Gilroy team is undefeated in league, but Balers ready for the
challenge
In recent years, winning tonight’s Prune Bowl football game has
become a mere formality for San Benito High
– a game for fine-tuning its play before heading to the Central
Coast Section playoffs.
After all, the Haybalers have won the last five of these annual
showdowns over arch-rival Gilroy High
– which date back to the 1920s – and 11 of the last 13.
Gilroy team is undefeated in league, but Balers ready for the challenge
In recent years, winning tonight’s Prune Bowl football game has become a mere formality for San Benito High – a game for fine-tuning its play before heading to the Central Coast Section playoffs.
After all, the Haybalers have won the last five of these annual showdowns over arch-rival Gilroy High – which date back to the 1920s – and 11 of the last 13.
But tonight’s game, which takes place at Andy Hardin Stadium in Hollister, has the tables turned a bit. San Benito is 4-5 overall and 3-2 in league play and fighting for its playoff life. Gilroy High, on the other hand, is 7-2 overall and a perfect 5-0 in league.
With that said, the Mustangs have clinched at least a co-league championship for the first time since 1981, and with that, comes a sure spot in next week’s CCS playoffs. The Balers have to win tonight to keep their slim hopes alive of getting into the postseason tournament as an at-large team.
“This is going to be a really big game for us,” Baler coach Chris Cameron said. “Gilroy is a big rival. It’s the last game of the season, and they are in first place. They are already in the playoffs but they know that winning will give them a higher seed in the tournament (and with that an easier route to the title).”
As it stands right now, the only two automatic berths into the Section playoffs from the Tri County Athletic League are Gilroy and Palma (7-2, 4-1). North Salinas via its 7-3 record overall and 3-3 record in league has a slight advantage over the Balers in gaining a first at-large bid from the league if the Section opts to grant one.
“We have a lot riding on this,” Cameron said. “We have to win because we still have an outside chance of making the playoffs. For us, it’s also a pride thing.”
After struggling in the early part of the season the Balers have been on a roll in recent weeks. Last week, San Benito picked up a clutch, 24-7 road win at Salinas, and won a 24-17 contest with Alisal the week before.
Last week’s win over the Cowboys put the Balers over the .500 mark in league for the first time all season. In that win Baler quarterback Ronnie Fhurong, who has reemerged as the team’s starting quarterback in recent weeks, threw for 223 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the win over the Cowboys.
In that game, the Balers were also able to jump-start their running game by utilizing several running backs in the game. In all the Balers used five different running backs in that game to rack up 125 rushing yards against the Cowboys.
The Balers will need a similar balanced offensive attack tonight against the Mustangs if they are too pull off the upset win – and the Baler defense will also need to have a big game.
This season the Mustangs have one of the most feared attacks in the section – and are averaging 33 points a game. Quarterback Jamie Jensen has thrown for 2,776 yards and 22 touchdowns, and the Mustangs have five receivers with more than 300 receiving yards. Leading the way in that department is Dante Fullard, who has 4 touchdowns and 709 receiving yards. Wide receiver Danny Contreras leads the receiving core in touchdowns with 8. To keep things balanced the Mustangs like to use Travis Reyes to get the running game going. This season the senior tailback has rushed for 568 yards on 70 carries and has 11 touchdowns to his credit.
With that said, Cameron plans on having his team fired up and ready to go tonight.
“We’ve been working on a lot of things, and working really hard this week,” Cameron said. “It still all comes down to blocking, running, tackling – the fundamentals – and putting the kids in a position where they can succeed. We’re looking forward to it. And it’s going to be great to be playing in front of the home crowd.”
If the Balers beat Gilroy, they will find out at Sunday’s Section playoff seeding meeting who they will face in the opening round of the playoffs where they will compete in the Large School Division.
“If we get in, I’m sure we’ll be a low seed and the game will be on the road,” Cameron said. “But it’s nice to know that we still have an outside chance of getting in at this point.”
Tonight’s game is at 7:30 p.m.
The Prune Bowl VFW Trophy was created in 1956. Each year the winner between the Gilroy Mustangs and the Hollister Haybalers gets their name as well as the final score on the trophy. (The Prune Bowl dates back to the 1920s.)
2006 San Benito 29-21
2005 San Benito 50-20
2004 San Benito 7-6
2003 San Benito 37-7
2002 San Benito 46-6
2001 Gilroy 37-21
2000 San Benito 32-12
1999 San Benito 34-13
1998 Gilroy 18-14
1997 San Benito 27-21
1996 San Benito 12-7
1995 San Benito 28-13
1994 San Benito 35-17
1993 Gilroy 7-3
1992 San Benito 19-15
1991 Gilroy 17-14
1990 Gilroy 20-8
1989 Gilroy 24-13
1988 Gilroy 10-0
1987 Gilroy 9-0
1986 Gilroy/San Benito 14-14
1985 Gilroy 50-28
1984 Gilroy 40-30
1983 San Benito 29-15
1982 Gilroy 7-6
1981 Gilroy 23-9
1980 Gilroy 41-28
1979 San Benito 21-6
1978 San Benito 6-0
1977 San Benito 6-2
1976 San Benito 25-0
1975 San Benito 28-6
1974 Gilroy 21-8
1973 San Benito 6-0
1972 San Benito 21-6
1971 San Benito 14-0
1970 Gilroy 15-6
1969 San Benito 50-6
1968 San Benito 13-6
1967 NO GAME
1966 San Benito 13-7
1965 San Benito 7-6
1964 Gilroy 13-7
1963 Gilroy 7-0
1962 Gilroy 15-0
1961 San Benito 31-7
1960 Gilroy 19-13
1959 San Benito 7-6
1958 Gilroy 34-6
1957 San Benito 6-0
1956 San Benito 13-0
