Anzar’s Scott Benson leads area in scoring as Hawks are off to
quick start
San Juan Bautista – At a small school such as Anzar High, garnering a lot of attention and respect can be a challenge.
Scott Benson is helping to change that.
The Hawks’ senior power forward has been lighting up the competition all season, averaging nearly 28 points per game as he leads the Monterey Bay area in scoring.
Even better, Anzar has been winning. The Hawks are off to a 10-4 start – something that Benson cares about more than his scoring.
“Personally, I wouldn’t mind being the leading scorer in the league, but it’s more of a team thing,” Benson said. “I’d rather us go undefeated and me average five points a game as opposed to us losing every game and me getting 30.”
Benson’s well aware of the lack of respect his school gets, particularly from other programs in the area.
“As a small school, people disrespect us,” Benson said, mentioning the message boards on a Monterey Bay Prep Web site where people discuss local high school sports.
“They always talk trash about us. But now, we’re starting to finally get a little recognition.”
After earning a berth in the Central Coast Section playoffs last season for the first time in school history, the Hawks are hoping to build on that.
“We need to continue to progress,” coach Ed Cecena said. “Everybody is improving. We need to improve along with everybody else. We’re not sitting back and enjoying all the wins.”
Individually, Benson has to look at his game in the same manner as he hopes to improve. While he’s enjoying his success in high school, he knows his game has limitations at the next level.
“Nobody’s going to want a 6-foot-2 post player,” he said.
Because of that, Benson spends extra time working on his ball-handling skills and has leaned on Anzar point guard Adrian Monroy for some assistance.
In practice, Cecena has Benson do all the same work as the guards.
Benson understands he’ll be grooming his game at the junior college level, most likely Gavilan, but his coach has full confidence in Benson being able to achieve whatever he wants.
“He certainly has the physical skills,” Cecena said. “There’s no reason he can’t achieve anything he wants.”
Given the way Benson has progressed since he first took the court as a freshman at Anzar, it doesn’t seem too much of a stretch for him to keep improving.
As a freshman, his season-high was eight points while he averaged about two per game. A year later, he led the team in scoring and has done so ever since.
“There’s just been tremendous growth, both physically and skill-wise,” Cecena said. “From a 5-11 baby-face freshman to what you see today, 6-2 1/2 and a solid 200 pounds.
“I think his best attribute are his hands. Anything that comes within reach is his.”
While Benson needs to develop the guard skills to do well in college, both he and his coach know that for Anzar to go far this season he’ll have to continue to pound the interior and light up the score sheet.
“He definitely knows he needs to improve his ball-handling skills and outside shot, but he knows for us, he needs to play inside,” Cecena said.
And that’s just fine with the Anzar senior with a mindset of ending his high school career strong with a Mission Trail Athletic League title.
“I’d rather just win games and as a senior go out on top.”
Jimmy Durkin is the Hollister Free Lance sports editor. Reach him at (831) 637-5566 ext. 334 or jd*****@sv**********.com.
