Chargers looking to repeat

A year after tying for Sunset League boys’ basketball title, Edison sets sights high again. They face Esperanza on Friday.A year ago, the boys’ prep basketball teams at Edison and Los Alamitos tied for the Sunset League championship.

Heading into the 2006 league race, which tips off Friday, the two schools figure to be the teams to beat once again.

The league race begins Friday with Edison traveling to Esperanza, Huntington visiting Los Alamitos and Marina playing at Fountain Valley.

Another area team, Ocean View, began Golden West League play Wednesday against Santa Ana. The Seahawks resume league play Wednesday by hosting Saddleback.

Edison and Los Alamitos are two league teams that have won more than 10 games in nonleague play.

Sporting the top record is Edison, which comes into the week with a 13-1 ledger. The Chargers tuned up for the league race by winning the Estancia Coast Classic tournament last weekend.

Edison won the tournament at the old stomping grounds of Chargers head coach, Rich Boyce, who coached for 12 years at Estancia, ending his career there at the end of the 1999-2000 season.

T.J. Lipold, one of four Chargers to average in double figures during nonleague play for Edison, was named tournament MVP.

Thomas Marcin, Tim Golden and Denny Reed are the other Chargers averaging double figures in scoring.

Edison’s only loss in nonleague play came to Campbell Hall of North Hollywood at the Maui Invitational in December.

The Chargers’ 13-1 nonleague record is the best posted by a Boyce team in his six years at the school.

“This group thinks team first,” Boyce said. “They just have a great team concept, and that’s been the key to their success so far. We also have a lot of balance on this team, and I think we’ll be right there in the league race.”

Boyce deemed Los Alamitos the league favorite, and h wasn’t the only league coach to do so.

“I’d pick Los Alamitos, too, but Edison will be right there,” Huntington Beach coach Richard Alvarez said. “I think after those two teams, it’s a wide-open race. There will be no easy ones in this league.”

Alvarez’s Oilers returned to Huntington last weekend after playing at the KSA Classic in Orlando, Fla.

Huntington finished in fourth place at the tournament and was looking for its 10th win of the season Tuesday at Western.

“When we play well, we can hang with anybody,” Alvarez said. “But one thing about this team in nonleague play, is that it hasn’t played consistently enough. We’ve given away a few games and in our league, you can’t afford to give any game away.”

Sunset League

Friday’s games

(7 p.m.)

Marina at Fountain Valley

(7:30 p.m.)

Edison at Esperanza

Huntington at Los Alamitos

2004 league standings: 1T. Edison, Los Alamitos, 8-2; 3T. Esperanza, Fountain Valley, 5-5; 5. Marina, 3-8; 6. Huntington Beach, 1-9.

Golden West League

Wednesday’s game

(7 p.m.)

Saddleback at Ocean View

2004 league standings: 1. Estancia, 11-1; 2. Costa Mesa, 10-2; 3. Ocean View, 9-3; 4. Orange, 6-6; 5. Saddleback, 4-8; 6. Santa Ana, 2-10; 7. Westminster, 0-12.20060105irgs2hknWENDI KAMINSKI / INDEPENDENT(LA)Ocean View’s Casey Ngo attempts a shot against Fontana’s Sumner Fife during the Tournament of Champions 2005 at Ocean View High School in December.