Breakers Tend to Turn It Up a Notch During League Play

The Laguna Beach boys basketball team was an anomaly of sorts last season. Opponents outscored the Breakers by a cumulative total of 105 points during the 2009-2010 campaign, which included a midseason stretch of 10 loses in 11 games. Not exactly the credentials of a champion.

But, in fact, a league title was precisely what Laguna Beach picked up by the end of the year. Despite finishing the season 10-14, the Breakers rallied  to compile a 6-2 record against league opponents, securing the school's fourth consecutive Orange Coast League championship in the process.

Breakers coach Bret Fleming is in his 16th season leading Laguna Beach. Fleming has found different paths toward the titles over the years. His squad racked up a sterling 65-19 record from 2006 to 2009, the first three successive league championship seasons before the stylistically strange 2009-10 run.

The commonality of Fleming's team over the years is Laguna Beach's strikingly superior performance in league play. The Breakers' 29-5 mark in league matchups since '06 is indicative of the dominance that has kept them ahead of the pack.

However, much like a season ago, the road to yet another Orange Coast championship could be bumpy. The Breakers' current roster is predominately devoid of experience. Forward Tyler Kesler is the team's lone senior and Adam Selevan, last year's leading scorer, graduated. Fleming is counting on a new crop of productive players to emerge.

"We've got a few starters back and some younger guys who played varsity last year," Fleming said. "The expectations are that they would be a little more mature at this point."

One of those returning starters, junior point guard Tyler Masukawa, was sidelined by a sprained ankle for the early portion of Laguna Beach's schedule. Masukawa averaged 10.4 points and four assists per game to earn all-league honors as a sophomore. His absence throws a wrench into the Breakers' plans, according to Fleming.

"Tyler is what makes us go," the coach said. "He's the guy who takes care of the ball. He's the guy that pushes it. He's the guy that gets us into our offense. It's a dimension that we just don't have without him."

Until Laguna Beach has its point guard back on the court, the Breakers need to carve out an alternate offensive identity. Jake Dalke, a 6-3 sophomore guard, could temporarily take the reigns as the team's go-to guy.

Dalke has made strides physically since he averaged 8.4 points per game as a freshman. Like much of the Breakers' undersized lineup, Dalke has a penchant for hoisting up three-point attempts. But his ability to create his own shot off the dribble enables Dalke to be productive without the presence of a quality distributor like Masukawa. 

The majority of Fleming's rotation is filled by underclassmen. Along with Dalke, junior forwards Jack Pillsbury and Derek Reigel are expected to supply scoring, while sophomore Cole Kesler will need to grow up in a hurry as Masukawa's understudy at point guard.

Laguna Beach's chances for a fifth consecutive Orange Coast league championship would be greatly inflated if the young Breakers undergo a rapid maturation process. The way to ward off a down year is to strive for continuous improvement, says Laguna Beach's veteran leader.

"We need to get better with everything we do," Fleming said. " That means running our cuts harder, making crisper passes and just toughening up. We've only got one senior, but I'm not willing to wait another year."

Laguna Beach's upcoming schedule:

Monday-Saturday, Dec. 13-18 -- Orange Optimist Classic at Westminster High, TBD

Dec. 22 -- vs. Marina in O.C. North/South Challenge at El Toro High, 12:30 p.m.

Dec. 27-30 -- Century tournament, TBD