Football: Edison and Los Alamitos on tap

I had to venture deep into the archives to find the last time I covered a game at Huntington Beach High--and wouldn't you know it, it was the same matchup I'll be seeing tonight: Los Alamitos versus Edison.

The Griffins pulled out a 28-21 victory in that game on Oct. 16, 2003, when quarterback Jimmy Barnes threw a short touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter.

Some things have changed then, including the spiffy new artificial turf at Sheue Field. But Edison Coach Dave White and Los Alamitos counterpart John Barnes are still two of the best high school coaches in Southern California.

Edison's Matt Viles figures to be the top quarterback on the field tonight, though counterpart Dylan Lagarde helped Los Alamitos trounce Marina last week in his first varsity start since transferring from Long Beach Poly.

The key to the game could be Edison's ability (or inability) to stop prolific Los Alamitos tailback Nick Richardson, who is averaging 181 yards rushing per game. The Chargers (7-0, 2-0) are off to their best start in White's 24 years at the school, and I predict the success to continue.

I'll have periodic scoring updates throughout the game.

--Ben Bolch