Palma spoils San Benito’s Homecoming, downs Haybalers 25-0
HOLLISTER
With so many weapons – or horses, as San Benito head coach Chris Cameron calls them – the Palma Chieftains can beat you in many ways; for those on the losing end, perhaps too many.
They can wear you down with field position, or simply strike at a moments notice, racking up points in mere minutes.
Although San Benito managed to hold the visiting Chieftains scoreless through the first 21 minutes and 11 seconds of Friday night’s Homecoming game at Andy Hardin Stadium in Hollister, Palma pocketed 18 points over the next four minutes and 20 seconds – a period that stretched from the end of the second quarter to the beginning of the third.
It was quick, and it was enough, as the Chieftains improved to 4-1 in the Tri-County Athletic League Friday after it dispatched the ‘Balers 25-0.
San Benito falls to 1-4, 3-6 overall.
“They had too many horses for us to stop series after series after series,” Cameron said. “They got players, but our guys played really tough against them.
“We played hard all game, and that was good to see, the kids come out and play hard … But sooner or later those short fields will kind of catch up with you.”
San Benito and Palma exchanged possession after possession to open the game, each team giving and taking on every drive. The ‘Balers held the better field position early in the game after a pair of long drives to open the contest pushed them deep into Palma territory.
But when a short San Benito punt preceded a personal foul and an encroachment penalty on the ‘Balers, Palma suddenly found themselves in Hollister territory, and suddenly in business.
On their ensuing drive, from San Benito’s 40, the Chieftains marched 27 yards on 11 plays. Sophomore place-kicker Christian Cardona made up the rest of the yardage in the air when he kicked a 30-yard field goal with 2:49 left in the half.
“We knew coming in, every yard was going to be earned in this game,” Palma head coach Jeff Carnazzo said. “That is probably one of the best defenses Hollister has had in years. They really play tremendous defense.
“Our quarterback just did a good job of game management. He has free reign to audible whenever he wants to, and he does.”
After the ‘Balers went three-and-out on the following drive, Palma got the ball back with 1:35 remaining in the half on their own 46. Three plays and 38 seconds later, though, quarterback David Fales hit Bret Chernetsky on an 11-yard pass in the right corner of the end zone.
“If you get enough three-and-outs … now they’re getting the ball at midfield or on your side of the 50,” Cameron said. “It makes it tough if you can’t get down the field and score. They’re dictating the course of the game.”
Trailing 10-0 at the break, San Benito fumbled the hand-off on just the second play of the third quarter, and the Chieftains continued their quick strike when Fales hit Chernetsky on a 27-yard touchdown pass in the left corner of the end zone two plays later.
Chernetsky, who finished with just 60 all-purpose yards but three touchdowns, bobbled the ball in the air as he was falling down and made the grab while lying on his back in the end zone.
Chernetsky later provided the exclamation point on an eight-play, 70-yard drive midway through the fourth quarter, where the 6-foot, 205-pound wideout blasted up the middle on a two-yard rushing touchdown.
The point-after by Cardona made it 25-0 Palma.
“He does short-yardage,” Carnazzo said of Chernetsky. “He’s played in the backfield this year with us, too. He does a little bit of everything.”
‘Baler coaches were pleased with Tyler Decker, though, who was called up on Tuesday from the junior varsity team to stand behind center on Friday after both Trevor Fabing (concussion) and Kyle Vallejo (ankle) were sidelined with injuries.
In his first varsity game, Decker threw for 73 yards on 8 of 17 passing. He had one interception.
“I really liked how the young kid played,” said offensive coordinator Bryan Smith, who added that Decker was asking questions all week during the lunch period. “You think of how many hours he had with us, maybe, I don’t know, five or six hours the whole time.
“I’ve watched him grow up, and he’s kind of a naturally gritty, tough kid. He played extremely well for his first night out.”
For San Benito, however, which was held scoreless for the second game in a row, Smith noted that “one bad play” on the drive that seems to stall San Benito’s offense.
“I thought we did some really good things, it’s just a matter of getting beyond one bad play,” Smith said. “It seems like we drove all the way down the field and we got a sack for five or six yards and it turns into second-and-16. It’s like we never recover from that kind of stuff. It’s frustrating.”
The ‘Balers racked up 216 total yards of offense, compared to Palma’s 257, but fizzled the two times they reached the red zone, once throwing an interception and the other a turnover on downs.
“We had some bright moments,” Smith said. “We’ve just got to find a way to get into the end zone.”
San Benito will visit Gilroy Friday in the final regular season game – the Prune Bowl. The Mustangs, which were eyeing an undefeated season, lost to North Salinas 42-12 on Friday.
The two teams will kick-off at 7:30 p.m., at the Garcia-Elder Sports Complex.
TEAM 1 2 3 4 F
PAL 0 10 8 7 25
SB 0 0 0 0 0
Second Quarter
KICK (2:49) – PAL, Christian Cardona, 30-yard field goal is good; 3-0, Palma.
PASS (:57) – PAL, David Fales to Bret Chernetsky, 11-yard touchdown, PAT (Christian Cardona) is good; 10-0, Palma.
Third Quarter
PASS (10:29) – PAL, David Fales to Bret Chernetsky, 27-yard touchdown, two-point conversion (Bret Chernetsky) is good; 18-0, Palma.
Fourth Quarter
RUSH (8:14) – PAL, Bret Chernetsky, 2-yard touchdown, PAT (Christian Cardona) is good; 25-0, Palma.
PASSING
Tyler Decker, SB – 8 of 17, 73 yards, 1 INT
Evan McFadden, SB – 1 of 1, 30 yards
David Fales, PAL – 12 of 19, 140 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
RUSHING
Jeff Bernaldez, SB – 15 rushes, 66 yards
Tyler Decker, SB – 5 rushes, -15 yards
Nick Acosta, SB – 1 rush, 2 yards
Christian Maravilla, SB – 3 rushes, 19 yards
Anthony Padilla, SB – 8 rushes, 20 yards
Mitchell Cook, SB – 7 rushes, 21 yards
Justin Olivarria, PAL – 12 rushes, 43 yards
David Fales, PAL – 6 rushes, 43 yards
Bret Chernetsky, PAL – 4 rushes, 8 yards, 1 TD
Bruce Taylor, PAL – 2 rushes, 11 yards
Brooks Leandro-Farr, PAL – 3 rushes, 5 yards
Hunter Baird, PAL – 1 rush, 2 yards
Matt Donangelo, PAL – 1 rush, -4 yards
Austen Fales, PAL – 1 rush, 9 yards
RECEIVING
Mitchell Cook, SB – 1 catch, 18 yards
Nick Acosta, SB – 3 catches, 44 yards
Evan McFadden, SB – 2 catches, 23 yards
Jacob Hunter, SB – 3 catches, 18 yards
Nick Ramirez, PAL – 2 catches, 4 yards
Bruce Taylor, PAL – 4 catches, 71 yards
Bret Chernetsky, PAL – 4 catches, 52 yards, 2 TD
Matt Donangelo, PAL – 1 catch, 10 yards
#11, PAL – 1 catch, 3 yards
TOTAL OFFENSE
Palma – 257 yards (117 rush, 140 pass)
San Benito – 216 yards (113 rush, 103 pass)
TURNOVERS
Palma – 1
San Benito – 2
JV Note:
Despite a strong second half, the San Benito junior varsity team lost 32-14 to the Palma Chieftains Friday at Andy Hardin Stadium in Hollister.
“The second half we did great,” coach Luis Espinoza said. “The second half my boys came to play.”
The Haybalers couldn’t match the offensive output of the visiting Chieftains, however, and fell to 2-5-2 overall, 1-4 in the Tri-County Athletic League.
‘Baler Adam Huaracha put San Benito on the scoreboard for the first time when he ran in a five-yard touchdown, while Javier Bustillos pocketed a two-yard rushing touchdown later in the game. Mike Soto, from three yards out, ran in the ensuing two-point conversion.
San Benito will play their final regular season game next week when it visits Gilroy on Friday. Kick-off is at 5 p.m.
Frosh Note:
The San Benito freshman team lost 55-22 to the Palma Chieftains on Thursday at Andy Hardin Stadium in Hollister.
The Chieftains took a 21-0 lead before the Haybalers were able to get on the scoreboard. More details will be posted when they are made available.
San Benito is now 5-4 overall, 2-3 in the Tri-County Athletic League.
The ‘Balers will visit Gilroy next Thursday in what will be its final regular season game. Kick-off is at 6 p.m.
