Kyle Cameron didn’t need to look up to professional athletes growing up—he had exemplary role models in an older brother and dad who were there for him every step of the way.
Cody was a standout free safety and 2013 San Benito High graduate, and their dad, Chris, is in his 21st season as the head coach of the San Benito High football team.
“My brother and dad were right in front of me, and I’m just following in their footsteps, but carving my own path at the same time,” said Cameron, one of the team’s A-backs, or slot backs. “My brother and I will still fight sometimes because we’re brothers, and that’s what brothers do. But we maintain a good relationship.”
Just like his older brother, Kyle was a water boy and ball boy at his dad’s football games before watching games on the sideline. Kyle also remembers being at the high school on Sundays, the day when the coaches gather together to break down film and put together a scouting report for the players.
“I remember going to those meetings and I would be playing on the ground or doing something with the football as they’re doing team meetings,” said Kyle, a 5-foot-5, 163-pound junior. “My brother and I would be here all the time either doing homework or building fortresses with the blocking pads.”
The Haybalers (2-1), who are coming off a 35-14 loss to Los Gatos last week, plays at Oak Grove-San Jose on Friday. Chris Cameron hinted some of the players might have gotten a bit too confident following a 2-0 start in which the team didn’t allow a single point.
“If you look at the game the way we’re (coaches) looking at the game, there are a lot of things that are big-time red lights that are not good,” said Chris, who was referencing his son’s performance but also acknowledged that several players didn’t play well against Los Gatos. “We’re far from playing well, and my son is far from playing well. We have to get more competition going, not just at his position, but at several other positions. Guys who have been playing a whole lot might not be playing as much (starting this week).”
Even though Oak Grove is 0-2, its record is a bit misleading. The Eagles’ losses have come to St. Francis and Valley Christian, two of the top teams from the vaunted West Catholic League, by far the best league in Northern California.
Kyle said everyone—including himself—has to be more focused for every contest.
“Some of us didn’t come out mentally prepared (for the Los Gatos game), including myself,” he said. “We came into the game pretty flat, and I myself especially came in flat. It’s wakeup time for us.”
Indeed, the Balers were pretty much never in it against a powerful Los Gatos squad, which led all the way and used a 21-point second quarter to take a commanding 28-7 lead into halftime. The Wildcats pretty much shut down a San Benito running game that entered the contest averaging 382 yards per game.
The Balers were limited to 138 yards rushing against the Wildcats, who also came up with two interceptions. San Benito’s passing attack was pretty much non-existent, as the Wildcats held Balers quarterback R.J. Clark to 5-of-11 passing for 26 yards.
Meanwhile, the Los Gatos offense did a number on the Balers, whose defense was downright stingy in the first two games but couldn’t prevent the Wildcats from reaching the end zone four times (Los Gatos’ fifth and final score came when Jake Parrinello returned a blocked punt 30 yards for a TD).
Once again, Balers A-back Chris Blake led the way with 60 yards on 13 carries. Kyle Cameron had 24 yards on four rushes, a week after gaining a career-high 70 yards on just seven carries for a robust 10-yards per carry average.
Kyle came up through the Hollister Vikings Pop Warner program—“I enjoyed every minute of it,” he said—and as the years went on, he displayed an ability to read the defense and showed quick bursts of speed whenever he needed to get through a tight running lane.
That same skill set was evident against Palo Alto two weeks ago. Kyle was actually slated to play on the varsity team last year as a sophomore only to suffer a couple of concussions before the season started.
“I missed some games and by the time I was ready to come back, I was already way behind, so I finished the year on the JV,” he said.
Being a coach’s son, Kyle knows he has to have thick skin. Chris doesn’t play any favorites—he’s just as hard on his son as he is with other players.
“If I’m not doing my job, then it will show with less playing time,” Kyle said. “That’s what great about my dad—he’s got a great personality and is a straight-forward guy. He’ll never turn his back on you and is the most honest person I’ve ever met. Hopefully I’ll turn out just like him when I’m older.”
It was clearly evident Kyle viewed his dad as his hero, and some of the things Chris does—like waking up at 4 a.m. almost everyday to go work out—has rubbed off on Kyle.
“I’m going to keep on working out, and hopefully I get a lot bigger than him,” said Kyle, who already sports mini-size tree trunks for legs. “He and my mom (Michelle) didn’t bless me with tall genes, so I’m probably not going to grow a whole bunch here and there, but that’s OK.”
Kyle vividly remembers competing with Cody in everything they did, not just in football but in baseball and basketball as well.
“Everything was one-on-one, and we’d make up little games just for more competition,” Kyle said. “If it was football, we’d try to run over each other. Growing up we’d be at team dinners, and all the kids would have us wrestle. Competition made us both better.”
