Edison hosts Battle at the Beach

Known for attracting top programs from across the southland, this year’s Battle at the Beach will offer up another outstanding batch of teams in the 12th annual summer high school football passing league tournament Saturday at the Edison High football fields.

Sixteen high school teams will compete in Edison’s combination Pool Play/Tournament Playoff format. Four pools of four teams each play three games starting at 9 a.m. with games to follow at 10 and 11 a.m. Following a break for lunch at noon, the top two teams from each pool advance to the Gold Division tournament playoff bracket and the third- and fourth-place teams from each pool advance to the Silver Division tournament playoff bracket. Tournament playoff games start at 1 p.m. The finals are at 3 p.m.

All teams will play a minimum of five games (three pool, two tournament playoff).

The following high schools are scheduled to play at Saturday’s Battle at the Beach: Carlsbad, Centennial, Chaparral (Temecula), Edison, Foothill, JSerra, La Habra, Los Alamitos, Mater Dei, Notre Dame/Sherman Oaks, Oaks Christian, South Hills, St. John Bosco, Tesoro, Valencia/Valencia and Westlake.

La Habra (Southwest), Chaparral (Inland) and Westlake (Northern) won CIF-SS division championships last fall. Edison (Pac-5) and Oaks Christian (Northwest) both finished runner-up to the title in their respective divisions.

Host Edison has reached the tournament final in each of the past three years, winning it the last two years.

Edison Coach Dave White considers Westlake and Mater Dei this year’s tournament favorites.

“Westlake is in it for the first time but went 14-0 last year with a real young team,” he said. “They are supposed to be a very strong passing team. Mater Dei won the Dana Hills tourney and beat Los Alamitos twice in two close games.

“This is always a good tournament and we always try to get the best teams possible. We’re going to have a lot of good players, good teams and good coaches again, in this year’s tourney.”

Saturday’s schedule

Pool A

(Valencia, St. John Bosco, Centennial, Tesoro)

9 a.m.: Valencia vs. St. John Bosco; Centennial vs. Tesoro

10 a.m.: Valencia vs. Centennial; St. John Bosco vs. Tesoro

11 a.m.: Valencia vs. Tesoro; Centennial vs. St. John Bosco

Pool B

(Oaks Christian, Los Alamitos, Chaparral, Foothill)

9 a.m.: Oaks Christian vs. Chaparral; Los Alamitos vs. Foothill

10 a.m.: Oaks Christian vs. Foothill; Los Alamitos vs. Chaparral

11 a.m.: Oaks Christian vs. Los Alamitos; Chaparral vs. Foothill

Pool C

(Mater Dei, La Habra, South Hills, Notre Dame)

9 a.m.: Mater Dei vs. La Habra; South Hills vs. Notre Dame

10 a.m.: Mater Dei vs. Notre Dame; South Hills vs. La Habra

11 a.m.: Mater Dei vs. South Hills; Notre Dame vs. La Habra

Pool D

(Westlake, Edison, Carlsbad, JSerra)

9 a.m.: Edison vs. JSerra; Carlsbad vs. Westlake

10 a.m.: Edison vs. Carlsbad; Westlake vs. JSerra

11 a.m.: Edison vs. Westlake; Carlsbad vs. JSerra

*Note: Championship play begins at 1 p.m.; tournament final is 3 p.m.