Restocking in progress

Mike Sciacca

While the cupboard is hardly bare at Edison High, there are enough

new faces in the lineup to constitute what most teams would call a

rebuilding year.

Not so at Edison, though, as the Chargers believe they are merely

reloading.

“I’m excited about the talent we have,” said Dave White, who

begins his 18th year as head coach. “We’re a young team but we have a

great group of young men who have worked very hard.

The most glaring vacancy comes on the offensive side of the ball.

Tommy Grady, a former Edison ball boy who went on to become a

two-year starter at quarterback, has moved on to the University of

Oklahoma.

He rewrote the Edison record book for most passing yards in a

game, season and career, most touchdown passes in one game, season

and career, most completions in a season and best completion

percentage in a season.

The Chargers lost six All-Sunset League players to graduation --

three on each side of the ball -- but return all-league players Matt

White, 5-foot-10, 170-pounds, Nate Mitani (5-11, 190) and Donny

Spreeman (5-11, 185), all seniors.

Here’s a position-by-position breakdown:

Quarterback: The Chargers will turn the reins over to a talented

sophomore who is untested at the varsity level: Brian Shrock.

Shrock took charge of the quarterback role on last year’s Edison

freshman team that posted a 10-0 record and claimed the Sunset League

championship.

White said Shrock will become just the third sophomore in Edison’s

rich football history to start under center.

Also playing quarterback will be senior Tyler Slaton (5-11, 185),

who started as Edison’s junior varsity quarterback last fall.

Running backs: Mitani, a running back and linebacker, was a

second-team all-league choice last year.

Considered by White to be one of Edison’s top athletes, he had 31

receptions for 510 yards and seven touchdowns last fall.

Joining Mitani in the Charger backfield is Christian Bonsall (6-4,

225), whom White said will play fullback, and junior Abel Cardona

(5-8, 160).

“He is a potential Division I football player,” White said of

Bonsall, a junior.

Receivers: Matt White, the coach’s son, was a first-team

All-Sunset and All-Orange County performer at receiver last year.

He finished the 2002 season as Edison’s top receiver with 1,058

yards and six touchdowns on 61 receptions.

In addition to his receiving chores, White will return punts and

kickoffs and play defensive back.

All-league wide receiver Travis Simon is gone, but the Chargers

have a pair of solid receivers in juniors Ryan Davis (6-1, 180) and

Josh Gage (6-1, 190).

Gage, a transfer from Washington, has big-play potential, White

said.

Offensive line: Leaders up front are returning starters Dominik

Bronowicki (6-1, 215), a senior, and Tua Fuga (6-0, 250).

Additional starters here include junior Kourosh Davatolhadh (6-2,

240), sophomore Romney Fuga (6-2, 240), sophomore Chris Talataina

(6-1, 220), senior Brian Murray (6-2, 210) and junior Bryan Holman

(6-1, 275).

Defensive line: Tua Fuga will also play on the defensive line,

joined by brother, Romney, Talataina and junior Adam Goodman (6-0,

200).

Junior Steve Defeo (6-0, 190) is expected to contribute at end.

Linebackers: Spreeman, a second-team all-league pick as a

linebacker, is a key returner on defense.

He is expected to be joined on the linebacking corps by Mitani and

Bonsall.

Secondary: Matt White assumes double duty here, where additional

contributions are expected to come from Slaton, Davis and Gage.

Kicking game: Bronowicki, whom White says has a strong leg, will

handle kicking chores.

Mitani and Matt White will return kicks.