Passing marks

The number jumps off the page. It jumps off the TV screen, too, because 485 yards passing in a single game is something usually confined to the video game world.

Senior quarterback Matt Viles doesn’t have to be a big numbers guy. The most important number is three, which is the number of wins the Chargers — also ranked No. 3 in the CIF Southern Section Pac-5 Division poll — have after three games.

But 485 yards? That’s the school record Viles set Sept. 17 in a come-from-behind 34-17 victory at Dana Hills. Included in that total were a 93-yard touchdown pass to Michael Rivera and a 69-yard touchdown pass to Dylan Leener.

“I was surprised when I heard it,” Viles said of the record. “It is what it is. The best part is that we got the win We’ve been together for four years now and I think the chemistry between [the receivers and I] is really good. We just have a feel for each other, on the routes and where I’m going to throw the ball.”

Another receiver, Jeff Trojan, also caught a touchdown pass and finished with 201 yards receiving. His 12 catches were also one off a school record.

“It doesn’t surprise me,” Coach Dave White said of Viles breaking Josh Gingrich’s previous school mark of 398 yards, set in 1990. “[Viles] had a great summer. Him and his receivers had a great summer.”

The Chargers won two summer passing league tournaments this summer. Plus, Viles had the experience gained from his junior year, when he passed for 2,009 yards and 19 touchdowns against just seven interceptions.

This year has brought another year of growth for Viles and his fellow class of 2010 receivers who, more often than not, catch his passes.

“We’ve all been playing together either since freshman year or even eighth grade,” Trojan said. “We had a good Pop Warner team in eighth grade and we really just turned into a family. We’re all brothers. I trust these guys with my life. We hang out with each other on the weekends and all that, and it’s just really good chemistry on the field.”

Through three games this year, the quiet yet determined leader Viles has five touchdown passes and just one interception. That interception occurred just before halftime against Dana Hills, on a long heave downfield. Edison trailed at halftime, yet Viles and his teammates weren’t rattled at all. They outscored the Dolphins, 21-0, in the second half.

“Really, the whole team didn’t panic,” White said. “But Matt’s not going to ever panic. He’s a great kid. He’s just the total package for a great young man.”

Viles’ offensive line, full of seniors but not necessarily experience, has matured in a hurry. Only center Roman Sapolu was a returning starter but junior left tackle Kyle Finney, senior left guard Sam Saultz, senior right guard Calvin Hollingsworth and senior right tackle Luke Gane have given Viles the protection he needs.

“They’re playing really good right now and improving every day,” Viles said.

They block for a quarterback who will typically make the right decision. Viles is also smart off the field with a 4.0 grade-point average.

Everyone has been looking forward to the Chargers’ showdown with top-ranked Servite, at 7 p.m. Friday at Huntington Beach High. The Friars’ quarterback, Cody Fajardo, has also been more heavily recruited by a few West Coast teams.

Viles? White said he might go Ivy League.

He might not pass for 485 yards again Friday night but, with his smarts, he might not need to.

“They’re a really good team,” Viles said. “We’ve got to play really good football to beat them.”

Look for him to hold up his end of that bargain.