Boys’ basketball moves up a league

Coach: Trevor Naas

2011 record: 17-9

2011 recap: Last year, the Falcons made an impressive run, finishing atop the El Camino League. They lost in the third round of CCS to Santa Cruz.

Star player: Senior forward Stevie Berman

Key additions: Junior guard Tyler Plesse and junior forward Kevin Chun

Key matchups/games/meets: Jan. 4 and 15 vs. Los Gatos, Jan. 8 and 29 vs. Palo Alto

This season, the team has moved up from the El Camino League into the De Anza League, where they will face strong squads like Los Gatos and Palo Alto.

“We have a good team this year,” senior Stevie Berman said. “Hopefully we can take last year’s success and build on it.”

To be competitive in this league, the team must put an emphasis on getting back in transition in order not to give up easy buckets.

"During practice, we’ve focused a lot on sprinting back [on defense],” senior center Jonathan Boldt said. “We know we can’t afford to give up easy buckets in transition if we hope to win this year.”

Another focus is avoiding turnovers and playing smart team basketball.

The Falcons are counting on Berman to be a primary scorer and a presence rebounding as well. They are asking senior guard Alex Wang will be counted on to put the ball in the bucket as well as create opportunities for other teammates.