‘Balers still can’t top rival Acorns; team is short-handed as
tourney continues today after 6-3 defeat
Morgan Hill – Playoffs aside, if the San Benito boys’ water polo players had to pick one game they most wanted to win, it would have been Friday’s showdown with longtime rival Live Oak. For three frustrating years, the San Benito seniors saw the Acorns find ways to fend them off en route to league championships and Central Coast Section playoff appearances.
Even with the teams in separate leagues now, the ‘Balers had been gunning for this first-round game at the South Valley Polo-Fest. And for a half, it looked like San Benito might finally get the monkey off its back, playing nearly airtight defense against the host Acorns.
But the ‘Balers’ game-long offensive woes proved decisive as the team tired in the late going to suffer a 6-3 loss, a defeat whose effect may stretch far beyond school pride.
With five San Benito seniors set to take the SAT this morning, the team will only suit up seven players for its contest with Friday’s Salinas–Valley Christian loser at 11:45am. And with valuable power points in the CCS seeding system at stake in the tournament’s loaded field, the ‘Balers figure to lose even more ground before the weekend is complete.
“We’re in trouble. We’re in big trouble,” San Benito coach Tom Agan said. “Basically, losing to Live Oak today, we’re going to take another hit tomorrow. … We’re not making enough points here to get a good seed in CCS.”
Behind the stellar play of goalie Matt Thorpe, the ‘Balers enjoyed a 1-0 lead late into the second quarter, and looked ready to atone for their two one-point losses to Live Oak in 2005. Even after the Acorns tied the game with 1:06 left in the half, San Benito had to feel good about limiting Live Oak to just one score among its 15 first-half shots.
But the warning signs of defeat were there early, with the Acorns jumping in front of ‘Baler passes for steals at an alarming rate, and San Benito often losing possession with offensive fouls when it finally got position near the Acorns’ goal.
“We weren’t setting it in the hole very well,” Blane Curtice said, “or we were throwing it in when it was too crowded.”
Live Oak took a 2-1 lead on its first possession of the third-quarter when Kyle Fast found a wide-open Sam Cretcher for a score. The ‘Balers came right back to take advantage of a man-up as James Schafer corralled a return pass from Curtice and powered the ball through the Acorns’ defense to tie the game again with 5:42 left in the quarter.
But at that point, San Benito appeared to hit a wall of fatigue, with the Acorns scoring twice more in the next two minutes to take a 4-2 lead into the fourth quarter. First, Fast ducked under David Smith and fired past Thorpe for one goal, and then Thorpe leaped out to stop a driving Patrick Powers, but after committing a foul, the ‘Baler goalie found himself out of position and Cretcher capitalized by scoring again.
After pushing their lead to 5-2 as Cameron Peachey converted a penalty shot after being fouled from behind on a breakaway 30 seconds into the fourth quarter, the Acorns used another five steals in the period to turn the game into a lopsided affair.
The resounding defeat had the ‘Balers searching for answers afterwards.
“I think what really screwed us over was the big pool,” said Smith, noting the considerably larger pool at Live Oak. “We’re water polo players, not swimmers, so it just threw us off offensively. We got tired, and once you get tired, you start making mistakes.”
There were mistakes aplenty for the normally ball-savvy ‘Balers. Live Oak stole the ball a whopping 15 times, and San Benito lost possession seven other times with offensive fouls.
Acorns head coach Mack Haines said his team executed its aggressive game-plan to perfection. “That was by design,” Haines said of his players constantly intercepting ‘Baler passes. “We played great team defense. That was the whole key. We didn’t make many mistakes.”
Dismayed at the prospect of at least one short-handed defeat today, the ‘Balers seemed even more upset that they have yet to find away to beat their nemesis.
“It’s frustrating because we thought this was going to be our year,” Curtice said.
Jason Andrade, John Kaplanis, Rory Bloch, Schafer and Smith will all miss the ‘Balers’ morning contest, and Matt Morrison is already out of town on a college visit.
“Tomorrow’s going to be rough,” said Agan, virtually conceding the morning game. “We’ve got a 4:45 (game) against someone. We’ve got to look at that game and win that game, try to salvage something.”
Asked to describe the team’s mindset, Schafer said the players will just have to rise above the adversity.
“It’s a tough loss,” Schafer said. “It always is. Wins bring you close, but losses get you closer. Tomorrow, after we take our SATs, we’ll be ready to go.”
Girls’ Water Polo
The San Benito girls’ team improved to 16-2 overall with its 22-6 win over Notre Dame at home Thursday. Katie Buzzetta scored six times, and Jayme Telles added four scores and two assists.
