SUNSET LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Parks Scores 19 in Fourth Quarter to Lead Marina Past Edison

It took every inch of 6-foot-11 center Cherokee Parks’ offensive ability to rally Marina High School to a 61-55 Sunset League victory over Edison Wednesday night at Huntington Beach.

Parks scored 19 points in the final quarter, including 11 consecutive free throws, to help Marina (11-7, 3-0) overcome a 13-point deficit to defeat Edison for the first time in three games this season. Edison had won two preseason games.

Parks finished with 28 points, despite sitting out nearly four minutes in the third quarter when he got his fourth personal foul. He was 14 of 15 from the free-throw line.

Edison (13-5, 2-1) did an excellent job of containing Parks for three quarters with 6-10 center Bill Martineau and 6-5 forward Steve Thobe tag-teaming the junior center. But Thobe fouled out with 3:41 remaining to play and Martineau followed him to the bench about a minute later with his fifth foul and Parks broke loose in their absence.

“The game is a lot more difficult when you have a 6-5 forward and a 6-9 center sitting on the bench with next with five fouls,” said Jon Borchert, Edison coach.

Marina was badly beaten on the boards through three quarters and appeared to be hopelessly out of contention while Edison’s front line of Brandon Jessie, Thobe and Martineau controlling the boards.

Jessie finished with 19 points and six rebounds, Thobe had 10 points and nine rebounds and Martineau added 15 points and 11 rebounds. But they were never a factor in the fourth quarter.

Parks tied the game, 48-48, with a three-point play with 3:41 remaining and then capped the turnaround by stealing a pass, dribbling the length of the court and scoring on a dunk for a 56-51 lead with 1:34 remaining. Afterward, Parks called the victory a momentum builder.

“These are the kind of games that pick you up and get you going,” he said. “We don’t match up very well with Edison. But as long as I established position, I was able to get a shot off.”

Marina Coach Steve Popovich had watched his team in preseason lose to Edison in the championship game of the Santa Maria Tournament and in the third-place game of the Irvine World News Tournament. Popovich said he challenged his team at halftime to beat Edison.

“We’re were getting our butts kicked on the boards and didn’t do a good job of getting the ball inside in the first half,” Popovich said. “Martineau and Thobe killed us. But the players met the challenge.”

Fountain Valley 57, Westminster 55--Mike Merli made a jump shot in the middle of the key with three seconds remaining to lift host Fountain Valley (7-10, 1-2). Merli had 20 points and 12 rebounds for the game. Eric Zellmer had 13 points and Derrick Corcoran had 10 for Fountain Valley. Mark Murphy, Eden Yawata and Eric Wilkens each had 13 points for Westminster (5-10, 0-3).

Ocean View 87, Huntington Beach 67--Ryan Martin had 22 points and seven rebounds and Greg Evans had 15 points and seven rebounds to lead Ocean View (11-5, 3-0). Mustapha Abdi had 23 points for Huntington Beach (7-10, 0-3).