PHOTOS: Edison celebrates first CIF state title with thrilling win over Central in final seconds

The Edison Chargers led by Matt Lopez and Coach Jeff Grady pose with the CIF State Championship Trophy following a 21-14 win over Central from Fresno Saturday evening. (PHOTOS: Fernando M. Donado, For OC Sports Zone.) 

The Edison High School football players will talk about this game for a long time.

Edison quarterback Sam Thomson completed a 54-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jake Minter with 32 seconds remaining in the game to give the Chargers a 21-14 victory over Central of Fresno to win the CIF State Football Championship Division 1-A Bowl game Saturday night at Saddleback College.

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The Chargers (12-4) captured their first state football championship in the school’s 54-year history. Central (12-3) was attempting to win its second state title. 

“It doesn’t feel real; it feels like a dream,” said Minter, who fought back tears of joy following the game. “We ran the touchdown pass play earlier in the game, and we saw that their safeties over pursued, so we ran it again, Sam (Thomson) made a great pass, I made the catch, and I got a key block from Aidan Brown down field, and we scored.”

 Minter caught four passes for 81 yards in the game.

“We saw that we had one on one coverage with Jake (Minter) on the touchdown play and we took advantage of it,” said Thomson. “This win means so much to our program and to our community.” 

Late in the game it appeared the Grizzlies were on the verge of scoring.

However, the Chargers denied Central on three straight plays from the Edison 6-yard line in the final two minutes. Safety Gavin Slaughter broke up two passes in the end zone and Central’s fourth-down pass was deflected and the Chargers took over with 52 seconds left in the game. 

“We knew if we held them out of the end zone, our offense would score,” said Slaughter, who had an interception late in the first half to foil a Central scoring opportunity. 

The Grizzlies were able to run four plays in the final seconds but were unable to get past midfield. Chargers defensive tackle Devyn Blake delivered a devastating sack of Central quarterback Jelani Dippel that dealt the Grizzlies severe blow on Central’s final series. 

“We did our jobs and played as a unit; we’ve been doing it that way all season,” said Blake.

Edison Coach Jeff Grady said his defense was the difference.

“Our defense was amazing,” said Grady. “After our first two series we didn’t do much on offense, but we made a big play down the stretch when we had to.”

Grizzlies running back Brandon Smith, who has rushed for 1,876 yards this season, was held to 76 yards on the ground.

Edison defenders Matthew Lopez, Minter, Jeremiah Ross and Will Harrison combined to lead the Chargers defensive unit with 26 combined tackles.

“When we held them late in the game we were relaxed and told each other to keep everything in front of us,” said Lopez. “It’s beautiful to be state champions.”

Edison took the opening kickoff and marched 59 yards in 16 plays, eating up 9:08 of the clock, to take an early lead. Julius Gillick carried the ball 10 times on the Chargers’ scoring drive that was aided by two fourth down conversions. Gillick capped the drive with a 1-yard TD run on a fourth-down play, giving the Chargers a 7-0 lead.

On the ensuing possession, the Grizzlies countered and tied the score at 7-7 on 38-yard TD pass from Dippel to EJ Morgan at the 10:51 mark of the second quarter. Edison regained the lead, at 14-7, on a Gillick’s 14-yard TD run with 7:20 to play in the half.

Later in the quarter, Central responded as Dippel completed a 5-yard TD pass to Bayon Harris to tie the score at 14-14 and the game was tied at halftime.  

Gillick led the Chargers with 88 yards rushing and scored two touchdowns in the first half and finished with 124 yards rushing. Thomson completed 12 passes for 155 yards and a touchdown pass. Dippel led the Grizzlies by throwing for 284 yards and two TDs.       

Both defenses stiffened in the second half. 

Central entered Saturday’s game averaging more than 200 yards per game rushing and passing and averaging 36 scoring points per game this season. The Grizzlies were riding a seven-game winning streak. Central has scored over 40 points in a game six times and has scored 500 points this season. It was the only time this season Central has been held under 20 points.  

Notes:

—-Gillick has rushed for 2,489 yards and scored 37 touchdowns this season.

—-Edison defensive back Carson Schmidt had an interception early in the third quarter. 

—Edison was 3 for 3 on fourth-down conversions in the game.

—Central was missing its starting wide receiver Daylon Scott and starting linebacker Lonzo Jenkins, both suffered shoulder injuries last week and were unable to play.  

—The Grizzlies defeated Oak Ridge in 2019 to capture the school’s only state football championship.

—The Chargers dropped their two games of the season but finished the season with a six-game winning streak.

—Before reaching the state championship game, Edison won the CIF Division 3 title by defeating Simi Valley 35-21 and then the Chargers beat Granite Hills of San Diego 34-28 in the first round of the state tournament. Central reached the state final by defeating Clovis East and St. Ignatius in their two previous games.

—The Grizzlies won the Division 1-AA state championship in 2019 by defeating Oak Ridge 38-32.