As the 2009-10 winter sports season kicks off, the boys’ basketball team has high aims, despite having only four returning seniors.

The Falcons will look to improve on last season’s 11-15 overall record (4-7 league finish) under the direction of second-year varsity coach Trevor Naas. They also have hopes of trumping last year’s first-round CCS playoff exit.

To achieve these goals, they will strongly rely on three of their seniors for leadership on the court.

Opponents will have their hands full trying to defend sharpshooting senior guard Daniel Chou, one of the team’s primary scoring threats who averaged 9.9 points per game in his junior season alone. Skilled center Vincent Carstens will look to dominate the post and gobble up the boards this year with his strong inside presence. Versatile senior forward Andy Johnson will anchor both offensive and defensive units with his inside and outside presence.

“[I will keep in mind] everything I learned in the last two years to succeed,” said Chou, who has two previous years of varsity experience. “I played with two different coaches and two different strategies.”

The Falcons will most notably have to recover from last year’s unusually large graduating class of nine seniors to win in the competitive El Camino Division. With just four returning seniors and even two freshmen, Stevie Berman and Kyle Dozier, on his squad, Naas figures there will be several new faces netting lots of minutes on the floor this season.

“Even though we have less seniors this year, I feel like it’s better because there’s no one fighting for that star spot,” said Chou.

Naas noted three simple keys for his team’s success: improving as a team every day in practice, “selling out” on the defensive end of the floor and limiting turnovers and stressing ball security on the offensive end. In addition, he stressed the importance of consistent guard play.

The Falcons opened the season with a scrimmage at Westmont High on Nov. 24 and will play their first home game versus Scotts Valley High Dec. 22. Due to printing deadlines, The Falcon could not publish the results. This year’s traditional alumni game will occur Nov. 27.

“[The alumni game] is just a fun game for everyone,” said Chou. “People who were on the team last year, and even people who are in their 30s come back [for this game].”

Boys’ basketball at a glance
2008-2009 Record: 11-15 Overall, 4-7 League
Coach: Trevor Naas (second season)
Points Scored: 55.5
Points Allowed: 56.6
Key Players: Senior center Vincent Carstens, senior guard Daniel Chou, senior forward Andy Johnson
Games to watch: Jan. 2 at Los Gatos; Jan. 22 vs. Lynbrook; Feb. 10 vs. Monta Vista