BOYS’ BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES : In a Fairy Tale Postseason, Edison Faces Reality

At the beginning of the season, Edison Coach Larry Hirst said he was just minding the store.. . . He never anticipated this blockbuster opening.

Twenty-eight games ago, Hirst embarked on his head coaching career at Edison by taking over for Jon Borchert, who was on a “sabbatical” from basketball, Hirst said.

Hirst watched his star player, Micah Kroeger, sprain his ankle before he played his first game for Hirst. He watched his team finish tied for fourth in the Sunset League.

But after defeating Ocean View in a fourth-place playoff to automatically qualify for the playoffs, Hirst and the Chargers have put together an improbable run, leaving them one victory away from a Southern Section Division I-A championship.

OK, so it’s one improbable upset away because Edison’s opponent is USA Today’s No. 2-ranked team in the nation, Mater Dei (30-0).

At 8:30 tonight at Anaheim Arena, top-seeded Mater Dei, the team with Arizona-bound guard Miles Simon and freshman sensation Schea Cotton, figures to keep Edison (20-8) a Division I-A finalist and non-champion.

“It will take a near flawless performance for us to pull off an upset,” Hirst said. “We don’t match up well anywhere with them.”

“But this whole experience has been really neat. It’s the first time the school has been to a Southern Section final in basketball, and it’s like you wish you could stop everything, just for a day, so you can keep experiencing it.”

A flawless game might not be enough for the Chargers.

Here’s a look at tonight’s matchups:

Small forward--Ben Beard, Edison and Cotton, Mater Dei. Cotton is one of the most exciting players in the county at 6 feet 5 and he’s only a freshman. He should be too strong for Beard, an All-Sunset League selection.

Power forward--Micah Kroeger, Edison and Darren Hite, Mater Dei. Kroeger is the Chargers’ top scorer and Hite is one of the Monarchs’ best defenders. If Kroeger draws a crowd of Monarchs when he sees the ball, his teammates will have to make the open jumpers.

Center--Ali Tofighi, Edison and Shaun Jackson, Mater Dei. Jackson (6-7, 200 pounds) is bigger, stronger and quicker than Tofighi (6-5, 190), who will have his hands full.

Point guard--Chad Baird, Edison and Simon, Mater Dei. Simon (6-4, 170) can shoot, pass and dunk with the best in the county. But Simon’s pressure defense could cause Baird (5-11, 170) the most problems.

Shooting guard--Darrell Adams, Edison and Clay McKnight, Mater Dei. McKnight made 50% of his three-pointers, Adams 42%. Edge to Mater Dei . . . again.

Although Edison doesn’t match up well with Mater Dei, Mater Dei Coach Gary McKnight is still a little leery.

“They have some good three-point shooters and that’s the great equalizer in high school basketball,” McKnight said. “The one advantage we do have is that we’ve played at the Bren Center before and they haven’t played in a big arena. It’s tough to shoot in arenas.”

But McKnight doesn’t want the Monarchs are looking past Edison.

“You don’t get to the finals because you’re not a good team,” McKnight said. “Edison just keeps getting better and better as the playoffs have gone on.

“Will our guys be looking past this game? I think once you get out to The Pond, see 10,000 people in the stands and feel the excitement, you forget about everything else and play hard.”

Even if Edison pulls off the improbable, Hirst could still be out of a head coaching job.

“Borchert said we’d discuss the coaching situation when the season ends,” Hirst said. “I know I have a lot to learn and if he asked me to be his assistant, I’d do it in a heartbeat.”

Division I-A

Site--Anaheim Arena

When--8:30 tonight

Edison (20-8)--Starters: Micah Kroeger, F, 6-6 (17 points, 8 rebounds); Ali Tofighi, C, 6-5 (8 points, 6 rebounds); Darrell Adams G, 6-2, (7 points); Chad Baird, G, 5-11 (5 points, 4 assists); Ben Beard, G, 6-3 (11 points, 6 rebounds).

Mater Dei (30-0)--Starters: Schea Cotton, F, 6-5 (21 points, 9 rebounds); Darren Hite, F, 6-6 (8 points); Shaun Jackson, C, 6-7 (14 points, 7.5 rebounds); Miles Simon, G, 6-4 (22 points, 8 assists); Clay McKnight, G, 6-2 (16 points).