YORBA LINDA — Edison demonstrated the requisite urgency Friday night in a second-half surge aimed at bringing its season back from the brink.

The Chargers’ first-half struggles left the margin too thin against Yorba Linda, in spite of their rally from two scores down, and they suffered a devastating defeat that left them hoping for an at-large berth into the CIF Southern Section football playoffs.

Vince Aguilar reeled in the go-ahead touchdown from Noah Trujillo inside the final two minutes, and a red-zone turnover ended the comeback bid, as the Mustangs clipped the Chargers, 20-17, in their homecoming game at Nathan Shapell Memorial Stadium.

After lightning strikes delayed the start by just over an hour, Edison (3-6, 1-3) did not see much of the ball early, running just four plays on offense in the first quarter.

Yorba Linda (1-8, 1-3), which vacated its first four wins of the season due to CIF Southern Section violations that involved administrative oversight and undue influence, got back in the win column with a running game that effectively bled the clock.

Given the adversity the program has gone through, Yorba Linda coach John Domen called it “satisfying” to earn a win in his team’s final home game of the season.

“The kids have never stopped working hard,” Domen said. “The leadership has been great. We’ve practiced hard and done our best to prepare. Coaches have coached hard, and the football gods, at the end, gave us a little blessing there.”

The Mustangs had out-snapped the Chargers, 28-10, en route to a 14-0 lead — on rushing touchdowns by Taj LaGraffe and Andrew Maldonado — before the visitors executed a nine-play, 63-yard drive in the two-minute drill to get a Crue Bradshaw field goal heading into the half.

Edison’s initial two possessions ended on interceptions by Dylan Newsom and Braden Walker, the first two passes of the night for quarterback Sam Thomson.

Prior to the second turnover, it was already clear that the Chargers were committing to the run, with six successive Edmisten carries preceding the second turnover.

Edmisten carried the ball 22 times for 97 yards and two touchdowns, adding six catches for 82 yards. It was a monumental usage rate for the senior running back, as the Chargers ran 43 plays for the game.

“It was working well,” Edison coach Jeff Grady said. “We were getting good push up front. Our offensive line played well. Sam was running hard, so we just stuck with it.”

An offensive line featuring Gustavo Gonzalez, Carter Cirillo, Hunter Shea, Ras Casino and Sean Moran paved the way for Edmisten, whose second touchdown, followed by a two-point conversion pass from Thomson to McKennon Pierce, lifted the Chargers to a 17-14 lead with 9:45 remaining.

Ashton Godley’s sack and forced fumble, recovered by Liam Hedenberg, set up the go-ahead score, with the Chargers taking possession at the Mustangs’ 26-yard line.

“It was definitely a turning point in the game,” Godley said of forcing the turnover. “The energy on the sideline was just electric, and it was just a really good way to set the offense up for success.”

With the season on the line, the Chargers’ sideline jumped around and let their voices be heard on a critical defensive possession. The Mustangs committed back-to-back false start penalties, before another Godley sack made it third-and-28.

“We’re playing for a lot every week,” Grady added. “We don’t have anybody on our schedule that you’re just going to roll over. We have a tough schedule each and every week, and we know it. That was the first time in a while we’ve been that energized, and I think it really impacted the guys in the field. It was energetic.”

Noah Trujillo checked the ball down to Isaiah Trujillo for 22 yards on a screen pass, then took off on a quarterback scramble to the left, just getting to the marker to move the chains on fourth down.

“It was base coverage,” Godley said of the critical third-and-long. “Our main goal this week was just to stop the run. We knew they were going to pass right there, and they threw a check-down screen, so that hurt.”

Three plays later, Aguilar got behind the secondary for the decisive score.

Edison worked out of its own jam — a third-and-21 at the 14-yard line — as Thomson found Edmisten for a 46-yard gain. A face-mask penalty had the Chargers at the Yorba Linda 25 with 49 seconds left.

Edmisten remained the focal point with two short receptions, but with the Chargers well within field-goal range, the bellcow running back fumbled after picking up first-down yardage, Isaiah Trujillo stripping him of the ball with Mattias Girgis landing on top of it.

“It’s a hard one,” Edmisten said. “We knew it was going to be a tough game. We knew we needed to win it, but some things don’t always go your way, and you just got to push through it.”

Alpha League

Yorba Linda 20, Edison 17

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Edison 0 - 3 - 6 - 8 — 17

Yorba Linda 7 - 7 - 0 - 6 — 20

FIRST QUARTER

YL — LaGraffe 5 run (Norton kick), 0:45.3.

SECOND QUARTER

YL — Maldonado 1 run (Norton kick), 1:45.

E — Bradshaw 30 FG, 0:00.

THIRD QUARTER

E — Edmisten 1 run (Bradshaw kick failed), 1:21.

FOURTH QUARTER

E — Edmisten 3 run (Pierce pass from Thomson), 9:45.

YL — Aguilar 33 pass from N. Trujillo (Norton kick failed), 1:42.

INDIVIDUAL RUSHING

E — Edmisten, 22-97, 2 TDs; Thomson, 3-18; Dempsen, 2-5.

YL — I. Trujillo, 19-132; LaGraffe, 13-58, 1 TD; N. Trujillo, 3-15; Schroeder, 3-8; Maldonado, 3-3, 1 TD; Team, 4-(-18).

INDIVIDUAL PASSING

E — Thomson, 10-16-2, 123.

YL — N. Trujillo, 5-6-0, 73, 1 TD.

INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING

E — Edmisten, 6-82; Hampton, 3-32; Vares, 1-9.

YL — Aguilar, 1-33, 1 TD; I. Trujillo, 1-22; Schroeder, 2-18; Burrell, 1-0.