After a heartbreaking 58-55 loss to Evergreen in the second round of the 2025 CCS playoffs after having a first week bye, the Trojans come into this season setting their sights on improvement and staying true to the fundamentals.

Last season, the boys finished with an 8-6 record in league and lost some key matchups, such as Monterey and Carmel, which both ended in sweeps. Some of the key matchups to look out for this season are against Salinas and Palma. “I think the toughest matchup will be Palma,” Gil said. “I expect them to be just as good, if not better.”

Head Coach and Alisal Athletic Director Jose Gil, who graduated from Alisal in 1989, has high hopes for this season. All throughout the season, there will be tough matchups and opponents on every fast break and stop on defense. “Never underestimate anyone else,” Gil said. “All teams will be treated with the same intensity. Some of the goals for practice have been to master the fundamentals and get the ball moving. “Get tougher defensively, and offensively, finish plays,” Gil said.

The team lost two key players to graduation including Rogelio “Kike” Jacinto and Misael Palafox. Some notable players that are expected to rise up are seniors Christian Lopez and Diego Hernandez, who have had good junior seasons and a good preseason. A few other players who have shown potential so far in the preseason are seniors Aaren Dimaano-Antolin, and Leonardo Nava, as well as Jayden Duarte, who are all top 5 scorers on the team and varsity returners.

The team started strong, going 7-3 in preseason and making it to the finals of their Solis-Miles-Solis Tournament. The team fell short to South Bakersfield in the final, losing 49-58. “I wish we would have won the championship,” Gil said. “They were a really good team (South Bakersfield), If there is any good losses, that is one” 

As good as the preseason was, the league has been a different story.  The team has started 0-7, though the games have been close. “I’m a little disappointed but I still have good faith in my team,” Dimaano-Antolin said. 

Failure to have good communication has been a factor for the losses. “We are really quiet during practice,” Duarte said. “We just have to be more connected and communicate.”

Despite the struggles, there has been some solid play. The most notable player has been Christian Lopez. “Christian Lopez by far has been our most consistent player on both sides of the court,” Gil said. “Other kids who have stood out periodically have been Jayden, Kayden Pocesion, Aaren Dimaano, and Diego Hernandez.” 

With 7 games left, the team still has a chance to turn things around, but it needs to start quickly.

The expectation for the rest of the season is to continue to work better as a team and give full effort. “Every game is winnable, ” Gil said. He said finishing plays and being together as a whole are things that need to be improved upon by the players in order for there to be a chance of winning games in this next half of the season. “There is no panic mode for us,” Gil said. “It’s just a matter of them (the players) producing and being consistent.”