Luke Serven steps up as Edison boys’ basketball rolls into Grizzly Invitational quarterfinals
As a sophomore, Luke Serven expected to come off the bench in his first varsity season with the Edison High boys’ basketball team.
His role changed after what happened in Saturday’s season opener. Coach Rich Boyce said two of his starters rolled their ankles, and now Serven finds himself in the Chargers’ starting lineup.
The 6-foot-1 guard is contributing right away for Edison.
Serven scored nine of his 12 points in the first quarter, and Edison rolled to a 75-30 win over Calvary Chapel on Wednesday and advanced to the Grizzly Invitational Gold Division quarterfinals at Godinez High.
Serven helped the Chargers (3-0) win their pool, setting up Thursday’s quarterfinal game with Yorba Linda (5-3) at 4:45 p.m. Ever since Aiden Garnett and Connor Collins went down with injuries in Edison’s 63-55 victory over Mission Viejo, Serven has reached double figures in every game.
“They put me in. I was just thinking to myself, ‘You got to step up. You got to step up,’” Serven said. “[I] just kept shooting and it was falling for me. I came out after the third quarter of the … Mission [Viejo] game, and Coach Boyce [said], ‘Just keep shooting, Luke.’”
Serven, who is averaging 13.3 points per game, came out firing against Calvary Chapel. He and Kaden Headington each knocked down a three-pointer in the opening minute, and Edison took a 6-0 lead.
The Chargers closed out the opening quarter on an 11-0 run, the last four points came on Serven layups. Edison led 25-10 after eight minutes.
Edison’s second pool-play game in the tournament wasn’t going to be anything like the first against Dana Hills.
“We were down 13 in the fourth and we battled back to tie [it in regulation], and won [60-57] in overtime,” Boyce said of Tuesday’s game. “We just play hard.”
The intense play smothered Calvary Chapel (1-2). After the Eagles made four shots in the first quarter, they combined for six the rest of the way, shooting 16.7% from the field.
Jack Horton’s 19 points led the way for Edison. He hit four three-pointers and completed a three-point play at the free-throw line.
The senior guard is one four players back from last season’s team that shared the Sunset League title. The others are Garnett, the lone returning starter, Headington and Justin Strauss, all seniors. Headington finished with 12 points against Calvary Chapel.
“[Winning] another league championship,” Horton said is the team’s goal. “I think we can do it. We obviously lost Josh [Phillips] and a lot of our size, but … with the way we play, how hard we play and how well we work together, I think we got a good chance of winning [league].”
The Chargers’ new Surf League has a couple of other contenders, Newport Harbor and Corona del Mar. Edison could see Newport Harbor, the team it split the league crown with last season, before league play begins in January.
But the thing I like about these kids is that they don’t give me one lick of problems. They make it fun to be at practice. They make it fun at games.
— Rich Boyce, Edison High coach
The Sailors moved on to the Grizzly Invitational quarterfinals by beating Long Beach Wilson 61-36 at Loara High on Wednesday. Newport Harbor (3-0) faces El Dorado (4-0) next at Godinez on Thursday at 6:15 p.m.
Newport Harbor and Edison can meet if they reach Saturday’s tournament championship game or third-place game. Boyce believes the Sailors, along with CdM, are the favorites to win the Surf League.
“They return a lot of guys and they were good teams last year,” Boyce said of the Sailors and Sea Kings. “We have four returners, one starter and a bunch of JV kids. But the thing I like about these kids is that they don’t give me one lick of problems. They make it fun to be at practice. They make it fun at games. They’re just good kids.”
One of those kids is Serven.
Serven is the third member in his family to play for Boyce. His older brothers, Matt and Spencer, graduated from Edison in 2017 and 2018, respectively.
With Garnett and Collins likely out until next week, Boyce will continue to rely on the youngest Serven.
::
Grizzly Invitational
Pool play
Edison 75, Calvary Chapel 30
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Edison 25 – 24 – 21 – 5 — 75
Calvary Chapel 10 – 8 – 4 – 8 — 30
E – Horton 19, Headington 12, Serven 12, Kwok 8, Strauss 5, Conaway 4, Kusaba 3, Riley 3, Fajardo 2, Barlow 2, Luna 2, Sherouse 2, Overbay 1.
3-pt. goals – Horton 4, Headington 2, Serven 2, Strauss 1, Kusaba 1, Riley 1.
Fouled out – None.
Technicals – None.
CC – Hanning 11, Oca 8, Nelsen 5, Rogers 3, Kim 2, Thorin 1.
3-pt. goals – Oca 2, Hanning 1, Rogers 1.
Fouled out – None.
Technicals – None.
Twitter: @ByDCP
All the latest on Orange County from Orange County.
Get our free TimesOC newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Daily Pilot.
