We witnessed last season that a team could jump into the Gabilan Division and chase a title, even win it.
Could we see a repeat of it again this year?
No one doubted that the Padres weren't talented enough to compete.
Yet, to go into the house of the reigning league champions and handedly beat a program that has won three straight league titles was more than a statement.
A 69-61 win at Alisal was not as close as the score indicates. Carmel built an 18-point lead in the fourth quarter. It controlled the game against a team that hadn't lost a league game in four years.
Alisal did the exact same thing last year when it came into the Gabilan Division after two titles in the Pacific Division.
The biggest adjustment Carmel will have to make over the course of the season is the realization that you can't take a night off in the Gabilan Division, starting Wednesday when it faces Palma.
Five of the six teams in the division will be playoff teams in five weeks. Four of them have thoughts of a title dancing in their heads -- including Carmel.
What makes the Padres intriguing is their top scorer is just a sophomore in 6-foot-5 J.T. Byrne, last year's Mission Trail Athletic League Player of the Year, a late arrival from football.
One of their top shooters is junior Kai Lee, regarded more for his heroics as a quarterback. Three of its top four scorers aren't full time basketball players, being multi-sport athletes.
That's what makes Carmel scary. This team is just now playing itself into shape and developing a cohesiveness on the court after the football crew came out five weeks late.
Byrne is averaging nearly 21 points and 13 rebounds a game while Lee is dropping in over 15 points a night. And against Alisal, defensive demon Zach DeZee pitched in with a career high 20 points.
Yet, you can make the argument that the Most Valuable Player on this team has been Joe Garello, who doesn't play football, and held the program together until the Calvary arrived.
Garello is the teams best outside shooter, having nailed 38 shots from beyond the 3-point arc. And while his scoring average has come down, he's still dropping in 13 plus points.
The senior has also been clutch at the free throw line, going perfect from the line in five games this year, and plays tenacious defense.
Ultimately the key for the Padres will be their bench. A lot of role players got valuable experience in the first five games, where the team went 5-1. At some point, their services will be critical.
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