Final stop

Mike Sciacca

In the past four years, Kyle Hogan and his game of basketball have

found a home at three different high schools.

Circumstances dictated his moves from school to school, gym to

gym, but in each of those instances, it is safe to say, those schools

have been the better for having him in the lineup.

In this 2002-03 boys’ prep basketball season, Kyle Hogan has made

his final stop, playing for the Laguna Beach Breakers.

He played at Servite and Villa Park before making his way to south

county, where he will play out his senior year.

No matter where Kyle Hogan has played basketball, he has made his

mark.

He certainly has already at Laguna Beach High.

“Kyle was the missing piece we needed to bring our team and

program together,” Laguna Beach coach Rob Cullinan said. “Kyle is a

pure scorer who gets his points from all over.

“He is a complete player -- he can shoot the three or go inside

and post up, and he’s an 80% free throw shooter,” Cullinan said.

“He’s a great rebounder and has a knack for the ball and loves to get

after the boards.”

Hogan’s prep basketball journey began at Servite High in Anaheim,

following in the footsteps of two older brothers who played in the

Friar program.

He made the junior varsity squad as a freshman. That would be the

only year he’d wear a Servite uniform.

“[Servite] had just fired their [varsity] coach and brought in a

coach without a lot of experience,” Hogan said. “In a power league

that includes the likes of Mater Dei and Santa Margarita, a team

needs to be well prepared.

“I had a feeling I’d never know what my potential was if I stayed

there, so I transferred out,” he said.

Hogan, who lived within the attendance boundary of Villa Park

High, transferred there and played with the Spartans his sophomore

and junior years.

In those years, he was a player to be reckoned with and earned

All-Century League honors.

“I loved it there -- I had a really good coach and great

teammates,” he said.

Yet, Villa Park wasn’t the final destination during his prep

basketball career.

His family had put their home on the market, and at the start of

last summer, the Hogans had sold their home and moved to Crystal

Cove.

At 18, Kyle Hogan was starting over again.

But the transition from Villa Park to enrolling at Laguna Beach

High went smoothly due to the warm welcome he received from the

Breakers’ boys’ basketball program, the 6-foot-6, 195-pound center said.

“The team and coach Cullinan overly embraced me and that really

impressed me,” Hogan said. “The first time I met coach Cullinan, I

came away very impressed with his demeanor and just how down-to-earth

he was with his players. He knows how to coach each player

individually and he really cares about you more than just as a

player, well beyond the court.”

Interestingly, the first time Hogan played in a game with his

current teammates was in Laguna’s season opener against Irvine on

Dec. 4.

Playing before one of the largest home crowds in years, the

Breakers appeared to have opening night jitters as they fell behind

the Vaqueros by 23 points during the first half.

It looked like a bleak debut for Hogan at Laguna Beach High.

“But that game turned out to be incredibly awesome. I was so proud

of our team for how we battled back,” Hogan said of the Breakers’

incredible comeback, which resulted in a thrilling 87-81 overtime

victory.

His first “official” stats for the Laguna Beach record book read

like this: 35 points that included hitting 17 of 21 free throws and

two three-point shots, 14 rebounds, four assists, and two steals.

The next night -- the Breakers romped past Sage Hills -- Hogan

went seven of 10 from the field and had 19 points in a 62-42 win.

Their first week of the season ended that Friday with a 53-48 loss

to Century, but Hogan came up with 24 points, seven rebounds and

three assists.

But the Breakers would gain a measure of revenge against Century

last Saturday, beating the Centurions, 49-46, to win the consolation

championship of the Aztec Tournament at La Quinta High.

During the tournament, Laguna pieced together three straight

victories, a feat the school had not accomplished in two years,

Cullinan said.

“Kyle brings great leadership and work ethic every day,” Cullinan

said. “He never complains about anything, whether he is feeling good

or not. It is a great thing when your best player comes and works

hard every day and leads by example.

“He is extremely competitive and has a tremendous desire to

compete every day. I think this is what will help him exceed at the

next level,” he said. “He is a great kid, with great social skills

and is a pure joy to coach. I am fortunate to have him as a player

and feel equally blessed to know him as a person.”

Cullinan learned late last week that Hogan has been nominated to

play in the upcoming McDonalds All-American game.

Hogan’s talents also have drawn the interest of several NCAA

schools, including UC Irvine, Cal State Long Beach, UC Davis, Air

Force and Ivy League schools Cornell and Princeton.

Colgate University of the Patriot League has expressed great

interest in Hogan, who was on the phone with the Red Raiders’ coach

on Monday night.

But first things first, the personable young man said, saying that

what’s most on his mind is helping to lead Laguna Beach High to a

successful season.

“I think once we get to know each other as players on the court,

we will click at a different level,” he said.

“I’m so happy to be at Laguna Beach and playing in a program with

such a great coach and players who have become good friends,” Hogan

said. “I think this will be a year to remember.”

* MIKE SCIACCA covers sports for the Laguna Beach Coastline

Pilot. He can be reached at 494-4321 or by e-mail at

michael.sciacca@latimes.com.