Molina starts basketball showcase to honor friend, raise money for cancer

Mike Molina never really intended to ask a question that appeared disturbing, but to him it felt necessary.

“Why him and not me?” Molina thought after his friend Jeff Long died from the same disease he had been battling.

The two graduated from Costa Mesa High. Long was one year older than Molina. Long, who graduated from Costa Mesa in 2008, died in 2012.

“I know that sounds like the wrong thing to say,” Molina, who is 24, says. “But when you’re experiencing those things that’s what you feel. He was a big part of my life.”

Molina, who played basketball at Costa Mesa and also coached the Mustangs, says Long was important while dealing with the emotions of battling testicular cancer. Molina, who was diagnosed five years ago, said he was in Stage II, while Long was in Stage IV.

“He was loved by everybody,” Molina says of Long, who loved to surf and enjoyed playing the guitar. “Everyone just loved being around him. He always wanted to get me in the water. But, I would tell him Mexicans don’t do well in water, especially in cold water.”

Shortly after Long died and after there was a paddle-out in memory of him, Molina said he also wanted to do something for Long. Molina wanted to create a basketball event because of all the help Long provided him and to give back to those dealing with cancer.

The result is, “Coach Mike’s Long Shot Challenge,” a boys’ basketball showcase that will take place on Jan. 18 at Costa Mesa and Estancia high schools, seven games at the Mustangs’ gym and six contests at Estancia.

Newport Harbor will play against host Costa Mesa at 7:30 p.m. to close things out, just the way Molina wanted it. Some Newport Beach flavor in Costa Mesa.

There are expected to be special raffles and donations will be accepted. There are 26 teams in the basketball showcase. The money from admission will also be for charity, the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation in Irvine, Molina said.

When Molina came up with the idea, many people wanted to help, including the Newport-Mesa boys’ basketball coaches, Corona del Mar’s Ryan Schachter, Estancia’s Xavier Castellano, Newport Harbor’s Bob Torribio and, of course, Phil Weber of Costa Mesa.

Molina was head coach at Costa Mesa the past two seasons before taking an assistant job at Chapman University. He still wanted to start what plans to be an annual event to raise money for cancer in Costa Mesa.

Molina wanted to give back because he was motivated by Long and because of his own bout with testicular cancer.

During his sophomore year at Orange Coast College, Molina had to step away from the game he loves most after being diagnosed. There had been night chills and back pain, but Molina never really thought that to be anything really serious because he was in such great shape.

Two months after his diagnosis, he went through an intense surgery — lymph nodes removed from his sternum area to just below his belly button — that left him in the hospital for 10 days.

“Every day I was there, I kept thinking how much I wanted to be on the basketball court,” Molina said. “I set out to do it. Six months later, in October, that’s when the season started. Fortunately I was able to play again at OCC.”

He said the damaged cells left him unable to reproduce. That thought made it tougher for him to regain health.

“With everything happening, you’re trying to find the reason why,” Molina said. “I just thought the best way I can cope with it is to do what I love.”

Basketball has always been a source of strength for Molina. After OCC, he was able start coaching at Costa Mesa High, where fellow alumnus Dan Krikorian helped him land an assistant job.

“That’s when I really fell in love with coaching and being able to give back to the community,” Molina said. “I could remember when I was the players’ age, when I was able to be a part of it.”

Coaching, Molina says, helped give him a sense of why he battled cancer. He said he became really close with Long and when Long died it was hard to cope with that loss.

“There were people who could understand what I was going through when I had cancer, but they really wouldn’t understand, not like Jeff,” Molina said. “Jeff was just one year older than me and he had the same cancer I had. It’s almost unbelievable that would happen, two kids from the same high school.”

Molina says his recovery continues to go well. In March, he will be considered a survivor. In a couple weeks, at the inaugural basketball showcase for cancer, he would like the event to be considered a success.

His former coach, Schachter, who worked at Costa Mesa before going to CdM, provided a big-time assist in the process. Schachter sent out an email to many of his local basketball contacts/friends.

Molina said the response was overwhelming. Within 30 minutes, over 16 teams wanted to be in Coach Mike’s Long Shot Challenge.

“I was honored,” Schachter said of his reaction to Molina asking him to help with the showcase. “It’s such a great cause. I think it’s good that we are raising money for charity, but this is also about Mikey’s story and what’s he’s been through, and his friend. I want to do all I can for that.”

Molina knew it would be difficult to fit 26 teams, 13 games in one day. Castellano wanted to help and wanted Estancia to be a part of it, too. That made sense for Molina because he wanted the event to be in Costa Mesa.

Castellano, 35, said he has always respected Molina and his program at Costa Mesa the past two years. Castellano also remembers coaching when Molina was a young player at Rea Elementary and Castellano was at California Elementary.

Even back then, Molina was a handful. Castellano said he had to run the box-and-one defense to try to stop Molina.

“Sure, we’re rivals and what not, but we’re all from the same city,” Castellano said. “We really just want to help. Anything for a good cause, and it’s for our community, is great.”

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Coach Mike’s Long Shot Challenge

Jan. 18

At Costa Mesa High

10:30 a.m. – Santiago vs. Schurr

12 p.m. – Fairmont Prep vs. Hawthorne

1:30 p.m. – Westminster vs. Ribet Academy

3 p.m. – Dana Hills vs. Santa Fe

4:30 p.m. – El Camino vs. Westlake

6 p.m. – Corona del Mar vs. San Bernardino

7:30 p.m. – Costa Mesa vs. Newport Harbor

At Estancia High

11 a.m. – Capistrano Valley Christian vs. Workman

12:30 p.m. – Capistrano Valley vs. Dos Pueblos

2 p.m. – Laguna Beach vs. California

3:30 p.m. – Lawndale vs. Rialto

5 p.m. – Edison vs. Elsinore

6:30 p.m. – Estancia vs. Indian Springs