In its first year as a program, the San Benito High lacrosse team was expected to take its lumps this season.
At 0-7 overall and 0-5 in Mission Trail League play, the Haybalers have certainly taken their fair share of drubbings. However, coach Don Jones said the experience has been nothing short of a positive one.
“The kids’ attitudes have been great, and what’s nice is they’re seeing the light at the end of the tunnel,” Jones said. “They’re keeping a positive focus and not giving up. I’m happy with the growth of the team considering we started from nothing and now we’re something. No one is getting down on one another, and I see us competing for a couple of wins in the future.”
Led by freshman attack Tyler Benedetti (eight goals) and senior midfielder John Summers (six goals), the Balers have been competitive at times, including a 10-7 loss to Pacific Grove on March 23.
Benedetti, who recently missed two games due to a concussion, has been a breakout star. Possessing great ball-control skills, Benedetti is one of the few players on the team who can withstand pressure from opposing teams and still maintain possession.
“Sometimes we have trouble holding onto the ball under pressure,” Jones said. “Once we get more experience, we’ll be able to control the ball more effectively.”
Summers has tremendous speed and awareness, and he utilizes both of those skills well. Andrew Lopez has been a stalwart on faceoffs with a 60 percent win percentage, and Bailee Nelson has shown she can keep up with the guys, Jones said.
As part of the 14-team Mission Trail League, the Balers must finish in the top eight to qualify for the league playoffs. While the team probably won’t be in contention for a playoff berth, it has plenty of motivation to finish the season strong.
“We’ve got an end of the season All-Star game on May 30 Rabobank Stadium, where a selection committee asks five seniors from each team to play,” Jones said. “We’ve got 15 seniors on the team, so the kids have something to work for.”
Although the first season is always tough for any program, Jones feels San Benito will be much stronger in the next couple of years.
“The kids are still learning the game,” Jones said. “But I’ve seen a lot of growth from the start of the season to now. One of the focuses in practice right now is defensively, because we need to cover our man more tightly. That means using our sticks wisely so we can make more efficient stick checks as well as setting up our offense. Learning a new sport takes time. We’ve had a challenging schedule against schools that have had a program for quite a while.”
Jones said the Pacific Grove result was encouraging because the team played tough from start to finish.
“If we keep on grinding and playing tough, we’ll have plenty to be proud about,” Jones said.
