Locals ready for tipoff

The 2010-11 boys’ basketball season gets underway this week for several of the local schools, and it was Fountain Valley that got a head start Monday at the Orange Coast Optimist//Pio-Turion Tournament at Western High in Anaheim.

Below is a capsule look at the six local boys’ teams:

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Edison Chargers

Head Coach: Rich Boyce (11th year)

Coaching staff: Chris Gray, Jeff Harrell

League: Sunset

2009-10 record: 24-5 (7-3 league, second-place)

Returning starters: Dylan Garrity (PG, 6-2, Sr.).

Quick take: The Chargers return just one player (Garrity) from last year’s team that won a school-record 24 games and reached the quarterfinal round of the CIF playoffs. Garrity earned all-league, all-CIF and all-State honors a year ago. Tyler Fields (F, 6-1, Sr.) and Shane Osaki (F, 6-2, Sr.) are the other two returning players. Former Fountain Valley head coach Chris Gray is new to the coaching staff, “whom we are blessed to have on staff,” Boyce said. Edison opens its season at 7 p.m. Friday hosting Valencia.. The Chargers also will compete in the La Quinta, Irvine World News and Palm Desert tournaments in the coming month.

Coach’s outlook: “With only three returners, we expect out team to compete with effort and intensity on defense. We are a little undersized but hope to make up for it by outworking our opponents. My team is comprised of great people who make it fun to go to practice everyday. That is what you want as a coach.”

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Brethren Christian Warriors

Head Coach: Jon Bahnsen (13th year)

Coaching staff: Dan Healy, Erik Thomas

League: Academy

2009-10 record: 25-5 (league champion)

Returning starters: Daniel Healy (G, 6-2, first-team all-league, Sr.); Riley Thomas (G, 6-0, second-team all-league, Sr.).

Quick take: The Warriors have two starters back from last year’s team that went undefeated in Academy League play to win its second-straight league crown and reached the quarterfinal round of the CIF 5A playoffs. Healy averaged nearly seven points and eight rebounds per game and Thomas averaged 11 points. Other returnees include Zach Luce (F, 6-5, Sr.) and Bobby Frisch (Post, 6-3, Sr.). BC, which opens its season this week at the Orangewood Academy Tournament in Garden Grove, will travel to Kona, HI., for the World Youth Basketball Tournament Dec. 27-31 and host the Small School Showcase Jan. 8 at Liberty Christian High in Huntington Beach.

Coach’s outlook: “This team impresses me with their toughness and ‘never quit’ attitude,” Bahnsen said. “We had a great summer going 28-6 and beating some big schools like Newport Harbor and Temescal Canyon. Our losses this summer were to quality programs like Huntington Beach, Mission Viejo and CIF champ Murrieta Valley. Our team has many seniors to provide leadership and experience. We’ve also added a lot of young talent in Dakota Warren, Caleb Keller and transfer Jazz Hill.

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Fountain Valley Barons

Head Coach: Roger Holmes (1st year)

Coaching staff: Andrew Myer, Eric Edmunds

League: Sunset

2009-10 record: 10-16 (2-8 league, sixth-place)

Returning players: Sean Myers (G, 5-7, Jr.); Zachary Matar (F/C, 6-5, Sr.); Judd Chamaa (G, 6-0, Sr.); Brandon Moss (F/C, 6-2, Sr.); Nathan Moss (F, 6-4, Jr.); Sean Finley (F, 6-3, Soph.).

Quick take: Holmes, who spent 16 years as head coach at Marina and is in his 32nd year overall in coaching, returns to his alma mater and is working to instill “old school Baron standards” in the program. Fountain Valley last qualified for the CIF playoffs in 2006 and last won a Sunset League title in 1994. The Barons are playing this week at the Orange Coast Optimist/Pio-Turion Tournament hosted by Western High.

Coach’s outlook: “We are in the middle of a major change at Fountain Valley,” Holmes said. “Our season should not be graded by our wins and losses. This year’s group is taking on the challenge of changing the culture of basketball at Fountain Valley. The players have really worked hard since May to get us to be competitive. We will have some really good moments and also have some tough ones as well, but we want to compete hard every night. This program has really been down and the players have impressed me in the way that they are trying to do everything we throw at them to the best of their ability. Their work ethic has been great. They need to learn how to win. Finishing last three of the last four years is a tough thing to go through. You have to have the mental toughness to be a winner and we are developing that.”

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Huntington Beach Oilers

Head Coach: Fabian Luna (5th year)

Coaching staff: Robert Deck, Richard Alvarez, Clyde Shintaku (manager)

League: Sunset

2009-10 record: 8-16 (2-8 league, fifth-place)

Returning players: Jordan Castaneda (G, 6-3, second-team all-league, Sr.); Jordan Reise (G, 6-3, second-team all-league, Sr.) Vincent Oe (G, 6-0, Sr.); Dirk Cason (G, 6-2, Sr.), Mackey Clustka (F, 6-2, Sr.).

Quick take: The Oilers, who lost several close games last year, return to the Sunset League after a four-year run in the Sea View League where they won a league championship in 2009. The program’s former head coach, Richard Alvarez, returns to the coaching staff. The Oilers open their season against Calvary Chapel at 6:30 p.m. Monday at the La Quinta Tournament.

Outlook: “Tons of depth and talent with experience ready to return to the Sunset League and compete for a league title,” Luna said. “We played a very challenging schedule last year which should pay big dividends this year. This squad is very balanced with multiple players able to contribute on any given night. We should be a very solid defensive unit with good athletes.”

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Marina Vikings

Head Coach: Jerry Simon (1st year)

Coaching staff: Carnell Lake, Jim Morris, Brian Clark, Erik Peterson, Paul Le, Daryl Funai.

League: Sunset

2009-10 record: 16-10 (6-4 league, third-place)

2010 CIF results: lost first-round game

Returning players: JJ James (G, 6-1, Jr.); Josh Long (F, 6-3, Sr.)

Quick Take: Simon played at Marshall High in Los Angeles in the late-1980s, where he won a CIF City Section basketball championship and set school scoring records. He went on to become an All-Ivy League player at the University of Pennsylvania and then played pro ball for 11 seasons in Israel, where he also coached varsity boys’ basketball. He previously coached frosh/soph boys’ basketball and taught at Huntington Beach High and before that, was an assistant varsity boys’ basketball coach at Van Nuys High He says that although the Vikings have a new coach and new system, they still have the “same, great Marina basketball tradition.” Assistant coach Carnell Lake is a former NFL All-Pro and UCLA All-American outside linebacker. JJ James averaged 12 points and six rebounds per game last season. The Vikings begin their season Monday at the La Quinta Tournament.

Coach’s outlook: “Looking to surprise this year,” Simon said. “We have a team GPA of 3.69. Great kids, but we are lacking experience.”

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Ocean View Seahawks

Head Coaches: Jim Harris (33rd year, 647-255), Jimmy Harris (14th year, 308-90)

Coaching staff: Tim Walsh (Associate Head Coach); Chris Melton (Asst. Coach)

League: Golden West

2009-10 record: 29-5 (10-0 league, champions)

Returning players: Billy Keller (G, 6-0, Sr.); Cristian Rivera (G, 6-1, Jr.; Conor Clifford (C, 6-10, Jr.); Luke Davis (G, 6-2, Sr.); Trey Gourdine (F/C, 6-5, Sr.); Corey Wilson (F, 6-5, Sr.).

Quick take: The defending Golden West League champion Seahawks welcome back six players from last year’s 29-5 team that played in the CIF 3AA Division championship game and was a State Regional Division 3 semifinalist. This year, OV has been moved up to Division 2AA. Two years ago, the Seahawks were in Division 4AA. Keller is the lone returning starter and averaged 10 points and 13.5 assists a game. Ocean View hosts the 40th running of the Tournament of Champions (24th year at the school) beginning Monday. The Seahawks open at 3:30 p.m. against Long Beach Jordan.

Coach’s outlook: “Incredible standards to try and ‘live up to,’” is how Jim Harris coined his latest edition. “This team needs to establish its own identity and then create its own destiny. (We have a) great point guard (Keller) and legitimate big man (Clifford) and quality young men to work with. Season results will depend on how these players react to the expectations of excellence that is OV Basketball.”