Palo Alto High School boys’ basketball head coach Peter Diepenbrock was awarded the Central Central Section Coach of the Year in his second year back with the Vikings.

After a seven-year hiatus as the boys’ varsity coach, Diepenbrock’s squad had a decorated 2016-17 season, winning 26 games, capturing a De Anza League title, CCS Division I title and advancing to the semi-final of the CIF Division I State Championships, before an unfortunate loss to James Logan.

The future is bright for the boys’ basketball program as well, with 10 of 13 players scheduled to return for next season. In addition, Diepenbrock said he believes last season gave the team un-teachable game experience vital for long term success.

“One of the things I can take away from this season is to work on end-of-the-game situations earlier in the season so we can be better prepared for those high anxiety situations the entire season,” Diepenbrock said.

Players on the team have nothing but positive things to say about Diepenbrock. Junior forward William Schlemmer praised his coach for guiding the team throughout the season.

“Diepenbrock deserved CCS Coach of the Year because he took a team full of talent and made sure that we made the most of our opportunities both individually and as a team,” Schlemmer said. “That’s why we had such great success during the season.”

The boys’ team looks to return to its heightened success from the mid-2000s under Diepenbrock, who is confident in another decorated season for the boys.

“I’m looking forward to us being a much more versatile team next season so we are comfortable playing any kind of style depending on our opponent’s strengths and weaknesses,” Diepenbrock said.