Defense Keys Edison District Championship
By Rudy Rodriguez-Chomat
October 30, 2003

It is supposed to be always business, never personal. Someone should have told Edison that.

 

“We felt like when we beat Norland last year, we really didn’t win anything because they enjoyed going to state later in the season and we didn’t,” Edison linebacker Brouce Mompremier said. “Whenever we play them it’s personal.”

 

Edison (8-1, 3-0) handled its personal business in a torrential rain making the Norland (4-5, 2-1) offense disappear in 20-7 win at Curtis Park before 1,500 fans to win the District 16-5A championship.

 

But the game was not decided until the final minutes of the game when the Red Raiders blocked a Norland punt at the Vikings’ 31-yard line. Five plays later, running back Demerick Chancellor broke through for a 2-yard touchdown run to give Edison a 20-7 lead with 4:45 to play. It was keyed by a 9-yard completion on fourth down from Tino Edgecomb to Brent Hughes.

 

“We were able to establish some things and get some points on the board early,” Edison coach Corey Bell said. “Things got ugly with the special teams and some of the unsportsmanlike pentalties, but overall we played well. The blocked punt came at a great time.”

 

Norland was unable to mount any attack as the Edison defense swarmed the Vikings’ offense. Norland was only able to gain 118 yards of offense against the stout Edison defense.

 

The Vikings had their chances, but as much as Edison’s defense stopped them, untimely penalties killed them as well.

 

“We had opportunities and we didn’t capitalize,” Norland coach Nigel Dunn. “The penalty at the 7-yard line set us back. We had two 15-yard penalties that the refs still have not explained to us, who committed them or anything.”

 

Late in the first quarter with no score, Norland caught a break when Edison’s punter Jackie Chambers slipped on his punt attempt. Chambers’ knee hit the ground at the Edison 30-yard line and was ruled down by the officials.

 

On the next play, Norland quarterback Martin Decembert found Terrance Williams on a 23-yard pass which would have given the Vikings a first and goal at the seven. A personal foul after the play on Norland pushed the ball back to the 22-yard line killing the potential scoring opportunity.

 

Four plays later, Decembert threw an incomplete pass on fourth and five from the 17.

 

“Edison is all about defense,” Mompremier said. “That’s where our game starts.”

 

With the momentum totally on Edison’s side, the Red Raiders offense marched 83 yards in five plays to take a 7-0 lead with 11:09 to play in the second quarter. The drive was capped by a 65-yard touchdown pass from Edgecomb to Hughes. Hughes beat two Norland defenders and cruised into the end zone.

 

The Red Raiders stuffed Norland again forcing the Vikings to punt.

 

Edison took its next possession at its own 35-yard line.

 

Two passes to Chambers and one to Hughes had Edison at the Norland 9-yard line when Chancellor found the end zone from nine yards out. The extra point failed, but Edison led 13-0 in complete control.

 

The control disappeared early in the second half as Norland took the opening possession 55 yards on 13 plays to the Edison 24-yard line, but the Vikings came away with nothing when a fourth down pass fell incomplete.

 

Norland blocked an Edison punt four plays later, but once again did nothing with the ball when it took possession at the 20-yard line. The Vikings lost 14 yards over the next three plays and had another incomplete pass on fourth down.

 

It seemed over for the Vikings, but they finally broke through when Chambers could not pick up a bad snap on a punt from his goal line. Norland’s Jonathan Previlon was able to land on it in the end zone cutting the lead to 13-7 with ten minutes to play, but the story continued to be the Edison defense.

 

With the win Edison will host a first round playoff game with an opponent to be determined. Norland will head up to Hollywood and do battle with McArthur, the Distict 15-5A champion.

 

Even with the playoffs on the horizon, both teams are keyed on winning their games next week and keeping their focus.

 

“We just need to execute,” Dunn said. “That’s the story for us. Tonight, when we had the chances, we just didn’t execute.”

 

Mompremier said of their game against Booker T. next week.

 

“We have to remember that they beat the last two years, and put us in a very uncomfortable situation going into the playoffs last year.”