Edison football beats Fresno Central with late TD to capture its first CIF state championship

Posted by Admin December 15, 2024 Football

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Edison’s Jake Minter (17) takes the game winning touchdown into the end zone during the CIF State Division 1-A championship game between Edison High and Fresno Central High at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo on Saturday Dec. 14, 2024…..(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)

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MISSION VIEJO — Sam Thomson threw a 54-yard touchdown pass to Jake Minter with 20 seconds remaining in the game to lead Edison to its first CIF state championship with a 21-14 win over Central of Fresno Saturday at Saddleback College.

Central (12-3) opted to run a play on fourth-and-8 from Edison’s 32-yard line in the final minute of the game, but Edison linebacker Matt Lopez deflected the pass to give Edison (12-4) the ball with 52 seconds remaining in the game.

“We were running man (coverage) right there and I took the running back on,” Lopez said. “I trusted myself to dive out and bat the ball down.”

Three plays later, Thomson found Minter on a 15-yard dig route and Minter ran over 40 yards for the game-winning touchdown.

“I really didn’t think I was going to score,” Minter said. “I saw a couple defenders over-pursuing, made a couple quick cuts and Ayden DeGiacomo made a great block down the field and after that I saw the end zone.”

“We called it earlier in the game and we hit Minter earlier and it was there,” Edison coach Jeff Grady said. “We start practice every day with that same two-minute drill but without the timeouts.”

Central got the ball back with 20 seconds left in the game. Edison defensive lineman Devyn Blake had a sack and a pass deflection in the final drive and a group of tacklers made a stop at midfield to end the game.

“Being able to do it with all these guys, all my brothers that I’ve been with for four years, it’s surreal,” Minter said. “It doesn’t feel real to me yet. It’s truly amazing.”

Central beat crosstown rival Clovis East for the Central Section championship this season and beat St. Ignatius College Prep in its regional championship game. The Grizzlies won a Division 1-AA state championship in 2019 against Sierra Canyon.

Julius Gillick led Edison with 129 yards and two rushing touchdowns. He finished his senior season with a school-record 2,494 rushing yards, breaking a record previously held by Kerwin Bell in 1979.

Thomson completed 12 of 17 passes for 155 yards with a touchdown. Minter led Edison with 81 receiving yards and had a team-high seven tackles.

Edison opened the game with a 15-play, 59-yard scoring drive that took over 9 minutes. Gillick ran for 43 yards on the drive and scored a 1-yard touchdown run as the “wildcat” quarterback.

Central responded with a 38-yard touchdown pass from Jelani Dippel to EJ Morgan to tie the game at seven early in the second quarter.

Gillick completed a 67-yard scoring drive with a 14-yard touchdown run to put Edison back in front 14-7.

Bayon Harris of Central dropped a wide-open touchdown catch earlier in the next drive, but redeemed himself with a 5-yard touchdown reception to tie the game at 14.

Central attempted a late scoring drive in the final minutes of the first half, but Gavin Slaughter intercepted a deep pass at the 3-yard line to keep the score tied at halftime.

Edison’s defense forced another interception on the second play of the third quarter. Carson Schmidt intercepted the pass to give the Chargers possession around midfield.

“Coach had just told me what they were going to do and he was right,” Schmidt said. “I knew what was coming and grabbed it.”

Central had a chance to take the lead with just over four minutes remaining in the game. The Grizzlies faced a fourth-and-goal from the Edison. Central’s receiver dropped a pass off his helmet with Slaughter in coverage.

The Grizzlies could have attempted a go-ahead field goal that would have been from a distance just longer than an extra point, but Central had missed all three of its field goal attempts this season.

Edison’s defense shut out Central in the second half. The key change for Edison was stopping Central on late downs. Central converted just two of six third down attempts in the second half and just one of four fourth down attempts.

“We just played good, collective team defense. That’s what we’ve been doing,” Grady said. “Everybody stepped up when it mattered most.”

Jeremiah Ross and Blake had sacks for Edison. Minter and Lopez each had seven tackles.

Edison beat Simi Valley in the CIF Southern Section Division 3 championship and Granite Hills of El Cajon in the Division 1-A South Regional final last week.