For most high school boys’ basketball teams, league play started last week.
Brethren Christian and Ocean View are looking to defend league titles. And, with those two teams, plus Huntington Beach and Marina High, advancing at least to the CIF quarterfinals a year ago, plenty of talent remains in the area.
Here is a look at the area teams as league play commences.
Brethren Christian
Coach: Jon Bahnsen
Key returners: Austin Wenger (Sr.); Austin Loeb (Sr.); Daniel Healy (Jr.).
Key newcomers: Riley Thomas (Jr.); Jack Killelea (Sr.).
Outlook: The Warriors (12-4, 2-0), ranked No. 3 in the CIF Southern Section Division V-A poll, are looking to defend their Academy League title and already have a crucial win over St. Margaret’s last week.
They won the Orangewood Academy tournament, with Loeb and Wenger named most valuable players. They took eighth at the Irvine World News tournament, including a big win over Woodbridge, and third in the Desert Heat Invitational tournament in Palm Springs (Loeb and Wenger were all-tournament).
Wenger (6-foot-4) and Loeb (6-foot-8) are returning first-team All-League players. They average about 18 points a game, with Loeb also getting 13 rebounds. With four players at 6-foot-4 or taller, the dangerous Warriors have a lot of size. They want to make it past the CIF quarterfinals, where their season ended a year ago.
“On paper, we should be the team to beat [in league],” Bahsen said. “But league play is always tough, especially on the road. There are a lot of good coaches in the Academy League. St. Margaret’s, Whitney and Sage Hill will be the toughest challenges in league.”
Edison
Coach: Rich Boyce (10th year)
Key returners: Dylan Garrity (Jr.); Ryan Walker (Jr.); Max Prendergast (Sr.); Ryan Smith (Sr.); Matt Viles (Sr.); Jeff Trojan (Sr.)
Outlook: The loss of UC Santa Barbara-bound senior Kyle Boswell, who owns both the Chargers single-season and career scoring records, was obviously a big blow.
But behind a scoring attack led largely by Garrity and Prendergast, Edison can still be effective.
The Chargers showed it Friday night at defending league champion Los Alamitos, holding an early lead and staying in the game throughout a 43-34 loss.
Edison, ranked No. 2 in the CIF Southern Section Division II-AA poll, won its first 14 games and won three tournaments in December.
