The San Jacinto boys' basketball team is searching for its first league title in four decades, and Coach Michael Paul is trying to temper the team's enthusiasm.

"With every win we know it can become a reality," said Paul, whose Tigers defeated Banning on Friday to tie the Broncos atop the De Anza League with a 9-1 record. "But we have three tough road games coming up."

The Tigers play Wednesday at Riverside Notre Dame and travel to Beaumont Friday. They play at Twentynine Palms Feb. 6 and then close out the league season Feb. 8 with a home game against Big Bear.

"We were always hoping this would come," Paul said of the Tigers' current success. "But you know that during the course of a year there's always something that can go wrong, an injury or something."

Friday's matchup with Banning was witnessed by a very vocal San Jacinto home crowd, one of the largest Paul said he has seen in his seven years at the school.

The Tigers didn't disappoint, taking a 10-point lead in the second half and then holding off a rally by Banning for a 62-59 victory.

Most of the team's lineup played last season when the Tigers finished just 2-8 in the Skyline League and 3-16 overall.

Forward Michael Frazier leads the team offensively, mainly from the outside, and is among the top scorers in Riverside County. Guard Eric Duguid gives the Tigers another outside threat, while forward Daniel Padilla has developed into a steady rebounder and scorer. In Friday's game, Padilla netted 18 points and Duguid scored 16. Frazier had 14, most coming at the end of fast-break opportunities.

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The Hemet Baptist Christian girls' basketball team gave former long-time coach Ron Livesay a warm welcome on his first return to the school where he coached the varsity team for 15 years, including a CIF title season in 1989.

Livesay took a job at Temecula Linfield after leading the Warriors to the California Interscholastic Federation Division 5A finals last season. Thursday he sat on the visitors' side of the gym and coached against a program he helped bring to prominence.

"It was weird, but I was ready for it," Livesay said. "I love the girls and the people here. I felt well-received."

The game ended in a 77-44 victory for the Warriors, whose current coach, Joe Cortes, guided the team to a 1991 CIF title while Livesay took a break.

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Hemet High could soon add boys' volleyball to its list of varsity sports.

Athletic Director Dave Anderson said the school has talked to officials of the Citrus Belt League about joining for the 2001-2002 season.

The Citrus Belt features Hemet West Valley, Rialto Eisenhower, Riverside Notre Dame, San Bernardino Cajon and teams from the Redlands area. The sport is played during the spring.

"There's been enormous support for it," Anderson said. "We have some very inspired coaches that want to start it up."

Anderson said the first step is to gain admittance into the league.

"They have us on the agenda," he said.