BASEBALL: NOT JUST THE HOLIDAYS HERE NEWBURY PARK 3, WESTLAKE 1.

Byline: SEAN CEGLINSKY

Special to the Daily News

Jrue and Justin Holiday are usually the first names mentioned during a conversation about the Campbell Hall of North Hollywood boys' basketball team.

The recognition is well-deserved, considering the brothers have been instrumental in guiding the Vikings into the national spotlight this season.

This isn't just a two-man show, though.

Everyone on the team, from starting point guard Robert Ford to the guy on the end of the bench, Nick Bayz, has embraced their role and provided timely contributions for the Vikings (31-1) heading into today's Southern California Div. IV regional championship game against Horizon of San Diego (24-6) at Cal State Fullerton.

"If you look at some of the numbers that Jrue and Justin put up, it's understandable why some teams think that if they can somehow stop them, they stop us," Vikings coach Terry Kelly said. "That's not the case. That's where our opponents make a mistake against us."

Ford has emerged as a heady floor leader for the Vikings, ranked No. 4 in the state by Cal-Hi Sports and No. 17 in the country by USA Today.

His 10.7 points, four assists and less than two turnovers per game is a reflection of his pass-first, shoot-second mentality.

The 6-foot-1 senior, a three-year starter, understands when and how to get the ball to Jrue Holiday, one of the more sought-after junior recruits in the nation, who's averaging 23.4 points, 9.3rebounds, 6.4 assists and 4.2 steals per game.

Ford realizes the importance of getting Justin Holiday involved at the offensive end of the floor early on. The 6-4 senior, bound for Washington, feeds off the energy and gets stronger once the fourth quarter rolls around.

"Robert is overlooked but he's been a workhorse for us," Kelly said. "He rarely makes mistakes and is a calming influence. He's an extension of me in a lot of ways, a coach out there on the court."

Ford has been a disruptive force on defense, too, averaging 2.1 steals per night. He's finished with four or more steals seven times, highlighted by a seven-steal effort against Crespi of Encino in the second game of the season.

"My job is to go out there and keep everyone involved," Ford said. "Whatever it takes to make us a better team."

It's taken a while for Dallas Rutherford, a transfer from Hillcrest Christian of Granada Hills, to completely fit in with the Vikings, due in large part to a troublesome knee injury that has kept him on the sidelines for 19 of the team's 32 games.

But the 6-3 junior guard filled in nicely while Jrue Holiday was sidelined with foul trouble during last weekend's 78-64 regional semifinal victory over Parker of San Diego, finishing with 17 points and five rebounds.

"We're a different team with Dallas in the lineup," assistant coach Paul Tait said. "He adds another dimension."

Rutherford was expected to be an impact transfer. However, it appears as if Keegan Hornbuckle, a 6-6 sophomore formerly of Oaks Christian of Westlake Village, has earned the distinction after moving into the starting lineup at forward early this year and holding on to the spot since.

Perhaps his signature game came when it mattered most, in the Southern Section Div. III-AA final against LaCanada earlier this month.

After being sick for a majority of the week, Hornbuckle ended up playing 36 minutes and his second-half defense on Adam Malik proved key in a 61-57 overtime victory over the upset-minded Spartans.

"Keegan has been big for us," Tait said. "His upside is tremendous. He's going to be a very, very good player by the time he graduates."

Senior Joseph Finnerty (6-6) and freshman Deuce Johnson (6-8) have proved reliable underneath the basket, combining to shoot more than 50 percent from the field while averaging 12 points, eight rebounds and three blocks per game.

"I don't know where we'd be without Joe Finnerty this season," Kelly said.

The Vikings pride themselves on being one of the more well-conditioned teams in the area, and though Max Rose, Graham Bousley and Farmon Rahimi might not log major minutes over the course of a game, their collective energy and intensity during practice lends itself to a better overall product at the end of the day.

"We have a bunch of guys who do the little things that don't always show up in the box score," Kelly said. "These guys have sacrificed personal numbers for the team's success and that's something you don't see very often nowadays.

"The common fan might not have heard of all of our players, but each one of these guys on our team understands how important they are in the grand scheme of things. Understanding roles has been one of the keys to our success."

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