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# Vikings setting their sights on netting elusive CIF title
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/vikings-setting-their-sights-on-netting-elusive-cif-title/
- Published: 2006-02-24T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T17:18:02.000Z
- Author: Kevin Herrera
- Tags: Sports, Santa Monica, #archive-import

*Vikings know playoff run could be last shot at title*

SAMOHI — For just the second time in his 11 seasons as coach of the boy’s varsity basketball team, James Hecht will try tonight to guide his team to the CIF semifinals. Standing in his way is a staunchly defense-minded Long Beach Poly squad.

After having dropped 11 of their 16 games last year, the Santa Monica High Vikings are at 19-9 going into tonight’s match-up, which tips off at 7:30 p.m. at the Samohi gymnasium.

The Vikings are riding a wave of confidence after having posted a series of late-season wins and seem intent on restoring some pride following an early season stumble.

“I think coming into this year, with our all of our seniors back, I had a feeling that we would do something special,” Hecht said. “I think we’ve played a very competitive schedule and to come out of it with the record that we have and the chance to compete, we just know this is a great opportunity.

“We just have to take it one game at a time.”

Hecht credits the team’s defensive presence and up-tempo offense for their run of recent successes, with a tip of the hat to the leadership exhibited by his seniors.

“We have guys who, as the season has progressed, are starting to gel right now and I think everyone is putting their personal agendas aside and realizing it’s important to put the team first.”

One such leader is six-foot point guard and team co-captain Terrance Boozer, 18, a vocal and versatile player who remembers as a freshman the team advancing to the quarter-finals, but falling before the title game. Since then, he and the other players in his grade have made it a goal to make it past the quarter-finals. This is their last opportunity.

“I think we are playing with a lot of confidence now, starting to trust each other more on the basketball court, anticipating where we’re going to be to get open shots,” Boozer said Wednesday as his teammates ran through drills in Samohi’s North Gym. “Everything is going well right now. We just want to keep it going.”

Boozer hopes a victory tonight will help bring the fans back after some disappointing losses at the season’s outset, particularly against Long Beach Jordan, who may next face the Vikings if both squads advance to the semis.

Six-foot, five-inch center Will Freedman, 18, also a co-captain, said the team isn’t overlooking Long Beach Poly, but it would be nice to enact some revenge on Jordan.

“They caught us early on in the season, but we are a much better basketball team now,” Freedman said. “It would mean a lot to the school if we can make it to the finals because I think a lot of people were certain we weren’t going to go this far. We did.

“While this might be a surprise for many, it’s not for us. We think we can go all the way.”

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/022406-03_02.jpg)

The Samohi varsity boys basketball team runs through a practice on Thursday in preparation for tonight’s quarter-final showdown with Long Beach Poly. (Photo: Kevin Hererra/Daily Press)

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 24, 2006.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/022406.pdf?ref=smdp.com)