After five years, the VFW Memorial Trophy will be absent from
the San Benito sidelines.
After five years, the VFW Memorial Trophy will be absent from the San Benito sidelines.
After five years of San Benito dominance, on Friday night, Gilroy was the better team.
Gilroy quarterback Jamie Jensen threw for 472 yards and eight touchdowns in the 51st annual Prune Bowl, and the Mustangs cruised to a 57-27 victory in front of a packed house at Andy Hardin Stadium in Hollister.
After claiming the trophy the last five years in a row, the Haybalers had to hand the trophy away to the victorious Mustangs, something they haven’t done since 2001.
“It’s pretty hard,” junior Sam Doty said. “I didn’t want to lose the trophy. I played my hardest for all the seniors, tried to leave it all on the field.
“I promised all the seniors that we’d get it back for them when they watch our season next year. It’s real hard, because I really wanted to keep the trophy here. It’s the last time I’m going to play Gilroy at home.”
Gilroy has not won consecutive Prune Bowls since 1984 and 1985.
On Friday, the ‘Balers battled early and kept things close when quarterback Ronnie Fhurong hit Abel Jacquez for a 10-yard score to tie the game at seven.
From there, however, Jensen took over with three straight touchdown passes on three straight offensive plays. With plenty of time to throw, the junior quarterback found Danny Contreras for a 60-yard touchdown, Sean Hale for a 24-yard touchdown, and Contreras again for a 62-yard touchdown.
“It killed us,” defensive coordinator Tod Thatcher said of the three plays. “Those were three breakdowns in a row. They exploited us right there. It was hard to come back from three in a row.
“To our kids’ credit, they didn’t quit. I thought we still played hard. Our kids never quit.”
Down by three scores in the second quarter, San Benito faked a punt on a fourth-and-three and Fhurong converted, hitting Ben Salazar for a 25-yard pass. One play later, Fhurong found Evan McFadden for a 25-yard touchdown.
But trailing 30-14 at the half, Jensen once again converted quick, hitting Contreras for an 89-yard touchdown pass on the second play of the third quarter.
Contreras finished with seven catches for 259 yards and four touchdowns.
“They’re a good football team and what they do they do real well,” coach Chris Cameron said. “A couple of times they came off coverage. They came off the coverage, trying to make a play on the quarterback, and their guys saw it and kept running, and that’s why they had guys left wide open.”
Jensen would later add two touchdown passes to Hale and Contreras, both for 20 yards, before San Benito’s Abel Jacquez broke the goal line for a 3-yard rushing touchdown. After three quarters, Gilroy led 51-21.
Jensen was able to find the open receiver most of the game, and he finished 26 of 36 passing. Hale had eight catches for 116 yards and two touchdowns.
San Benito added a fourth-quarter touchdown when Fhurong found Zach Canez for a 17-yard score. Fhurong finished 16 of 31 for 221 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.
“They were pretty dominant,” senior Kevin Burley said. “We broke down on a couple of assignments and they hit the deep ball. We broke down on a couple of assignments and we couldn’t handle it.
“It’s pretty difficult. It’s my senior year, so it’s over. It’s hurting. I’m hurting. I don’t want it to be over. I want to keep playing.”
The stakes were high for both teams Friday, as San Benito sought a playoff spot while Gilroy was searching for their first outright league championship since 1981.
The 30-point difference matches the differential from 2005, when San Benito beat the Mustangs 50-20. The Haybalers, though, still own the two most lopsided wins in Prune Bowl history: a 41-6 win in 2002 as well as a 50-6 victory in 1969.
San Benito finishes their season 3-3 in the Tri-County Athletic League, 4-6 overall.
“Everyone left it all on the field. Everybody’s holding their heads high,” said junior Ryan Shorey. Shorey said as a member of the freshmen and junior varsity football teams, he has yet to beat Gilroy. “I’ve only got one more chance. We’ve all got to lay it on the line to get it back next year.”
Note:The San Benito junior varsity team lost to Gilroy 33-0 Friday at Andy Hardin Stadium in Hollister, while the freshmen team beat the Mustangs 13-0 on Thursday.
Details will be printed in Tuesday’s edition of the Hollister Free Lance.
