The moment senior Jordan Belton steps onto the floor Saturday at Piedmont Hills, he’ll surpass the furthest point he has played in the playoffs. The same goes for Isaiah Acfalle and every player wearing the San Benito jersey.
Come Saturday, the No. 3 ranked Balers will play in the quarterfinals of the Central Coast Section playoffs for the first time since 2008. It is the first time – since the current format was established in 2007 – that the Balers will enter the playoffs with a two-round bye.
“It shows all the work we did in the preseason and the regular season got us to the postseason and it got us a higher seed and a two-round bye,” Belton said. “It shows hard work pays off. I was happy we got that bye. I said before, I want to get deep in the playoffs. This two-round bye is the deepest we’ve really been … this is the furthest I’ve been.”
In a year that revived the program, the Balers, who finished 18-6 overall and 9-3 in the Tri-County Athletic League, don’t want to waste their accomplishments.
“It’s definitely exciting to have this opportunity,” guard Brian Becerra said. “We did well in the season to get us in this spot. I’m looking forward to it.”
The Balers will enter the tournament healthy and ready to prove to the CCS just how good the TCAL is. In the league’s final season before combining with the Monterey Bay Athletic League, the TCAL sent five teams to the CCS playoffs, including four in the Division I playoffs.
Four of those five teams – not including North Salinas – earned at least one bye.
“It shows that this league is a tough league,” Belton said. “When five out of seven teams make it into any CCS playoffs – Division I through V – it just shows our league, every game – five out of seven – is a CCS contender. It’s something.”
The Balers hope the experience from a tough league – including Division IV No. 1 seed Palma – will only benefit them in the playoffs, Belton said.
“Not many people came down here to watch games because we are kind of in the middle of nowhere,” he said, “but it shows that we have people that can ball. And we have people that want to win games, too. It’s a good feeling.”
To prepare for the rigors of the playoffs – and to keep the team in rhythm during the bye week – practice for the Balers will be more intense and thorough. The team spent the week off from school practicing every day and going through film sessions. On Wednesday, the Balers held a scrimmage with TCAL-champion Palma.
“It’s really great for us because we are able to go all out in practice all week taking care of what we need to take care of,” Acfalle said. “We are going to get ready for whoever is going to play us on Saturday.”
And after a season of 24 games, it gives the Balers a much-needed rest.
“It lets us rest, definitely,” Becerra said. “It helps us prepare more and to keep up the intensity during practice to keep that competitive edge up.”
Regardless who the Balers see Saturday – it will be the winner of Thursday’s Milpitas and Oak Grove contest – San Benito will be ready.
“Coach is telling everyone to step it up,” Acfalle said. “This is where the fun happens. This is where you put everything out. We want to win this tournament.”
To win, the Balers will do what they’ve done all year: Play defense.
“It’s not the first time we are playing teams up in the Bay Area,” Belton said. “We know their style of play. They are quick and probably more athletic than we are but our defense is really what we rely on.”
He continued, “I believe if we play our defense and make shots on offense, we can really beat anybody.”
CCS Division I playoff quarterfinals:
No. 3 San Benito vs. Milpitas
Time: 6:15 p.m.
Address: 1377 Piedmont Road , San Jose, California 95132
