There are many possibilities to score nine points: three three-pointers, four two-point field goals plus a free throw, or a Calvin Murphy-esque nine freebies.Regardless of the combination, Tyler Grillo, a senior on the St. Mary’s boys basketball team, needs the result to reach the 1,000-career-point plateau. It’s a milestone that’s also on the mind of Spartans coach Kevin Moran as the team prepares for the 2008-09 season.”I believe he is one of the best guards, clearly, on the North Shore,” Moran said on Monday, shortly after the Spartans held their first practice of the season.Grillo, a 6-1 player from Saugus, is the team’s sole captain this season – “I think he is clearly our leader,” Moran said – and will start at point guard. This will mark his fourth year as a starter. As for what comes after high school, that is yet to be decided.”He’s got a lot of feelers out there,” Moran said. “Nothing specific ? He and his family are working out what’s best.”Grillo will get his first chance at a milestone on Monday, Dec. 15, when the Spartans open the season against Archbishop Williams at home. He would represent the first player in Moran’s four seasons as the Spartans’ head coach to reach 1,000 points. (As an assistant coach, Moran saw former St. Mary’s player Thad Broughton score 1,000 points. Broughton eventually doubled that number to 2,000.)The Spartans’ season opener will also inaugurate the team’s Catholic Central League schedule. Every team in the league qualified for the state tournament last year, a situation the coach described as “pretty unusual.””Clearly, it shows a lot of parity,” Moran said.In a competitive league, St. Mary’s tied for third place last season. The Spartans finished 2007-08 with a 10-11 record, including a first-round postseason loss to Ipswich on a buzzer-beater with less than a second left.”That left a little bit of a sour taste with the team,” Moran said.As for this season, the coach forecasts another strong conference lineup, especially for another North Shore team, Bishop Fenwick.”Bishop Fenwick is very strong,” Moran said. “Mike Clifford is one of the better big men around.” However, the coach added, “I think the league is very solid throughout. We’ve got our work cut out for us.”Luckily, there are plenty of players ready to respond, including four from Saugus: Grillo, senior forward John Bakopolus, guard Mike Puglielli, and Bryan Wladkowski. Grillo and Bakopolus were the team’s two league all-stars last season, and Moran described Bakopolus as a “great shooter.” He also called Puglielli “a real tough, gritty kid who played real well for our club last year,” and said that Wladkowski “is going to be asked to do a lot of toughness and rebounding. I believe he is clearly capable of that.”The coach also saluted the “poise and character” of John LaMothe, who came to practice after playing quarterback for the St. Mary’s football team this fall.”Clearly, he’s one of our best athletes,” Moran said.Additionally, the coach likes what he’s seen from sophomore Rosanto Campbell, a transfer student who he called “a real welcome addition.”In all, between varsity, junior varsity and freshman players, about 60 students participated in practice on the first day.Between now and the team’s season opener, the Spartans will participate in several scrimmages. On Sunday, they are tentatively scheduled to play both Swampscott and Malden Catholic in the Elmo Benedetto preseason jamboree at Lynn Classical. Both opponents have a local connection; the MC coach is Jim Silvio, who was a head coach at St. Mary’s (Moran served under him) and subsequent assistant at Lynn English.”That’s about all we have” for scrimmages, Moran said. “The season seems to come up pretty quick.”