Carmel boys basketball

Carmel (19-7, 13-1)
 Coming out of their comfort zone means embracing a new challenge.
 None will be bigger for the defending Mission Trail Athletic League champion Padres this year than a move to the Gabilan Division.
 "As the only new member in the division, we recognize there's a learning curve," Carmel coach Kurt Grahl. "We're excited to compete in the Gabilan."
 And why not?
 This is a program that welcomes back four starters, including the league MVP from the old MTAL in JT Byrne and the Defensive Player of the Year in Zach DeZee.
 Of course, the pair along with all-league guard Kai Lee missed the first five weeks of the year after an extended football season that took Carmel to the CCS finals.
 Yet, in their absence, Joe Garello dropped in 28 points as Carmel opened the season with an 88-point uprising in beating North Salinas.
 "We feel we're up for the challenge in the new league," Grahl said. "We understand it will benefit us down the road."
  Byrne was a double-double machine last year as a freshman for Carmel, averaging nearly 20 points and 10 rebounds a game on his 6-foot-5 frame.
  The 6-foot-3 Lee will have more of a role in the offense this year for the Padres, having averaged 12.8 points last winter as a sophomore.
 DeZee is just a defensive demon, often shadowing the oppositions best outside shooter. He also gave the Padres a little offense.
 "There will be no change in our approach," Grahl said. "We will continue to focus on working hard daily and the team fundamentals."
 Garello will still be looked upon as a distributor in Grahl's attack. But the senior can light up a gym, as he displayed in the teams opener.
 Grahl is also excited about the continued development of junior Ethan Fletcher, who came up and played in 22 games last year as a sophomore.
 The Padres were explosive down the stretch last year, scoring 80 or more points in three of their final four league games.
 Last year Carmel was the second highest scoring team in the county behind Monterey. And as Alisal showed last season, moving to the Gabilan Division doesn't mean you can't compete for supremacy.