TONIGHT: CIF Pac-5 Playoffs Semifinal; Lakewood vs. Edison
WHERE: Orange Coast College
WHEN: 7:30pm
There’s a plethora of platitudes we could put right here as we inch closer to this marque match up. But in sports, we too often obsess over final standings instead of the real story, so we’ll go with this age old saying: the journey is more important than the destination.
The Edison Chargers have had all eyes on them this season. In 2008 with a lot of junior starters, the Chargers went 7-3 and finished in a five-way tie atop the Sunset League. A coin flip decided they would not make the playoffs, and with all those starters returning for their last season at Edison, the expectations were sky high. The Chargers did not disappoint and are ranked #1 in the state according to MaxPreps after a nearly flawless season. They started it all this summer with two passing league tournament titles in which they didn’t lose a game, and rolled that into an undefeated season in which they haven’t won by less than 14 points.
The Lakewood Lancers have been waiting for this playoff run since the beginning of the 2008 playoffs. With the return of running back Jerry Stone and the defense shutting everyone down, the Lancers were the hottest team in the Pac-5 last year as they got past OC juggernauts and heavy favorites Servite and Mission Viejo. They lost to the eventual champions Poly in the semis, so like Edison, the expectations for 2009 were sky high. But the Lancers quickly returned to earth with the departure of Stone this summer. Despite a close loss to Crenshaw in the season opener, Lakewood did not miss a step after that. This season the Lancers finally beat Poly, won the Moore League regular season title, and are returning to the semifinals. All three accomplishments haven’t happened in the Wood in decades.
So, these two storied programs meet for the first time tonight under the brightest of lights. Make sure you check out our scouting reports (Edison D and Edison O) and the final news and notes.
But enough hype. Let’s get it on. See you in the stands!