargers were also down most of the game against Mater Dei (3-2). The deficit was at 26-14 late in the third quarter, before senior running back Wade Houston scored on fourth-and-goal at the one-yard line.
The Monarchs were driving to start the fourth, but a pass to A.J. Roth in the flat ended up a bad idea. Edison’s Luke Eddy saw the play coming and popped Roth, making him fumble. Jeff Trojan picked up the fumble and carried it 46 yards to the Mater Dei 24.
Six plays later, on third-and-goal, Viles was nearly sacked. With a Monarchs lineman wrapped around his ankles, he somehow kept his balance long enough to hook up with Dylan Leener on an eight-yard touchdown.
"I knew if I just held on for one more second he’d come across," Viles said. "I just tried to hold on."
After Viles passed to Trojan for the conversion, it was 29-26, Edison, with under eight minutes to go. Viles, who had just one interception in the Chargers’ first four games, had three Friday night, but also threw three touchdown passes and the final rushing score.
Mater Dei, utilizing shifty running from junior back Corbin Anderson (141 yards on 14 carries), added a field goal to tie the score at 29-all. But another Monarchs field goal attempt was blocked by Eddy with 1:12 to play.
