Prep basketball season to tipoff

Mike Sciacca

The 2004-05 boys’ and girls’ prep basketball season is in full swing,

as teams are in their second full week of practice in preparation to

the start of nonleague and tournament play, which gets underway Nov.

29.

For the next two weeks, the Independent will present capsule

previews of the local prep teams, beginning with the boys’ squads

from 2004 CIF runner-up Marina and Edison.

Boys’ Basketball Previews

MARINA VIKINGS

Head coach: Roger Holmes

Year at school: 11th

League: Sunset

2003-04 record: 24-8 overall

League standing: 7-3; second-place.

2004 CIF results: Defeated West Covina, No. 5 El Toro, No. 8

Thousand Oaks and No. 6 Simi Valley; lost to No. 3 Mission Viejo in

CIF final at The Pond.

Returning starters: None.

Returning players: Matt Molino, 6-1, point guard, Sr.; Jeff

DeLaunay, 6-6, forward, Sr.; Mike Kinoshita, 5-8, guard, Soph.; Bryce

Overend, 6-1, forward, Soph.; Troy Lewis, 6-3, forward, Soph.; Sean

Starkey, 6-3, forward, Jr.; James Boury, 6-1, forward, Sr.; Chris

Potrykus, 6-3, forward, Sr.; Lucas Puttock, 5-11, guard, Sr.; Anushka

Wijeseckera, 5-10, guard, Sr.; Brent Nishimoto, 5-8, guard, Sr.

Key losses: James Lambert, first-team All-Sunset League,

first-team All-CIF, now at Harvard; Matt Brennan, second-team

All-CIF, first-team All-Sunset League; Stephen Becker, first-team

All-Sunset League, now at Cal State Monterey Bay.

Team Strengths: “Good shooters who like to run,� Holmes said.

“Unselfish and eager to form their own identity.�

Weaknesses: “Inexperience. This is one of the most inexperienced

teams that I have had.�

Coach’s expectations: “We are expecting this group to uphold the

Viking tradition of playing hard every time out on the floor, to have

class and to be better than anyone thinks they can be. As far as wins

and losses, there are no expectations there.�

Key players: “DeLaunay and Molino have the only experience at the

varsity level. They have played in big games and have made big

contributions in our run to The Pond last year. They will need to

lead our team this season.�

League Favorite: “Esperanza returns the most players and should be

very good. Los Al is also very athletic. All Huntington Beach teams

will be improved and the Sunset League will be a battle again.�

First game: vs. University Irvine (20-9 last year), Nov. 29.

EDISON CHARGERS

Head coach: Rich Boyce

Year at school: 5th

League: Sunset

2003-04 record: 14-13 overall

League standing: 3-7; fifth

2004 CIF results: Defeated Newport Harbor; lost to Tesoro.

Returning starters: T.J. Lipold, 6-3, guard/forward, 12 ppg, 8

rpg, Jr.; Thomas Marcin, 6-4, forward/center, 8 ppg, 6 rpg, Jr.; Jeff

Golden, 5-11, guard, 10 ppg, 2 apg, Sr.; Kevin Reed, 5-10, guard, 10

ppg, 2 apg, Sr.; Joe Ziemann, 5-11, guard, 4 ppg, 5 apg, Sr.; Brandon

Farmer, 5-11, guard, 5 ppg, 2 apg, Sr.; Taka Suzuki, 5-8, guard, 2

ppg, 2 apg, Sr.

Newcomers: Pat Donegan, 5-9, guard, Sr.; Phillip Darin, 6-6,

forward/center, Soph.; Derek Moriyama, 6-5, forward/center, Soph.;

Denny Reed, 5-9, guard, Jr.; Tim Golden, 6-2, guard/forward, Jr.;

Mike Doran, 6-2, guard/forward, Jr.; Eric Wan, 6-2, center, Sr.

Key losses: 2003-04 leading scorer Alex Wright; point guard Matt

White.

Team strengths: “Experience and scoring,� Boyce said.

Coach’s expectations: “We’re a good team with a chance to win the

Sunset League.�

Key players: “All returners fit a particular role and must play

well for us to have any success.�

League favorite: “Esperanza is the favorite followed by Los Al,

Edison, Huntington Beach, Marina and Fountain Valley.�

First game: Corona del Mar, home, Nov. 30