These Three Amigos still winning, just not together

After a few years, some of the details get a little sketchy. Like who actually was the point guard."Marcus was," said Wes Washpun."It was mostly Kasey back then," countered Marcus Paige. "Back in second and third grade, he was probably the best ball handler.""I think we alternated," Kasey Semler added. "It was kind of whoever got the rebound, took it up the court."The past particulars aren't really that important. When you're in second and third grade, is there really a true point guard anyway?The bottom line is these three friends grew up playing basketball together and now they're all-state caliber lead guards at different Metro high schools: Washpun at Cedar Rapids Washington, Paige at Linn-Mar and Semler at Marion."Pretty neat," said Linn-Mar Coach Chris Robertson. "You can tell that they learned the fundamentals back then as kids, learned the skills needed (to be point guards)."The Twisters were their team, coached by the late Jim Jantzen, whose son, Matt, plays at Cedar Rapids Prairie. Troy Washpun, Ellis Paige and Greg Semler, the boys' fathers, helped out as assistants.Marcus is a year younger than Kasey and Wes but always played up an age group. The trio “balled” together from elementary school until they were ready for high school.Their arch-nemesis? The Cedar Rapids Knights, who had Washington's Josh Oglesby, Linn-Mar's Matt Bohannon and Cedar Rapids Kennedy's Kyle Lamaak.“We just kind of ran up and down the court,” Marcus Paige said. “It was a lot of fun.”“We had a lot of success,” Wes Washpun said. “We won a lot of tournaments, a lot of games. We were always pretty good together.”And always together, period. Kasey, Wes and Marcus would congregate at the Semlers to play hoops outside or in the basement.“Oh, I tell you, there was just bloodshed in that basement,” Greg Semler said with a laugh. “There were some times where I'd have to do downstairs and break (fights) up. They played so hard ... In those days, those three really were inseperable.”They all lived in the Washington district at one point, though the Paiges moved and Greg Semler took a job as assistant principal at Marion. That's how Marcus, Wes and Kasey ended up at different high schools.Though they haven't played together for four or five years, their individual successes have continued.A lefty with a smooth and smart game, Paige is considered a top-40 recruit nationally for the junior class and committed over the weekend to the North Carolina Tar Heels. He's averaging 17 points a game for Class 4A No. 1-ranked Linn-Mar.Also a lefty, with a 40-inch vertical leap, Washpun has developed into a Division I player who is just now starting to get attention from mid-major and high-major schools. He's averaging 19.5 points, winning a game last week against Iowa City West with a buzzer-beating 30-foot shot.A smooth shooter with deep range, Semler likely will end up at a Division II school somewhere or a junior college for two years in hopes of eventually going D-I. He leads the Three Amigos with a 21.4 scoring average.The combined records of their teams through Monday was 21-6. At some point in their prep careers, they've all been on squads that have made it to the state tournament.Wouldn't it be cool if they all could get there this year?“It's really amazing,” said Kasey Semler, who played AAU basketball over the summer on the same team as Washpun. “It's kind of like a time warp. Those guys both look exactly the same to me now as they did back then. Just way bigger.”“Their characteristics and personalities have not changed,” Greg Semler said. “Kasey was always introverted and stoic. Marcus was always contemplative and insightful. Wes was playful, always wanting to have a good time. They just had personalities that meshed.”While their busy schedules don't permit getting together and hanging out much this time of the year, they all stay in touch as best they can. In fact, Paige and Semler and their fathers attended Washpun's game just before Christmas at Kennedy, where they were able to catch up some.Washington and Linn-Mar played back-to-back games last weekend at the Timberwolves Shootout in Minneapolis.“We've been friends for so long,” Wes Washpun said. “Now this is our last year together. That's just hard to believe.”“You know, we were taught fundamentals at an early age, worked pretty hard all the way through. Stayed together and worked out a lot,” Marcus Paige said. “I'm proud of them for having the success they're having.”At the same time ...“I'm not really surprised by it,” he said.