Truckers outscore Edison 13-0 on two big plays in the final five minutes to steal a win at Edison International Field in the season opener in Milan Friday night.

 

MILAN- It was something Norwalk fans have grown used to seeing over the years, however in a fortunate fashion, it didn't play out to the course.

The Truckers were being pushed around and controlled by Edison for the better part of four quarters, but yet when the clock struck zero in the fourth quarter the Truckers had stolen a 13-12 win behind two big plays from senior Tyler Smith.

"We are all a family out there and we knew if we stuck together we could pull it out at the end," Smith said.

Edison got a eight-yard touchdown run by Matt Hoffer in the first quarter but missed the PAT to lead 6-0...meanwhile, the Trucker offense was moving the ball via the pass, but got inside the Edison 20 twice in the first half only to come up empty-handed. At halftime, the game was sent into a peculiar lightning delay, as most of the bolts were over Lake Erie and considered mythical "heat lightning."

No rain ever came down at Edison International Field, but nonetheless the teams sat for about two hours.

When action resumed, Edison built its lead to 12-0 after a snap sailed over Kurtz's head while trying to punt. He picked it up and got off the punt, but it didn't go very far and quickly Edison was at the Norwalk 14. Corby Starkey then covered the remaining 12 for a touchdown, but the try for two points failed.

Things looked to be sealed for Norwalk...a frustrating night as they passed at will but were still getting shutout. Edison had the ball and was running out the clock inside of five minutes when the Chargers coughed up the ball and Smith was there to pick it up and race 50 yards from midfield for a touchdown and a Kurtz extra point made it a 12-7 deficit.

After the defense again held, the offense had the ball just into Edison territory inside of two minutes remaining and Smith again came up big, hauling in a screen pass and following a block while breaking a couple tackles on his way to a 45-yard touchdown catch with 1:44 left. The try for two points failed, but it was 13-12 Norwalk.

 "Everyone flowed to the left so I called out Drew (Williams) and he made a lead block at my cutback," Smith explained on how the play unfolded. "I then made it my ultimatum not to get stopped. It feels good to be 1-0 for first time in three years and we're looking to build on it, but we're over it and are focusing on Huron now."

Edison then turned it over at its own 48 with inside of a minute left to seal the win. Despite Kurtz completing 20-of-34 passes for 215 yards, the Truckers ran for just 27 yards on 26 attempts while giving up 194, however, Edison also completed just two passes for no yards on the flipside. Spencer Krebs caught seven passes for 106 yards. Overshadowed in the two touchdown-heroics were Smith making 14 tackles and a sack defensively, while Drew Williams added 11 tackles and a sack.

It is the first Norwalk win at Edison since the 1989 season (17-13 victory), snapping a seven-game losing streak at the venue. It is also just the second win (2000, 2004) against the Chargers this decade and also marks the first non-league victory under Jeff Cole in seven tries.

The Truckers will look to stop another lengthy losing streak next week at Huron, a team they have not tasted victory over since a 6-0 double-overtime win in 1988. The Truckers have not won at Huron since 1975 despite the teams playing yearly since the 60's.