Day 8: Edison Has Reloaded Once Again
Look for Christian Washington to step up and have a huge year for Edison in 2008. In practice, the coaching staff had to actually force him to tone it down a notch after delivering multiple bone-jarring hits...
Photo By: Derek LeComte/ Gameday Magazine
ALEXANDRIA, VA -- Over the past couple of years, we've come to find out that Edison is a team that reloads rather than rebuild.
In the past four years alone, this program has reached the region championship game every year while also making one state championship appearance as well. Not to mention they have also won their own district three times in that span.
So while out at Edison's camp recently, it came as no surprise to see several new faces making a huge impact out on the field. Nor was it apparent that the loss of All-Gameday quarterback Ben Barber, a Virginia Tech signee, something that would hold back this year's team. Same goes for the loss of Kevin Carter at running back and Tim Baldwin at receiver in that their new replacements are more than ready to step up.
The biggest new name who surprised us the most at camp was Christian Washington. A junior and younger brother to Corey Washington, he packs quite the punch at defensive back. On several occasions, he completely de-cleated ballcarriers and in fact had to be told to stop after a while so he wouldn't injure anyone. He is what you call a human highlight reel and he was certainly very fun to watch on the day. Look for him to have a very bright future as an Edison Eagle.
In all fairness, the entire defense put on quite a show. They took what was a full-contact scrimmage and turned it into a real life NFL Blitz video game. Bodies were flying everywhere and on nearly every play, a big highlight hit was made. Needless to say, it made for quite an energetic practice setting, but one that should make opposing offenses worry at this point.
There's no shortage of athletes whatsoever for Edison on defense, but what separates them from everyone else is their football prowess. It was fearful watching them light up the offense, and the speed in which they did it. No one on their defense looked as if they ran over a 5.1 forty, including the defensive tackles.
Of course the one name everyone knows about by now for Edison is Stephon Robertson, and he continues to significantly bulk up. The 5-foot-11 linebacker appears to be at a solid 230 to 235 pounds right about now, and that's a scary proposition considering the force at which he hits.
Another player who looks vastly improved from last year is Josh Page. He made quite an impact last year, but at 6-foot-3, he's really filled out his frame a lot more and seemed to be much more of an impact player today at practice. Head coach Vaughn Lewis noted that with his size, speed and athleticism, he could in fact be drawing the attention of various colleges as the year goes on.
And while it may be easy to point out that the defense returns more players than the offense, do not look past at what this team brings to the table offensively. Their entire offensive line returns intact and they sure didn't disappoint.
Oftentimes a group such as an offensive line will be overlooked, but it's important to note there were running lanes open almost every time and they allowed either quarterback enough time to throw the deep ball. We know this Edison team is notorious for their skill players, but their offensive line is really what might be their biggest asset.
As to who they'll be protecting, that's a bit up in the air at this point. Corey Washington, Levi Barber and Christian Washington were all receiving reps with the first team, but Barber sure brought back memories of his brother. Coach Lewis tells us he's now running in the 4.5 range, but his arm at this point is more developed than Ben's was.
Remember too that Ben only played quarterback for just his senior season after playing wide receiver his entire career. Levi, on the contrary, has been playing quarterback his whole life and it shows. At practice, his deep balls were on the money and he can put a lot of zip behind his passes as well. Of course, he also adds in the threat of running the ball too.
If Barber wins the job, expect to see Corey and Christian Washington moved to the wide receiver positions, which right away would pose matchup problems with a lot of teams they play. They're extremely fast and agile, and unlike a lot of other players with their potential, they look natural out there in their movements. Yet don't rule out the possibility of having one of them play the quarterback position, as that is certainly very plausible at this point.
We also got to see running back Angus Harper for the first time since his season-ending injury he suffered in Week 3 of last year. He's just a junior, but he looks like he's a senior in college. Very strong and agile, what impressed us the most was his center of gravity. He is very tough to bring down and should really excel between the tackles. He is the real deal when it comes to running the ball, and while Lewis still believes him to be a little raw, we think he'll be putting up big numbers from Day 1.
At this point where Edison is right now, there's simply no reason to believe they aren't the hands-down favorite to not only win their district, but to again be at least a finalist for the Northern Region championship.
