Updates on girls’ tennis, soccer, water polo
SBHS girls’ tennis
Nerves were definitely a factor for both teams, San Benito coach
Ed Cecena said, but Monta Vista’s experience may have proven to be
the difference as Melissa Kobayakawa and Vynnie Kong bested Lady
Balers Amanda Marshall and Abbie Woods 6-2, 6-0 at the Girls
Central Coast Section Individual Tennis Championships in Los Gatos
on Monday.
Updates on girls’ tennis, soccer, water polo
SBHS girls’ tennis
Nerves were definitely a factor for both teams, San Benito coach Ed Cecena said, but Monta Vista’s experience may have proven to be the difference as Melissa Kobayakawa and Vynnie Kong bested Lady Balers Amanda Marshall and Abbie Woods 6-2, 6-0 at the Girls Central Coast Section Individual Tennis Championships in Los Gatos on Monday.
“Being the more experienced team as defending champions, they were able to overcome the nervousness and get into the flow,” Cecena said. “That’s what the top players do. They’re able to get relaxed and able to bring out the best in their game.
“Unfortunately, Abbie and Amanda didn’t play as well as they wanted to. A big match, and I’m sure they couldn’t just get over the nerves. They know they could have played better, it just didn’t work out that way today.”
Monta Vista won the doubles championship last season, as well as the team championship. This year as a team, they finished in the semifinal round before falling to the eventual champion, Mitty.
“Monta Vista, once they got relaxed, they played their regular game and their talent came out,” Cecena said. “We didn’t play as well as we could have played. It looks like nerves affected us more than it did them.”
Kobayakawa and Kong jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first set before San Benito took the third game behind strong serving from Woods. The Monta Vista pair went to 5-1 in the first set, however, and never looked back.
“We expected them to be a little better and we expected our play to be a little better,” Woods said. “I think that was our biggest problem, we weren’t consistent. They were more consistent.”
“I felt like we had really, really good points and really, really bad points, and no where in between,” Marshall said. “We went to deuce more often in the second (set). We were getting more points, we just weren’t getting those games.”
Marshall and Woods were the first individuals from San Benito to advance to CCS since Danielle Burke did it in 2004.
“These players are so good,” Marshall added. “They’re amazing, and it’s an honor just to be here.”
San Benito boys’ soccer
The San Benito boys soccer team is slowly putting the pieces together, and although the team remains searching for its first win, it may be only a matter of time now.
On Monday, the Haybalers lost 3-2 to Pajaro Valley, but they made a halftime adjustment that nearly supplied them with the game-tying goal in the waning minutes.
Trailing Pajaro Valley 3-nil at the break, San Benito coach Ramiro Ramos decided to move a third forward up, and it netted the Balers two goals.
“It worked out,” Ramos said. “We made a couple of adjustments. I put that third forward up and we came back with a little attack. But we ran out of time.
“We missed a pretty clear header that would have tied it 3-3 at the very end. It was unlucky that we didn’t put it in there.”
Sophomore mid Andres Hurtado had both goals for San Benito, one in the 65th minute and another in the 72nd minute.
The Haybalers (0-3) lost 2-0 to North Monterey County last Friday.
San Benito water polo
Four members of the San Benito boys water polo team, which fell one match short of qualifying for the Central Coast Section Championships this season, were awarded Tri-County Athletic League honors last week.
Senior keeper Kyle Reuther was named first team All-League for the Haybalers, which finished 9-10 overall this year.
Eric Zahnlecker of Salinas was named the league MVP. Salinas head coach Gary Figueroa was named Coach of the Year.
A pair of Haybalers made the second team this year, though. Seniors Jordan Schafer and Ryan Whiteside were named to the 12-member team.
San Benito senior Matt McCullough was named to the Richard Chamberlin Sportsmanship team.
The Balers went 6-1 in the TCAL this year, but lost their two matches in the TCAL Tournament to finish in fourth place.
Four members of the San Benito girls water polo team were also awarded TCAL honors last week, including Kelsey Russell, Ronnie Stern, Sarah Kelso and Katie Thorpe.
Russell and Stern, both seniors, represented the Lady Balers on the 12-member first team.
Violet Carlsberg of Stevenson was named the MVP of the TCAL this past season. Carmel’s Rich Monroe was named Coach of the Year.
Senior Sarah Kelso was the lone selection for San Benito on the second team.
Keeper Katie Thorpe was named to the TCAL Sportsmanship team.
San Benito finished their season at 15-11 overall after going 1-1 in the TCAL Tournament.
