Mission Viejo Tops Edison 49-24, Tightening Alpha League Title Chase (2024)

Mission Viejo – Diablo Stadium

Edison’s hopes for a league title took a hit on Friday night as they fell to Mission Viejo, 49-24, in a highly competitive Alpha League matchup. Despite the loss, Edison (6-3, 1-1) showed resilience, opening the game with a long scoring drive that burned nearly nine minutes off the clock. Nico Bammer’s 34-yard field goal gave the Chargers a 3-0 lead, marking the first time Mission Viejo trailed in a game since September 20.

Without starting quarterback Save Niumata, Edison turned to sophomore Sam Thomson, who totaled 207 passing yards. The Chargers’ standout running back Julius Gillick, who ranks as the second-leading rusher in Orange County, had two touchdown runs but was held to 95 yards on 24 carries, a very rare instance of being kept under 100 yards this season. Mission Viejo senior Dijon Lee acknowledged Gillick’s skill, saying, “He’s the best running back we have played so far and he had a good game, but we held him down a little bit.”

Edison briefly regained the lead in the first half, with Gillick’s 6-yard touchdown putting them up 10-7. However, Mission Viejo quickly answered with two touchdowns to close the half, gaining a 21-10 advantage. Although the Diablos’ high-powered offense was difficult to contain, Edison continued to fight, with Thomson connecting on a 68-yard touchdown pass to Aidan Brown in the third quarter. Brown finished with 87 receiving yards, while Ayden Degiacomo contributed 86 yards on seven catches.

Edison faces San Clemente next Friday in an away game, where a win combined with a Mission Viejo loss could still allow the Chargers to share the league title.