Balers set to face familiar foe in playoffs

Last Thursday at the Salinas Sports Complex, the Hollister Haybalers’ bid for a share of a Pacific Coast League Gabilan Division championship fell short following a drubbing from the Palma Chieftains, 49-28. But the season isn’t over yet, and on Saturday in Salinas, against a familiar foe, the Salinas High Cowboys, the Haybalers (6-4, 5-2) have a shot to make a deep run in the CCS Open Division I playoffs.

“We’re a little banged up on the offensive line, so we really need to take a look at that in terms of who’s playing,” Haybalers coach Bryan Smith said. “On Monday, we’re going to tackle it like any other Monday, except it might mean that the seniors only have one game left.”

The Haybalers have surged after starting the season 1-3. Their five-game win streak was punctuated with a 35-28 victory over the same Salinas (7-3, 6-1) team that handed Palma (9-1, 6-1) its only loss on the year, where Navarro rushed for 284 yards with three touchdowns on 22 carries.   

“We played our best football (the previous) week (against Salinas),” Smith said.

If the Haybalers expect another victory over the Cowboys, another dominating performance from Navarro would undoubtedly help. Another path to success would be stopping—or at least slowing down—Salinas quarterback Carl Richardson who has completed 217 of 297 passes for 2,927 yards, 18 touchdowns and 10 interceptions this season.

Salinas and San Benito’s offenses are dramatically different in style of play. Overall, Salinas has scored 326 points on the year, with 3,040 yards through the air and 1,543 on the ground. San Benito scored almost 100 fewer points on the year (244) with 1,740 yards rushing and 514 yards passing.

Sophomore quarterback Michael McShane starts in place of injured senior Slade Wilson, and while the experience will help the young quarterback going forward, the lack of a consistent passing game leaves the Haybalers offense mostly one-dimensional.

“We’re playing with a sophomore quarterback (McShane), and he’s done a really solid job of leading in a more mature way than a sophomore (normally would),” Smith said.

Navarro isn’t intimidated by a defense stacked to defend the run, and with 996 yards rushing on the year with 12 rushing touchdowns and four receiving touchdowns, Navarro has been the engine that drives San Benito’s offense.

“I take a lot of pride in that—just give me the ball,” Navarro said.

While the Haybalers didn’t do much to stop Palma quarterback Grant Sergent, who went 16 of 20 for 363 yards and four touchdowns, San Benito junior Marcus Aranda came away with Sergent’s only interception of the year in the third quarter. Aranda leads the Haybalers with four interceptions this season.

“Marcus has played well for us all year, and he’s really improved in the last few weeks,” Smith said.

Ironically, the game was considered a home game for the Haybalers despite the fact it was played on Palma’s home turf at the Salinas Sports Complex. The home/away game was the last in a season where San Benito was made nomadic because of construction on a new football stadium on campus.