As the football call-and-response adage goes: Special teams. Be
special.
Football practices are two weeks strong now for the San Benito
Haybalers, and coaches and players agree the squad has come a long
way, but still have a long way to go.
Hollister – As the football call-and-response adage goes: Special teams. Be special.
Football practices are two weeks strong now for the San Benito Haybalers, and coaches and players agree the squad has come a long way, but still have a long way to go.
Friday focused on special teams, where three separate plays last season for the ‘Balers perhaps cost the local gridders a pair of games.
As Head Coach Chris Cameron said, “We went 8-2 instead of 10-0.”
The ‘Balers reached the midway point of their preseason practices on Friday morning, and while the team held a “low-key” affair, the importance of the practice was not lost.
It was the team’s lone practice of the day, a practice that started at 6:30am on the back fields of Andy Hardin Stadium. If the early start was to put an emphasis on the practice’s main concern – special teams – the message didn’t seem to be lost on the ‘Baler players.
“Last year, we had three letdowns on special teams that cost us two games,” said defensive tackle Kevin Burley. “I think they want us to be better on special teams so we don’t have any mistakes.”
On Sept. 22 last season against Bellarmine, the Bells blocked a punt late in the second quarter and fell on it in the end zone for a touchdown. Bellarmine wound up defeating San Benito 21-17, giving the host ‘Balers their first loss of the season.
“We outplayed them – the entire football game – we outplayed them,” Cameron said of the game against Bellarmine.
Later in the season, on Oct. 20 at Palma, the Chieftains returned the opening kickoff 87 yards for a touchdown. Later in the game, Palma was punting late in the second quarter, and recovered a ‘Baler fumble on the return at San Benito’s 11-yard line. Palma would eventually score on that drive, and win the contest 28-21.
“They scored one offensive touchdown,” Cameron said of the game against Palma. “They had one true touchdown drive against us. And they were league champs.
“We lost two games last year on three plays … Had we made a better effort on special teams, we still would have been in those games … Three plays put us in a bad position. ”
The ‘Balers worked on offense and defense for 40 minutes and special teams for 50 minutes Friday, the final practice for San Benito before school starts on Monday.
Coaches broke the practice into kickoffs and punts, returns and formations, focusing on technique and field position. “We have a goal to win the special teams every single week,” Cameron said at the end of practice. “I don’t want to lose two or three games because of special teams.”
‘Baler nose guard Robby Sanchez said the early-morning practice put a special emphasis on special teams.
“We definitely have to work harder on special teams because last season we blew it on a couple of games,” he said. “The kicking game is real important.”
With two weeks of practice under their belts, and two more weeks until their opening game on Aug. 31 against Milpitas, Cameron said the squad still has a long way to go to be game-ready.
The team will see its first action Friday at Gilroy High School when they compete in a four-way exhibition with Salinas, Gilroy and Lincoln.
While Friday’s practice marked the end of daily doubles, the team marked the end of practice with 30-yard sprints, which are about as special to football practice as special teams are to football games.
“Special teams are always that x-factor,” Cameron said, “and special teams can truly be the place where breaks are made. We have to win that at the end of the game. That’s a monstrous thing for us, and we are putting a huge emphasis on our special teams.”
