North Salinas football

 A week of adversity surrounded North Salinas. Another loss -- this time in heartbreaking fashion one week ago -- made it nine straight setbacks dating back to last year.
 Personnel adjustments during the week meant getting the players to continue to trust the process and support each other.
 First year head coach Ben Ceralde reminded his players of their purpose. What ever was said, bottle it after the Vikings erupted for 39 points in blanking Mountain View.
 Gone is the county high nine game losing streak.
 Sure, it was just one game. It's also the only team North Salinas defeated last fall. But it's the fashion that it showcased that suggests this year is different.
 For one game, it all came together for the Vikings, who had not shut out a team since 2015 -- the last time they won a league championship.
 Now, lets not get ahead of ourselves. Retooling a program is a progression. Part of that is the mental aspect. The season opening loss was a teaching moment. The players did their homework.
 There will continue to be bumps and barriers in North Salinas' path this season. No doubt, this was a step forward. It's not just preaching when it works.