San Benito will play first away game Friday night since Sept.
10
On the surface, it appeared the San Benito Haybalers were
throwing the ball a lot more
— or at least more so than they normally have — during last
week’s comfortable 31-0 victory over visiting North Salinas.
After all, quarterbacks Tyler Decker and Michael Bocksnick threw
for a combined 87 yards on eight completions
— both season highs.
San Benito will play first away game Friday night since Sept. 10
On the surface, it appeared the San Benito Haybalers were throwing the ball a lot more — or at least more so than they normally have — during last week’s comfortable 31-0 victory over visiting North Salinas.
After all, quarterbacks Tyler Decker and Michael Bocksnick threw for a combined 87 yards on eight completions — both season highs.
But compared to the team’s season averages, San Benito threw the ball last Friday just three percent more often than normal — from 16 percent of the time to 19 percent.
The difference in perception? Well, not only did Decker and Bocksnick throw for a very efficient 8 of 9 passing, but the attempts came earlier in the series, with five of their completions on either first or second down.
“We we were throwing the ball on first down, and we did that several times,” head coach Chris Cameron said. “We’ve thrown the ball on first down before and other times also, but hey, we were able to put the ball on the spot where it needed to be put.
“It wasn’t necessarily an increase in passing, but it was an opportune time to throw the ball.”
For a team that runs the ball more than 80 percent of the time, throwing the ball on first down — of which the Balers did four times last Friday — can very easily catch a team off guard. North Salinas head coach Steven Zenk admitted as much last week after his Vikings allowed the season-high totals to the Balers.
“They’re thinking run, so I’ve got to believe that it helps us,” Cameron said.
For everything that North Salinas wasn’t expecting last week, though — the two quarterbacks playing, the slight increase in passing — is now officially on game film for San Benito’s remaining opponents to dissect.
The Balers (2-1 TCAL, 4-3) will square off against Everett Alvarez (1-2 TCAL, 3-4) on Friday night in Salinas — San Benito’s first away game since Sept. 10, some six weeks ago. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m.
Cameron said not much will change this week. The team will go with Decker and Bocksnick in a similar set as last week, when the two signal-callers were each given the chance to lead the offense on every other series, changing packages along the way.
“Unless something happens between now and then, that’s the plan,” Cameron said Tuesday night. “I thought it worked pretty well.”
Alvarez, though, unlike years past, could very well be more formidable than North Salinas. The Eagles have been often overlooked in the Tri-County Athletic League, having lost 24 straight games in the TCAL entering this season.
But early season victories over Watsonville (40-7) and King City (46-7) primed Alvarez for its first TCAL victory on Oct. 8 — a 39-7 drubbing of the Gilroy Mustangs that ended the 24-game winless streak. The team’s three wins this season, meanwhile, is the most for the Eagles since 2004, when it was a part of the Monterey Bay League.
Second-year head coach Ralph Ward, who was previously the offensive coordinator at North Salinas, has certainly managed to change the culture at the Salinas school.
“They’re really improved,” Cameron said. “They’re doing some good things over there, probably have a lot of good morale going on, and [Ward] really wants to get in the playoffs real bad. He’s got some good things going.”
With four of their running backs listed in the top 15 in the TCAL, Alvarez will run the ball a lot, Cameron added.
The Eagles are led Manuel Melano (63 att., 593 yards, 5 TD), Austin Reyes (49 att., 366 yards), Diego Garcia (33 att., 210 yards) and William Camel (39 att., 210 yards, 4 TD) in the backfield, while quarterback Michael Turner (23 of 70, 469 yards, 6 TD, 4 INT) has posted solid numbers as well through seven games this season.
Cameron also highlighed lineman Anthony McKay, the team leader in sacks.
“He’s a force, a big-time force,” Cameron said.
With the Balers coming off a win, the team is in the position to earn consecutive victories, which has yet to happen during San Benito’s win-one-lose-one season. Moreover, another victory for the Balers would make them playoff eligible.
“We’re pretty much knocking on the door, and there should be an urgency in that respect,” Cameron said. “Let’s get on a roll, man. I want to win them all.
“Being in the playoffs will take of itself by winning.”
