Needing to beat a first-place Monterey team on Tuesday to stay in contention for the Monterey Bay League Pacific Division championship, the San Benito High boys’ soccer team did just that, earning a crucial 2-1 victory.
The Haybalers improved to 6-3 in league play, but still trail Monterey (7-1-2) by five points with two games remaining. Because the Pacific is a ‘B’ league — meaning when the teams play each other they accumulate fewer points compared to an ‘A’ league like the Gabilan — only the division winner, which receives an automatic berth into the Central Coast Section playoffs, usually makes the postseason.
Despite the odds, Balers coach Tony Deras knows he can count on junior goalkeeper Cesar Perez and junior midfielder Jose Lopez Munoz to keep on giving the maximum effort.
“Jose and Cesar lead by example,” Deras said. “These kids feel it (hurt) when we lose. But sometimes they still need to be reminded that playing soccer is a privilege, and something you can’t take for granted. When we lost to Christopher (on Feb. 4), Jose was the only kid who showed a willingness not to lose, to not give up.”
Both players are somewhat small in stature — Perez is 5-feet-9 and 125 pounds, while Lopez Munoz is 5-7, 130 — but what they lack in size they more than make up for with their tenacity.
Perez, who is in his first year as a starter, possesses cat-like reflexes and has a keen sense to know when to come off his line and challenge shots. Perez said he needs to improve on communicating with his fellow defenders so they’re all on the same page when opponents are attacking the San Benito goal.
Perez, who is also a standout on the boys’ cross-country team, plays not only for himself but for his family. When Perez talks about his father, Refugio, he gets downright emotional.
That’s because Perez knows how much his dad sacrificed to give him opportunities that he probably would’ve never had if he stayed in Mexico, his birthplace.
“When he was 18, my dad came here to Hollister from Mexico,” Perez said. “He got work and started sending money back to our family back in Mexico, and a couple of months later, we had enough money to move the rest of our family to Hollister. I’m really thankful because over there in Mexico it’s really hard to even get an education.
“Over here my dad has been able to provide our family with a home and food on the table. I’m hoping to get an athletic scholarship to go to a four-year university, and one day I want to pay him back for everything he’s done for me.”
Like Perez, Lopez Munoz has a deep admiration for a family member. Lopez Munoz credits his stepbrother, Jose Manuel, for teaching him everything about soccer and instilling in him a passion for the game.
“I learned the game from him,” Lopez Munoz said. “Soccer is everything I live for. I take pride in playing with a passion and giving my heart to the sport.”
Just how much does Lopez Munoz love what many refer to as the beautiful game? He’s owned the same soccer ball for the last five years, and juggles with it almost everyday.
Lopez Munoz, who made the varsity squad as a freshman, rarely possesses the ball for a long period of time because his main objective is to distribute the ball to his teammates and put them in the best position to score.
“I like to pass the ball, and I don’t like to be greedy,” he said.
Said Deras: “Jose is a very technical player, and he knows the game. He’s a true leader because while some guys don’t like to lose, Jose hates losing, and he’ll do whatever it takes to get better.”
With the season winding down — after this week, the Balers have just two matches remaining — they’ll have to win out and hope Monterey suffers a loss or a couple of ties the rest of the way.
San Benito’s boys’ soccer team has advanced to the CCS playoffs just three times in program history, losing all three matches. Perez and Lopez Munoz hope to get the Balers back into the postseason, establishing a new reputation for the program.
“It would be nice to make CCS for the next couple of years, so the kids who are coming up to the high school can have a high level to aim for,” Perez said. “If we don’t do it, it’ll be really disappointing.”
Lopez Munoz agreed: “We’re tired of everyone looking down upon us, and if we make CCS, we’ll get recognized for our hard efforts.”
