Edison reaches CIF semis

Kenny Carmichael’s first Edison High football game at defensive end came in the second game last year against Buena Park. While a future University of Virginia left tackle blocked him, Carmichael learned how tough it was to get to the quarterback.

Carmichael got another shot to go up against that same 6-foot-6, 260-pound tackle on Friday. In his second year as a pass rusher, Carmichael showed Buena Park’s Ryan Nelson how easy he makes it look to get to the quarterback these days.

Carmichael did not want his last game of his career to be against Buena Park. The senior created havoc in the quarterfinals of the CIF Southern Section Division 3 playoffs. He took down two Edison sack records and Buena Park in the process.

Carmichael recorded 4.5 sacks and intercepted a pass, and with the help of his younger brother, Jack, host Edison defeated Buena Park, 38-21, at Cap Sheue Field to advance to the semifinals.

The Chargers (11-1) are making their first semifinal appearance in three years because of the Carmichael brothers. The oldest produced on the defensive side and the youngest on the offensive side. Kenny became Edison’s career sack leader (25.5) and single-season sack leader (17), while Jack rushed 19 times for 100 yards and two touchdowns.

The Carmichaels and Chargers travel to Moreno Valley Rancho Verde (11-1) next week. The Mustangs pulled off a 30-16 upset on the road of Los Angeles Cathedral, ranked No. 16 in the state by CalHiSports.com.

With No. 3-seeded Cathedral losing for the first time this year, the only seeded teams left are No. 2 Edison and No. 1 La Mirada, which rallied to edge Whittier La Serna, 32-31.

“There [are] only four teams left, and I’m really proud of these kids,” Edison Coach Dave White said. “We’re going to have to play better to win next week.”

The Chargers played pretty well in the first half against the fast and athletic Coyotes (10-2), the Freeway League champions. They scored the game’s first 24 points, and the Carmichael brothers were a big reason behind the success.

After Buena Park forced Edison to go three-and-out on the game’s first series, the Chargers got the ball back right away. They ended up near the red zone, thanks to Kenny Carmichael.

The 6-foot-1 Carmichael didn’t have enough time to get to quarterback James Rafkin, so the defensive end did the next best thing. He jumped at the line of scrimmage and intercepted the ball at the 26, and returned it three yards.

“I have 14 bat-downs this year, and I finally got an interception,” Carmichael said. “That kind of just changed the momentum for all of us. We were going crazy.”

Edison capitalized on the turnover on a play it almost gave the ball away.

Griffin O’Connor rolled to his right and fired a pass into the end zone that the Coyotes tipped and almost picked off, only to see the ball fall into the hands of David Atencio for an 11-yard touchdown.

O’Connor, who completed nine of 20 passes for 149 yards, added another touchdown pass, a 71-yarder to Shaun Colamonico late in the third quarter. O’Connor is one touchdown pass away from tying the Edison single-season record of 33 set by Tommy Grady in 2001.

Edison found the end zone two more times in the first half, after a 42-yard field goal by Jack Morrell gave the Chargers a 10-0 lead 80 seconds into the second quarter. The defense produced the first score and the unit helped set up the second score.

Both times Carmichael played a role. The first time was when Carmichael stripped the ball from Rafkin, and defensive end Parker Thomas scooped the ball up and returned it 19 yards for a touchdown. Edison went ahead, 17-0, with less than two minutes left before halftime.

Midway through the second quarter, with Buena Park starting inside its 20-yard line, Carmichael harassed the quarterback again. He and linebacker Luke Hoggard combined to sack Rafkin for a 14-yard loss, leaving the Coyotes on their three. Buena Park wound up going three-and-out, punting out of its end zone.

The punt didn’t go far, as E.J. Ginnis fielded it at the 34. The senior returned the punt for a touchdown, but an illegal block nullified the score. The Chargers took over on the opponent’s 44. Four plays later, Jack Carmichael rushed for a 20-yard touchdown to put Edison ahead, 24-0, with 3:58 to go before halftime.

Only one other team had scored 24 or more points against Buena Park this year, La Canada St. Francis did on Sept. 30. The Coyotes lost that contest, 28-19, on the road. Their second setback came on the road as well, as Edison denied the Coyotes from reaching the semifinals for the third straight year.

Edison came up with three turnovers, intercepting Rafkin twice, and it stopped the Coyotes on the three.

“Their athletes made some plays like we knew they were going to,” said White, whose team gave up a 40-yard touchdown run to Cal-bound senior Jeremiah Hawkins late in the second quarter and a 95-yard touchdown pass from Rafkin to Victor Bates early in the fourth. “But our defense played fantastic.”

CIF Southern Section Division 3 playoffs

Quarterfinals

Edison 38, Buena Park 21

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Buena Park 0 – 7 – 7 – 7 — 21

Edison 7 – 17 – 7 – 7 — 38

FIRST QUARTER

E – Atencio 11 pass from O’Connor (Morrell kick), 8:15.

SECOND QUARTER

E – Morrell 42 FG, 10:40.

E – Thomas 19 fumble return (Morrell kick), 10:15.

E – J. Carmichael 20 run (Morrell kick), 3:58.

BP – Hawkins 40 run (Moreno kick), 2:02.

THIRD QUARTER

BP – Dashiell fumble recovery in end zone (Moreno kick), 3:37.

E – Colamonico 71 pass from O’Connor (Morrell kick), 1:38.

FOURTH QUARTER

BP – Bates 95 pass from Rafkin (Moreno kick), 8:03.

E – J. Carmichael 4 run (Morrell kick), 2:15.

INDIVIDUAL RUSHING

BP – Henning, 17-69.

E – J. Carmichael, 19-100, 2 TDs.

INDIVIDUAL PASSING

BP – Rafkin, 17-26-2, 199, 1 TD.

E – O’Connor, 9-20-0, 149, 2 TDs.

INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING

BP – Bates, 5-117, 1 TD.

E – Colamonico, 5-108, 1 TD.