Breakers brace for league race

Mike Sciacca

Having compiled one the program’s best nonleague records in recent

years, Laguna Beach High’s boys’ basketball team has now focused all

of its attention to the start of the 2003 Pacific Coast League race.

It’s an interesting start, too, as the Breakers launch league play

Wednesday by hosting rival Corona del Mar at 7 p.m.

“It’s an exciting way to open up league play,” Laguna coach Rob

Cullinan said of the impending Breakers-Sea Kings showdown.

“We’ve had a very good preseason, but I think we have yet to play

our best basketball of the season. We’ve shown flashes of playing

very well, but have had some lapses, too,” the second-year coach

said.

Senior leadership -- and the ability of underclassmen to play up

to and beyond their potential, have helped Laguna surpass last

season’s six-win total.

The Breakers were 8-7 heading into Tuesday’s final nonleague game

at El Modena.

Senior center Kyle Hogan is the team’s leading scorer at just over

26 points per game. He is also averaging just under 10 rebounds per

game, and is the team’s second-leading three-point shooter, with 23

shots, and second in free-throw percentage.

Other three-point specialists include seniors Alex Norfleet (24 of

61) and Peter Renault (20 of 50). Sophomore Spencer Willhoit leads

the squad in free-throw shooting percentage, and junior Austin Sands

tops the charts with 19 blocked shots.

“I’m happy with the progress this team has made,” Cullinan said of

the Breakers, who went 1-32 over the spring and summer seasons.

“I attribute that progress to a lot of things, such as Kyle’s

coming into our program, the play of Alex and Peter, a strong junior

class and our younger players, the sophomores and our freshman, who

have really played well,” he said. “Everyone is understanding their

role on the team a little better.”

The way Cullinan sees it, defending champion Northwood and

University are the teams to beat in the Pacific Coast League race.

“Those are the top teams, and there will be a real fight for that

third-place spot,” he said. “I think we have just as good a chance as

any other team. We will need to execute clean and crisp on offense,

and we will need to improve on our rebounding on the defensive end,

something we’ve been working on in practice.”