After two years of knocking on the door of the playoffs, the North boys basketball team’s players and coach say this could be a breakthrough year for them.

"This season we have three returning starters," Coach Joseph Bustos said. "I feel that the team is more experienced and ready to make the next step."

This year, 80 students tried out for the three boys’ basketball teams, freshmen JV, and varsity. Of those, 45 were selected. The varsity team features three returning starters: Joel Rojas Jr., Dywan Williams, and Nathan Herschfelt.

Bustos has high goals for this team, despite a 2-5 start against a slate of strong teams.

"If we have the commitment from the players, I think it will be between us and Cesar Chavez High for first place (in the Class 6A Metro Region)," he said.

Bustos expects the team to be led by Rojas, the squad's 6-foot-5 center, and team captain Nathan Herschfelt. Starting point guard Dywan Williams is also expected to be a key player this year.

When speaking with the players, they emphasized the importance of the team learning to work together, as opposed to worrying about their individual stats.

"Our goal is to make it to the playoffs," Williams said. "I think we can do that if we play together as a team."

Rojas is expected to be the team’s leading scorer and rebounder.

"This team means a lot to all of us," Rojas said. "I think we all have high expectations for the season."