In 1962, I was a member of the junior varsity football team for
Los Ba
ños High School. Our first game that session was against the
Hollister Haybalers. It was my first high school game of football
and it was exciting – even now, I guess.
Dear Editor:
In 1962, I was a member of the junior varsity football team for Los Baños High School. Our first game that session was against the Hollister Haybalers. It was my first high school game of football and it was exciting – even now, I guess.
I remember the Hollister players sitting on a little grassy sloped area next to the stadium in Los Baños. As we crossed the street into the stadium on almost – or maybe it was – the first day of the season, it was a typical hot, late afternoon. The quarterback faded back and threw a pass to a tall end who took it up and ran for a touchdown. We were all shocked – our defensive back had forgotten to go out on the field! On a subsequent play, the Hollister punter faked a punt and ran to his left and started up the field along the sideline, where he was pulled down and was shaken up on the play.
The following year, as a varsity player, I remember dressing out in a small, cramped locker room in Hollister which was later flooded from the showers taken by the JV players in the early game. On a kickoff, as the Hollister players ran down the field to tackle the kick returner, I was on the kickoff receiving team.
We were coached to focus on one player running down the field. Mine, I think, was second on my right from the football. He ran down not seeing me at all, and I clobbered him from the side with my helmet in front. In other words, a perfectly legal tackle. We both went flying. I came back to the sideline, adrenaline flowing steadily hard. I don’t know how the other fellow took it – for me it was exhilarating.
Anyway, the memories have been with me a long time, I sometimes wonder if a former player from Hollister, or someone who played in one or both of these games remembers those dates I mentioned or others relating to those games.
As football season approaches yet again I tend to think about my brief but intense experiences as a football player. It was a great adventure and certainly great fun. Hollister was a worthy opening opponent.
I still have souvenirs of these games, a scar on my chin from ’68 and a bump of calcium deposits from a hair line fracture of my left instep (’63).
If there are former players that would like to tell me about what they remember of those two Los Baños-Hollister games, I’d like to hear from them.
Joe Perez,
5065 Main Street,
Trumbull, CT 06611
Do you have memories from your days of playing football at
San Benito High School.
If so, we would like to know.
E-mail [email protected].
