Hunter Nye admires the way San Francisco 49ers running back Frank Gore runs: low to the ground, legs constantly churning, never-say-die attitude.
“I love how he runs, and you can learn a lot from someone like him,” said Nye, who rushed for a team-high 65 yards on 11 carries in last week’s 34-27 overtime loss to Alvarez. “Hopefully I can just keep on improving and run the way I’ve been running.”
The 5-foot-9, 168-pound sophomore fullback gets things done with a dogged determination, having developed into a hard-nosed player who rarely goes down on first contact.
“I just try to keep moving and use my vision to get in the right spot to run,” he said.
Cameron complimented Nye’s work ethic and overall demeanor.
“Hunter is a no-nonsense guy who just comes out to practice everyday and works hard,” Cameron said. “He’s a tough kid and definitely a big part of the team now and a big part of our future.”
Nye had a tremendous season playing on the freshmen team last season, averaging almost two touchdowns per game. After the last game of the year, Cameron approached Nye and told him he would be moved up to the varsity squad for his sophomore campaign.
“I was really surprised,” Nye said. “It was a great surprise because you don’t expect things like that.”
Nye was nothing but smiles at a recent practice that took place under grey skies, an appropriate backdrop for the team’s recent results. In the last three weeks, San Benito has endured one of its toughest stretches in recent memory.
The Balers (3-4 overall, 0-3 MBL Gabilan) have lost three games—to Salinas, Monterey and Alvarez—by a combined 16 points. All three games came down to the seconds, providing even more heartbreak and agony for a San Benito team that is clinging to its playoff life.
The Balers will probably have to win their final three games—against Seaside, Palma and North Salinas—to accumulate enough power points and be one of eight teams in the Central Coast Section Division I playoffs.
“There is no more room for error,” Cameron said. “I’m very optimistic we can turn this thing around, and I still have a lot of faith in these guys. But when it comes down to it, we have to go out there and get it done.”
Fortunately for the Balers, they get to host a winless Seaside (0-6, 0-2) squad on Friday. The Spartans have fallen on hard times, and it would be downright stunning if they keep the game close through three quarters.
“They’re down but so are we,” Cameron said. “As far as I’m concerned, we’re on an even playing field with those guys. They’ve had a tough time and they haven’t fired on all cylinders, but neither have we. The 3-1 record we had a couple of weeks ago? That’s out the door. We’re in it (games); we just can’t seem to win it.”
Indeed, the Balers have lost three straight contests by the narrowest of margins, all of which followed one of their best performances of the season, a nail-biting 21-19 win over Oak Grove on Sept. 26.
Against Alvarez, San Benito allowed a season-high 302 yards rushing, 222 coming off the legs of Eagles quarterback Edric Gamble, who was simply dazzling in the open field and repeatedly made would-be tacklers lunging at air.
“He squirmed away, got free and made people miss,” Cameron said. “He’s a guy we just couldn’t corral.”
Even in the midst of a tough losing streak, a couple of San Benito players have emerged to give the team plenty of optimism for the present and future. In addition to Nye’s play, the Balers received a tremendous performance from A-back Ezzie Lovato, who had touchdown runs of 35 and 8 yards, both coming in the fourth quarter.
The Balers hope a steady diet of runs from Lovato and Nye will lead to a convincing win this week against the Seaside. Whatever happens, Nye will approach the game with the same determination he showed while playing for the Hollister Vikings Pop Warner team five years ago.
“I’m determined to work as hard as I can to reach my goals,” he said. “All I can do is work and hopefully good things come out of it.”
So far, so good.
