Full circle

Five seniors on Edison High boys’ basketball team have played together since third grade. Now it’s time to move onward and upward.As members of the Edison varsity boys’ basketball team sat in the bleachers at Los Alamitos High on Friday, watching the Chargers’ junior varsity squad battle the Griffins prior to the start of the varsity game, T.J. Lipold took notice of Edison fans streaming into the gymnasium.

“Some of us started talking about how a lot of these people have seen us play for so many years,” Lipold said. “They’ve seen us grow through the years, both on and off the court. It was interesting to think that, at that moment.”

When Lipold, Tim Golden, Thomas Marcin, Mike Doran and Denny Reed take the court tonight during introductions for Senior Night, it will mark the end of a playing era for the five.

At 7 p.m., they’ll be honored, along with fellow seniors Jimmy Flanagan, Andrew Nehrig, Kyle Goodman, Josh Feichter and Chris Talataina, before the last regular-season game to be played at Dave Mohs Gymnasium.

The Chargers host Marina in the Sunset League finale.

“It could be kind of emotional,” Lipold said of Senior Night. “I’ve had so much fun playing on this team and in this program, and I’ve been around some great guys. Tim, Thomas, Denny, Mike and I have played together for a very long time.”

Lipold, Marcin and Golden first became acquainted both on and off the court while students at St. Simon and Jude. Reed and Doran were pals at Hawes Elementary School. While Lipold and Marin continued their education at St. Simon and Jude, Golden entered middle school at Sowers, where he became classmates with Reed and Doran.

The five, though, first came together on the basketball court in the third grade.

As third- and fourth-graders, they played on the South Huntington Beach team that went undefeated in National Junior Basketball All-Star competition and won two national titles. As fifth-graders, they played in the sixth-grade All-Net division, and advanced to the second round of playoffs.

In the sixth and seventh grades, they reached the national semifinals, and as eighth-graders, they reached the championship game and finished as their division’s national runner-up.

From the original group of players on those teams, Lipold, Golden, Marcin, Reed and Doran went on to play at Edison, Casey Becker headed to Marina, and Taylor King, Dylan Bowermaster and Mike Hardwick went off to Mater Dei.

Becker is an outstanding baseball player at Marina. At Mater Dei, King, an all-everything basketball player for the Monarchs, recently committed to Duke, Bowermaster is an All-CIF volleyball player who earned a scholarship to play at UCLA and Hardwick was All-CIF football last fall.

The group still stays in contact, and Lipold and King remain close friends.

Success on the court followed the five to Edison, where they helped lead the Chargers freshman team to a 22-0 record.

As juniors, they shared the Sunset League championship with Los Alamitos, Edison’s first league title since 1991.

The Chargers are a game back of the Griffins in this year’s title chase, heading into tonight’s league finale.

Beyond tonight, another run in the CIF playoffs awaits these Chargers.

The five credit their teammates, their coaches, including head coach Rich Boyce, and those who support the program for making their final year playing together memorable.

“Tonight, in a way, we are paying it back to the program,” Golden said of Senior Night. “For everything we’ve been able to do, to everyone who’s helped us to get to where we are, it’s a way to say ‘thank you.’

“This has been such a fun team to be a part of. Everyone on this team contributes to its success. The other five seniors on this team are great players. If it weren’t for those guys, we wouldn’t be where we are.”

Edison is 21-4 overall, 7-2 in league, heading into tonight’s clash with Marina.

Lipold and Marcin both have played varsity for three years. Golden has been on varsity since being brought up to the roster for the CIF playoffs in 2004, and Reed and Doran have played varsity the last two years.

Lipold, a small forward, is the team’s leading scorer with a 17 points per game average. The team’s two-time MVP and MVP of the Sunset League and All-CIF in 2005, he also averages nine rebounds and five assists per game.

Golden, a point guard, is averaging 10 points and 5.5 assists per game. Marcin, an all-league forward, averages 10 points and six rebounds, Doran, a guard/forward, is averaging five points and 3.5 rebounds and Reed, a shooting guard, is averaging 11 points and three assists.

“I think it’s unique how the five of us played together as third-graders, then moved on to play varsity together in high school,” Reed said. “It’s not too often that that happens. It’s pretty cool.”

Their chemistry is just right on the court, in part because they are close friends away from the hoop.

“We all just get along,” Doran said. “It’s all just about having fun, and we’re doing that with each other. We just enjoy each other’s company.”

When it all started for these five nearly 10 years ago, Tony Lipold, the father of T.J., was there to take them through their first drills.

“As I reflect back on this group of young men, I must say that I was fortunate enough to be called their coach for a number of their development years,” he said. “From our very first practice 10 years ago as a group, I knew these kids would accomplish a lot. They always worked hard and were eager to learn.

“What set them apart as far as I was concerned, was their maturity level and how I was able to run full-scheduled high school-type practices with them. Whatever I asked them to do, they would get it done. There also was great parent support for this group from the beginning.”

This year, Edison won the La Quinta tournament and Lipold, Marin and Golden were named to the all-tourney team. The Chargers, with Lipold being named MVP and Marcin and Reed gaining all-tourney laurels, won the Coast Holiday Classic. They finished second at the Maui Classic, losing, by two points, to defending CIF Division IV champion Campbell Hall. Lipold and Golden again were all-tourney selections.

Tonight’s game will mark the beginning of the end for the Edison seniors. Four of the five plan to attend school and play locally next year. Marcin, however, will become a Kansas Jayhawk in the fall, as he committed to play baseball for the school.

“As for this being our last year together, I don’t think it will sink in until after the season is over,” Marcin said. “What I’ve liked about these guys as teammates and friends, is their loyalty and honesty.

“We’ve bonded all these years. We regularly have sleepovers at each other’s houses, we play cards and video games together. Come summertime, when some of us begin to head separate ways, it’s going to seem strange. We’ll always keep in contact, though. We’ve been through a lot together.”20060209iucej2ncJAMIE FLANAGAN / INDEPENDENT(LA)Edison High varsity basketball players, from left, Tim Golden, Thomas Marcin, Denny Reed, T.J. Lipold and Mike Doran are best friends who have played organized basketball together since the third grade.