A winning move

CORONA DEL MAR — In many ways, when Eddie Lane leaps above the basketball rim for Corona del Mar High School, it shows how high he’s risen from his past.

The past that forced him to think about giving up on high school altogether after his junior year.

When Lane moved to Orlando, Fla., with his family two years ago as a 10th grader, basketball kept him busy. He played for two years, doing whatever to prove that a kid from Columbus, Ohio, could play.

But Lane was forced to defend more than the basketball goal.

Himself.

Fifteen times, Lane said, he found himself fighting last year. Three times in one month he was suspended. The altercations and suspensions took a toll on Lane, making him think of ways to avoid the trouble.

Could he, though, at a school surrounded by ghettos and gangs?

Katrina Daniels gave her son two options: stay in Orlando with her, or move west with his godmother, Annette Schatz, in Newport Beach.

“I was just thinking, ‘I don’t even care anymore,’ ” Lane said. “I was sick of having the fights in school. I was on the verge of saying, ‘Forget it!’ I was thinking about just quitting school.

“But then when I moved out here, everything just got better.”

Lane said he figured going to school and playing basketball without quarrels in his senior year would allow him to ease up, be himself and fit in at Corona del Mar — even on the predominately white campus — which, he says, has only five black high school students, including him.

Lane said it took some time adjusting to being in the minority, but school and basketball came easy. He said he’s a B-plus student now, and the 6-foot-2 guard has played a vital role in the resurgence of the boys’ basketball program.

The Sea Kings (21-7) play in the CIF Southern Section Division III-A championship against Renaissance Academy (27-1) of La Cañada on Saturday at the Honda Center at 9 a.m.

The title appearance will be the ninth in the school’s history, but Lane downplays his contributions.

“I feel like I bring aggressiveness,” said Lane, who’s averaging 8.8 points and 2.1 steals per game.

Teammate Stefan Kaluz, a 6-foot-9 junior standout center, says Lane offers more than assertive play.

“We were thrilled to have him because there’s not that much athleticism in Orange County,” Kaluz said. “He’s a real explosive player.”

Lane demonstrated how explosive he was on the day he met Coach Ryan Schachter. With the ball in his hands and walking toward the basket, Lane threw down a reverse dunk.

“I said, ‘That’s it, you’ve made the team,’ ” Schachter said with a smile.

But the first year at Corona del Mar hasn’t been all smiles for Lane.

Even though his mother said she’s proud of her son making the transition to a new place and his godmother calls him a phenomenal young man, Lane had to fight rejection early on.

Before coming out for basketball, he wanted to be a part of Corona del Mar’s football program.

At Dr. Phillips High in Orlando, Lane said he played wide receiver. But when Lane asked an assistant football coach if he could try out for the Corona del Mar team when he showed up on the first day of school, an assistant coach told him it wasn’t possible.

“I couldn’t go out for football because I came late,” said Lane, who hadn’t worked out with the team since the summer. “That made me upset. A couple of kids told me about basketball, so I decided to do that.”

Schachter was happy to have him.

In his first year as coach at Corona del Mar, Schachter boasted a big starting lineup, featuring 6-9 Kaluz, 6-7 senior forward John Joyce and 6-5 junior guard Joe Eberhard. Lane added a different dimension.

Sometimes Lane’s ability gets him in a mess with Schachter. Well, only if he misses the shot.

In the Sea Kings’ 67-61 semifinal victory against West Valley of Hemet last week, Lane showcased how difficult it is at times to guard him. He dribbled toward the baseline, easily blowing past a defender before elevating for a fadeaway jump shot.

By the time the ball swished in the net, Lane stood near Corona del Mar’s bench and close to Schachter’s ear. The coach gave Lane an earful.

“In the corner of my ear I hear him, ‘Oh my God! If he would’ve missed that, he’s coming out,’ ” Lane said. “He got on me a lot. Sometimes I felt torn. I don’t know if he was just doing it just to pick on me. I kind of broke away from him a couple of times.

“I finally got it that he wanted to help me out.”