Two games into the 2025 football season and the Balers are 0-2. However, there have been many good signs and a lot of progress with new coaches and new schemes and the Balers are encouraged about the “new season,” i.e., league play, beginning Friday at Alisal.
Hollister led Branham 21-14 in the fourth quarter of the opener before a raft of turnovers turned the tide in favor of the visiting Bruins. There were several positives in the 42-28 defeat. Last Friday in Santa Clara, Wilcox dumped Hollister 28-3 but the Balers had five possessions producing scoring threats that nearly made for a very different game.
The rushing game was strong against Branham, with Braiden Hernandez carrying 19 times for 91 yards and two touchdowns. Against the Chargers, senior quarterback Cruz Raquet displayed the passing attack, completing 10-of-18 for 159 yards, a 15.9 yards-per-catch average. On defense, linebacker Tripp Felice recorded 16 tackles in the opener and an amazing 22 tackles last Friday.
Safety Nate Candelaria had two interceptions against Branham and the defense’s hard hitting forced two fumbles against Wilcox for turnovers.
After the Wilcox game, first-year Hollister coach Thomas Sullivan noted where the team fell short, while feeling inspired by the progress on the field.
“We didn’t take advantage of the opportunities but there were flashes of brilliance from our guys,” Sullivan said. “On defense, I thought we played a great game. They have a tough offense and after two losses, they were hungry tonight.”
Early penetrations reached the Wilcox 21-yard line and 11-yard line but produced only a 31-yard field goal by Junis Mendoza and a missed field goal. In the second half, HHS reached the Wilcox 6-, 16- and 28-yard lines on drives but turned the ball over on downs each time. In fact, with 9:10 remaining in the game, Hollister had a first down at the Chargers 31-yard line and had been outyarded just 247 to 183. The score was a daunting 21-3, though. And that drive stalled out and Wilcox drove for another touchdown.
On offense, Raquet provides a strong passing threat, coupled with dangerous running skills. In the Wilcox game, he evaded tacklers and picked up large chunks of yardage on scrambles or designed quarterback keepers. Hernandez is the primary running back, with Stephen Dorn also getting some carries.
The wide receiver group includes Jordan Quezada, Andre Montes, Jacob Jackson, EJ Jiminez and Rhonin Sanchez. Up front on the offensive line are Noe Gonzalez, Hassan Manassra, Peter Griego, Gabriel Moreno, Nick Martinez, Russell Alnas and tight end Mariano Calderon.
Touchdowns in the Branham game came on a 21-yard Raquet-to-Jiminez completion, two scoring runs from Hernandez, and an 87-yard kickoff return by Quezada.
“I thought we did decent on offense,” said Cruz, after the Wilcox game. “We added a new set of plays and a tempo offense. And we can run the triple option out of the spread. We’ve been great at the pass. We should be able to run things too.”
The defensive front includes Jacob Perez, Aiden Barben, Leo Miranda and Riley Ostoja. Behind them are Daniel Dorado, Carlos Arce, Benjamin Candelaria, Jayden Hunter, Jakob Ortiz, Michael Hubbard, Jason Narvaez and Felice. In the secondary are Jorge Arredondo, Nathan Candelaria, Auggie Ramos, Ayden Lewis, Jameson Oswald and Nate Baxter.
Wilcox’s patented Veer attack has been a challenge for Central Coast Section opponents for decades. The Chargers rely on quick-hitting athletic backs behind a big offensive line, while mixing in option plays around the edge. Wilcox, coming off losses to West Catholic Athletic League opponents Valley Christian and Archbishop Mitty, was mostly held down by the Balers.
Star running back Elijah Vallejo gained 116 yards on 27 carries, just a 4.3 yards-per-carry average. The Chargers aerial game delivered just 42 yards. But Wilcox quarterback Kai Imahara broke loose with 157 yards and three scores on 10 carries.
“I saw improvements with our defense,” Sullivan said. “We made some halftime adjustments. We adjusted with our defensive line. We had more slants at the point of attack. And we tackled better.”
The Gabilan Division is one of the toughest leagues in the state. Hollister looks to get off to a good start the next two weeks, with Alisal on the road and North Salinas at home. Last year’s Balers beat the Trojans 27-7. Last week, Alisal fell 54-28 to Palma in their league opener.
The North Salinas Vikings move up to the Gabilan from the Mission South Division. They opened league play last week against Salinas. The tally was 35-7 in favor of the Cowboys after three quarters before the Vikings closed it to 35-22.
Comparative scores don’t mean everything and the Balers will have to execute well. But hopes are high for a good start to the league season.
‘We’re finding a rhythm on our offense,” Sullivan said. “We gotta be hungry. It’s going to come. We’ve had time to get the kinks out. Now it’s time to get in there and play.”
Later in the year, the Balers will face Gabilan heavyweights, such as Salinas, Carmel and Soquel. Carmel went 15-0 and won a CIF State title last year, while Soquel was a 13-2 CIF State title champ in 2023. And then there are the rival Cowboys. The Balers would like nothing better than to break a six-game losing streak against Salinas, which has put the Cowboys on top 13-12 in the all-time records. Salinas is coming off two straight CCS Open Division appearances, and in both cases lost to the eventual Open Division champion.
“We’re excited,” Raquet said. “0 and 2 in non-league means nothing. We’re going all out in a forward direction now.”
