Edison outlasts Granite Hills to advance to Division 1-A state final
Perhaps for the first time this postseason, the Edison football team found itself in a pressure-packed situation late in the game.
Twice ahead by 20 points, the Chargers had seen their lead slip to an uncomfortable margin, one that demanded execution in all three phases to extend the season.
Edison ensured there would be another chapter to write, as the Chargers held off El Cajon Granite Hills 34-28 on Saturday in the CIF State Southern California Regional Division 1-A final at ‘Cap’ Sheue Field.
“It certainly got really, really interesting, more interesting than we wanted it to get,” Edison coach Jeff Grady said. “We had a good lead, and we needed to build on it, but in the end, we came out on top.”
Julius Gillick had 39 carries for 238 yards and three touchdowns, but a fumble by the senior running back played a part in the Eagles getting back into the game.
Two plays and 37 seconds later, Max Turner powered into the end zone for his third rushing touchdown (fourth score overall) to close the gap to six points.
Julius Gillick, Edison’s all-time leading rusher and a Seattle transplant, keeps the memory of his late friend Amarr Murphy-Paine with him at all times.
Granite Hills (11-3) then forced a punt. The Chargers had been fortunate to recover two fumbled long snaps earlier in the game, and in a key situation, Nico Bammer flipped the field with a punt that made the Eagles begin a potential go-ahead drive at their own 29-yard line.
Following a Devyn Blake sack, Granite Hills converted fourth-and-11 when Zachary Benitez connected with Lathan Fry, who made a sliding catch over the middle for a 14-yard gain.
The Chargers made good on their next chance to get off the field. On fourth-and-6, Benitez’s pass was tipped by Blake, and Matt Lopez made a diving catch for the interception at midfield.
“Our main part of our defense is ‘do your job,’” said Blake, a junior defensive lineman. “My job is just [to] take on the double, the triple [team], whatever I need to do. … That chance, I was blocked, and so I just put my hands up, tipped the ball, and Matt got the pick.”
Edison (11-4) will face Fresno Central (12-2) in the Division 1-A state championship game at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14 at Saddleback College. Central beat San Francisco St. Ignatius College Prep 33-23 in the Northern California regional final.
“We just knew that we had to stay together and have each other’s back,” senior defensive back Carson Schmidt said. “When the moment got big, we just stuck together, and that’s what it took to get the win.”
Granite Hills scored its initial possession of each half, but in between, Edison rattled off 27 unanswered points. Gillick had three red-zone touchdown runs in that span.
“We tend to get comfortable, and that’s something that we cannot do on Saturday — and will not do on Saturday,” Gillick said in looking ahead to the state final. “These trials and tribulations just make us better. Tight games, it’s an experience. It’s a lesson learned. We can’t let this happen again, and I’m pretty confident that we won’t.”
The heavy usage of Gillick in the running game resulted in just a dozen passing attempts for Sam Thomson, who had touchdown throws of 35 yards to Jacob Martin and 17 yards to Jake Minter.
Turner, a Utah Tech signee, rushed 26 times for 108 yards. In the second half, he charged toward the line of scrimmage before making a leaping pass over the oncoming defenders. Behind the defense, Tristan Diaz completed the play for a 44-yard receiving score.
Gillick missed the CIF Southern Section Division 3 final after being suspended for one game for picking up two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in the semifinals against Vista Murrieta.
The senior standout has rushed for 2,350 yards and 35 touchdowns this season, setting the Chargers’ single-season rushing record.
“It’s awesome,” Gillick said after the Chargers played their final game at home. “This city, although I’m [from Seattle], it means a whole lot to me and my family. I’ll always be grateful for the community and the love that they show. I’m starting to feel like a little bit of a hometown hero. …
“It’s a really good feeling at the end of the game, looking at the crowd. I’m kind of not feeling great that this is the last time I ever got to do that, soaking it all up. I don’t really want to leave yet.”
CIF State Southern California Regional Division 1-A final
Edison 34, Granite Hills 28
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Granite Hills 7 - 0 - 14 - 7 — 28
Edison 7 - 20 - 7 - 0 — 34
FIRST QUARTER
GH — Turner 2 run (Whillock kick), 7:04.
E — Gillick 1 run (Bammer kick), 1:54.
SECOND QUARTER
E — Martin 35 pass from Thomson (Bammer kick), 7:52.
E — Gillick 10 run (Bammer kick blocked), 4:11.
E — Gillick 4 run (Bammer kick), 1:57.
THIRD QUARTER
GH — Diaz 44 pass from Benitez (Whillock kick), 8:30.
E — Minter 17 pass from Thomson (Bammer kick), 3:34.
GH — Turner 1 run (Whillock kick), 2:12.
FOURTH QUARTER
GH — Turner 1 run (Whillock kick), 8:39.
INDIVIDUAL RUSHING
GH — Turner, 25-108, 3 TDs; Benitez, 3-14; Spalding, 3-3; Fry, 2-(-7).
E — Gillick, 39-238, 3 TDs; Edmisten, 2-5; Thomson, 1-2.
INDIVIDUAL PASSING
GH — Benitez, 9-20-1, 118; Turner, 1-1-0, 44, 1 TD.
E — Thomson, 6-12-0, 112, 2 TDs.
INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING
GH — Diaz, 3-64, 1 TD; P. Vance, 2-39.
E — Martin, 3-73, 1 TD; Gillick, 1-18; Minter, 1-17, 1 TD; Brown, 1-4.
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