Hollister takes lead in third but can’t close the deal in epic
TCAL battle
Hollister – In what may very well have been the best Tri-County Athletic League matchup of the season, the San Benito High boys’ water polo team put together a great game and nearly ruined Live Oak’s perfect league record.
But the Acorns (7-0 TCAL) managed to hold the Haybalers off in the end and hung on to win the contest 7-6 and wrap up their league season undefeated.
“This was the game of their season and I expected them to come out and play real hard,” said Live Oak head coach Mack Haines. “It’s a good rivalry and it’s a good game for us both to end league on because we’re out of the league next season. But I feel that (the Haybalers) have come a long way.”
Live Oak’s Justin Short put the Acorns up 2-0 early in the first quarter with a nice shot from the right side and forced Hollister into taking a timeout.
The Haybalers got off a nice play coming out of the break as Rory Bloch found Cliff Gere with a pass. Gere fired a shot on the Live Oak goal but just missed. The ‘Balers shut down the Acorns with some good defense on their next trip down the pool and this time it was Gere dishing off to Joel Smith in front of the goal. Smith’s shot found the back of the net and Hollister found itself down only one at 2-1 when the buzzer on the first quarter sounded.
The Haybalers came out firing in the second. David Smith just missed scoring on the team’s first possession but the ‘Balers forced a Live Oak turnover at the other end and Joel Smith got the ball out to Blane Curtice, who blasted a shot from the outside to even the score at 2-2.
More lock-down defense from the Haybalers kept the Acorns from getting anything done on their next possession and, with the game’s momentum now clearly favoring the home team, Curtice drove and scored with a powerful shot on goal to give Hollister its first lead of the game.
‘Baler goalkeeper Matt Thorpe did an outstanding job against the top-notch Live Oak offense on Thursday. Once the Haybalers had taken the lead, the Acorns picked up their intensity and muscled through Hollister’s defense for scoring opportunities. Thorpe did a commendable job of keeping Live Oak off the scoreboard for most of the second, but Bryson Bailey put one in with a well-placed skip shot to even the score at 3-3.
Bailey, one of Live Oak’s top scoring threats, fouled out of the contest later in the second but the Acorns still managed to break the tie and go ahead for good in the third when Short got off a lightning-fast shot for a 4-3 Live Oak lead. The Acorns increased their lead moments later on another goal by Short.
The Haybalers kept it close with a goal from David Smith and another one from Curtice but the Acorns were able to slow the game’s tempo in the fourth and hang on for the win.
“I’m real proud of the guys, they really stepped up,” said SBHS head coach Tom Agan. “It was a great game, frustrating to lose, but it was a good one. Hey though, you look at the score and how the game was played, we were right there.”
Note: The Haybaler junior varsity squad remains undefeated in league play with a 6-2 win over the Acorns on Thursday. Adam Rianda led all scorers with three goals, Bob Glashen had two and Matt Morrison had one. Goalkeeper John Kaplanis and two-meter defender Bruce Butler did an excellent job of denying the Live Oak offense and preserving the win.
