As fall turns to winter soon; the action heats up on the hardwood.
Both Mission Bay basketball teams are off and running in hopes of capturing CIF titles this season.
In girls’ action, head coach Vince Ichihara’s team went 15-12 a season ago.
The Bucs won the City League title, going 9-1 along the way. Mission Bay made it to the CIF semifinals before losing.
According to Ichihara, among the projected key players this season is junior guards Natalie Mcdermott and Brooklyn Grooms. Both girls are returning starters. “We also are expecting some contributions from junior forwards Maddie and Kenzi Grooms as well as freshman center Maya Jessee and freshman guard/forward Gwen Lundstrom,” Ichihara noted. “We also will need some help from newcomers like freshman guard Victoria Tapia, freshman center Maci Grenfell, junior guard Leilani Mannao and sophomore forward Josie La Valle.”
Ichihara added, “We have a very young team this year and I look for them to compete and get better each time they step out on the court. 
Mission Bay is slated to host Bayfront Charter on Dec. 1 and then head to Castle Park High on Dec. 4.
On the boys’ side, the Bucs went 19-11 a season ago for head coach Marshawn Cherry. Mission Bay fell in the CIF Division I quarterfinals by one point to Lincoln.
According to Cherry, key players this season include junior point guard Boogie Ellis, junior point guard Andrea Scott, junior guard Jaymarree Norton, junior forward Ronnie Latting and sophomore guard Savaughn Davis.
“With the experience we gained last year playing with all sophomore and freshmen we only lost one senior,” Cherry noted. “I believe we have a strong chance to win league for the first time in 27 years and win CIF for the first time in 10 years.” The team comes into the season with a preseason ranking of two or three in the county by different scouts. 
Mission Bay is playing in the Corona Centennial Battle Nov. 30 to Dec. 2.