‘Balers look to win first-place showdown; defense needs to
contain pass-happy Palma
Hollister – Two undefeated Tri-County Athletic League teams. Something has to give.
When the San Benito football team takes the field against Palma at the Salinas Sports Complex tonight, first place in the TCAL and the inside track to the league championship will be at stake. And make no mistake – the ‘Balers believe the title is theirs for the taking.
“The TCAL championship doesn’t go through Palma,” San Benito assistant coach David Kaplansky told his players at practice Monday. “It goes through Hollister.”
The teams have each earned a share of the past two league titles, with the two splitting it in 2004 and forging a three-way championship with Live Oak last season. And with the Chieftains off to a 3-0 TCAL start after surviving a spirited challenge from Alisal last week and the ‘Balers having blown out their two league foes thus far, tonight’s contest takes on the air of a playoff game.
Palma (5-1), behind a revamped offense that features a wide-open passing attack, has scored at least 40 points in each of its wins. The Chieftains’ lone loss came at the hands of legendary De La Salle, a 28-3 defeat on Sep. 23.
Palma quarterback Brian Reader has shelled opposing defenses all season, throwing for 1308 yards and 11 touchdowns, extraordinary statistics under any circumstances, but especially when considering he is a first-year starter in a new offense. Chieftain seniors Brett Taylor and Andrew Reyes have been the primary beneficiaries of Reader’s emergence, catching a combined 39 balls for 808 yards and eight touchdowns.
Meanwhile, the ‘Balers have relied heavily on their defense to set the tone for a 5-1 start of their own, nearly completely nullifying any hint of an opposing rushing offense. San Benito (2-0 TCAL) has, however, shown a troubling tendency to surrender long pass completions, a trend defensive coordinator Tod Thatcher knows needs to stop to have a chance at containing Palma’s high-powered aerial assault.
Thatcher stressed the ‘Balers’ need to “not sit back there and let (Reader) pick us apart. We’re trying to get some big plays,” he said, “hopefully an interception or two, maybe a big-time sack. Something’s gotta happen.”
The addition of two players that have been sidelined for more than a month should play a large role in aiding that cause. Senior defensive lineman Dustin Leffew looks to present match-up problems as a strong pass-rusher, and junior Jordan Klindt returns to the defensive backfield as a physical performer at safety.
On the other side of the ball, offensive coordinator Rick Dukes is pleased he will finally have all his backfield horses. Wing back Klindt has been out with a shoulder injury since the San Lorenzo Valley game, and halfback Abel Jacquez missed the Alvarez game for precautionary reasons.
“It opens up everything,” said Dukes, noting Klindt’s tenacious blocking as a key factor in the offense. “Hopefully, we have a completely different feel.”
The ‘Balers also know that their best defense against Palma may well be an offense that chews up yards and the clock. “Hopefully, we can keep ’em off the field a little bit, get some first downs,” Thatcher said.
After San Benito downed Palma 28-24 last season in a must-win game for the ‘Balers, the team heads south tonight with the confidence that, despite Palma’s gaudy record against nearly all other foes, the Chieftains have had their hands full against the boys from Hollister. The ‘Balers have won five of the teams’ past 10 meetings overall.
“The know deep in their hearts they have been beaten by us many, many times,” San Benito head coach Chris Cameron said.
And tonight, the ‘Balers gun for two straight against their arch rival, a game that may well end up deciding the TCAL championship.
“Whoever wins this one is in the driver’s seat,” Cameron said.
Tonight’s contest begins at 7:30pm.
Contact Scott Campbell at [email protected].
