Friendly foes own long bond
Dottin, Edgehill vie for title
Lance Dottin and Jim Edgehill are lifelong friends and former high school teammates, but for two hours this afternoon in Springfield, they will be at the opposite ends of the athletic spectrum.
Dottin will look to guide Cambridge to its third Division 1 state boys basketball title since 2001. Standing in the way of that quest is a Franklin team led in large part by freshman Chris Edgehill, Jim’s son.
Hollywood would have a tough time topping this script.
“I’m happy we’re getting a chance to play against the school my father went to,” said Edgehill, who is averaging more than 13 points a game in the postseason. “I’ve known Lance almost all my life and I’m friends with Jakigh (Dottin, Lance’s nephew and star guard for Cambridge).”
Dottin and the elder Edgehill grew up in Cambridge, meeting for the first time on a baseball field. It was an experience Dottin would rather forget.
“I went to Central and he went to North and we played in an all-star game,” Dottin said. “We were ahead 3-1, I loaded the bases and Jimmy emptied them.”
The two forged a lasting relationship while at Cambridge Rindge & Latin, teaming up on one of the more dominant teams of its time. They went 23-2 in 1986 and captured the Div. 1 state title with a 62-37 victory over Worcester South.
“We understood what wearing the Cambridge uniform meant with the pride and tradition,” Edgehill said. “We shared a common goal of trying to win a state championship in each of the three years we played together. The two of us used sports as a vehicle to help us become better people.”
Dottin would play football at Michigan, while Edgehill forged a Hall of Fame career as a two-sport star at Salem State. Even after Edgehill moved to Franklin the two remained close, as both currently work in the Cambridge school system. Dottin teaches at the high school, while Edgehill is a physical education teacher at the King Open School. They speak several times a week.
Edgehill also serves as program director of Tomorrow’s Stars, a basketball camp designed in large part to improve players’ individual skills. Dottin is one of the directors and speaks at many of the camps.
Edgehill said the fiery and ultra-competitive Dottin you see on the sideline isn’t the one you find away from the court.
“I would say Lance has mellowed a bit over the years, just a little bit,” Edgehill says with a laugh. “But Lance is a role model in the community. He’s been a father figure to a lot of kids who have needed it.”
Added Chris Edgehill: “Lance is a great guy, someone who definitely likes to crack jokes. He’s worked with me on my game at my father’s camp and made me a better player.”
Those improved skills will be put to the test today at the Mass. Mutual Center where Franklin is all that stands between a second straight Div. 1 state title for a Cambridge team in the midst of a 44-game winning streak.
Dottin knows that Edgehill will require constant attention.
“Chris has been amazing in the tournament,” Dottin said. “For a freshman to step up and perform the way he has for his team, making all those big shots is impressive. He’s playing with a lot of confidence.”
Confidence which comes from his Cambridge roots.