‘Baler boys win 16-6, girls 16-9 over visiting Monterey
Wednesday
HOLLISTER
The San Benito boys water polo team is searching for that middle ground when it comes to the opposition.
To date, at 4-6 overall this year, the Haybalers have found their games to be either feast or famine. Last weekend at the St. Francis Invitational, for instance, San Benito lost their third game of the tournament to Gunn, 12-4. On Wednesday in Hollister, though, the ‘Balers pounded visiting Monterey, 16-6.
“It seems like that,” coach Tom Agan said. “We’re either a little over-challenged or it’s the other way. That’s definitely the way things have gone this season.”
San Benito will certainly take the easy win, though. Jumping out to an 8-0 lead after one quarter, the ‘Balers cruised to the sizable victory and improved to 2-1 in the Tri-County Athletic League.
Ryan Whiteside led all scorers with five goals Wednesday. Jordan Schafer added four goals and even three saves in net after he replaced keeper Kyle Reuther in the fourth quarter. Reuther compiled 10 saves through the first three quarters of work.
Nick Angulo supplied a pair of scores for the ‘Balers, while Morris Stevens, Ryan Agan, Thomas Parcell, Matt McCullough and Eric Nicolaysen each scored a goal a piece.
“I think as we start to play together more, we’ll be able to raise our level and start to challenge the tougher teams when we play them,” Agan said. “We’ve still got some of those tougher teams in the tournaments.”
San Benito will play Watsonville next Monday.
JV Note:
The San Benito junior varsity team defeated Monterey 17-6 behind five goals a piece from Haybalers Tyler Agan and Jesse Richards.
With the win, San Benito improves to 3-0 in the TCAL, 7-0 overall.
“The guys are doing pretty well,” coach John Agan said. “But they’ll be tested when we go to St. Francis.”
The ‘Balers will compete at the St. Francis Invitational on Oct. 11.
GIRLS WATER POLO
Tied 6-all at halftime, and then holding to a narrow 10-9 lead heading to the fourth quarter, the San Benito girls water polo team opened up a six-goal offensive and shut out visiting Monterey in the final stanza en route to a 16-9 win on Wednesday.
The victory improves San Benito to 2-1 in the Tri-County Athletic League, and provided the Lady ‘Balers with a blueprint to how exactly coach Hayley Vandercook wants her team to play.
Not like the first, second or third quarters, mind you, but like the fourth where San Benito outscored Monterey 6-0.
“They were playing down to the other team,” Vandercook said of the first three quarters. “They were not thinking what they were doing, but by the fourth quarter they figured it out.
“But it doesn’t excuse how badly they played in the first three quarters.”
With just a one-goal lead heading to the fourth, a lead that would suffice in the end, San Benito quickly found their stride as Kelsey Russell pocketed a score within 10 seconds of play.
The Lady ‘Balers began to tack on goal after goal in the fourth quarter, while Monterey continued to miss the mark, and even banged a pair of shots off the crossbar on consecutive attempts.
Keeper Katie Thorpe prevented any last-minute heroics by Monterey, and after one of her pool-length passes was picked off, she tried it again a second time and set up Sarah Kelso for a point-blank score in the fourth. Thorpe finished with five saves.
Russell led all scorers with eight goals.
San Benito will host Watsonville next Monday.
