North Salinas boys basketball

North Salinas (13-11, 6-6)
 A strong start last winter to the Pacific Division season had the Vikings in title contention. But a pair of heartbreaking losses swung the pendulum in another direction in the second half.
 Still North Salinas finished with a winning record for the first time in eight seasons. It's the path that coach Alan Green has chosen as a reminder of the potential of the program
 Having all-leaguer Rico Vega back gives the Vikings an offensive presence on the floor. The senior has continued to improve since coming up as a sophomore, having already posted a pair of double-doubles this season.
 "He challenged himself in the off-season,'' Green said. "I'm excited for his potential.''
 Christopher Sibal and Francisco Morones have become leaders by example with their work ethics for North Salinas. The pair are tenacious on the court and give the team more scoring options.
 "These two are making sure we have a culture of getting better each day and doing the right things in life,'' Green said.
 It won't hurt having Yrrah Bueno back for his senior year, after transferring back from Manteca. The guard creates havoc on defense and will push the ball in transition.
 "He's a sparkplug that will be all over the court for us,'' Green said.
 Five games were decided by five points or less in league play last season. Three of them didn't go in North Salinas' favor. That's the difference in finishing second instead of out of the playoff picture.
 "I'm very excited about this group,'' Green said. "It's a very coachable group. We had 35 kids trying to make varsity. It took a little longer to get the team settled. We like what we have.''