Baler boys defy the odds
It would have been perfectly reasonable for San Benito High boys
basketball coach John Becerra to, at the start of the season, place
the
”
rebuilding
”
tag upon the Haybalers this past year.
Baler boys defy the odds
It would have been perfectly reasonable for San Benito High boys basketball coach John Becerra to, at the start of the season, place the “rebuilding” tag upon the Haybalers this past year.
He didn’t, of course. The term “rebuilding” is like some sort of four-letter word when it comes to coaches. They rarely ever use it, and if they do, they never want anyone to hear them say it, so not to send entire towns into a frenzy, entire schools into a state of shock.
What did he say?
Shut your mouth!
But would it have been uncalled for? Would saying such a dirty word like “rebuilding” at the beginning of this basketball season really have been acknowledged with a slap on the wrist?
Before I even saw a boys basketball game this past season, I didn’t have terribly high expectations.
Here’s why.
The Haybalers went 20-9 last season, 9-3 in the Tri-County Athletic League, and finished runner-up to Palma in the TCAL. Mind you, this was one year after San Benito compiled a lowly 8-18 overall record, finishing ahead of only North Salinas in the TCAL.
But last season’s run also included a convincing 61-44 victory over Independence High in the second round of the Central Coast Section Division I playoffs, and only until San Benito ran into third-seeded Serra did their season finally end. The Balers lost 76-48 to the Padres, which left many wondering, including myself, why there isn’t an open division for the basketball postseason.
But I digress.
Afterward (and this is the biggie), the Balers graduated 10 seniors – TEN! – out of a total of 13 varsity players, including their top four leading scorers, who were averaging a combined 39.16 points per game for a team that was averaging 57.9 points a game.
And let’s not forget to mention that Marty Bueno, Brian Haggett, Tyler Ruiz and Kevin Burley all graduated, each of whom earned all-league honors last season.
So those are the ingredients. A 20-win team loses just about everybody. I mean, did anyone really expect what happened this season to actually, you know, happen?
“Not really,” senior guard Jason Canchola said. “But after our first (league) win, we just got on a streak. Everything was possible. We just kept playing harder and harder.”
Although it finished 6-6 in the TCAL this year – tied for third place – and 15-13 overall, San Benito wrapped up its entire campaign in the same exact spot as last season: the CCS Division I quarterfinals.
The Balers even disposed of Independence High – a team that returned eight players from last year’s team – for a second straight year, 63-60.
Impressive, to say the least.
And this was a team that started 0-4 in the TCAL and had a penchant for playing in close ball games – they were 4-6 in contests decided by four points or less.
“I think we finished good, especially with [four] seniors on the team,” said Canchola, after the Balers fell to top-seeded Piedmont Hills 52-37 last Saturday.
With the team’s makeup including three juniors and four sophomores, Canchola wasn’t necessarily expecting the team to finish where they did.
Few people were.
“At the beginning of the season I think everybody thought that with all the sophomores and juniors on the team, we weren’t going to be very good,” said senior Tim Von Urff. “So I’m happy we got this far. I didn’t expect we were going to, but we came together as a team throughout the season and just kept getting better and better.”
My sample size of Becerra’s work is limited – just two years – but this past season had to have been rather satisfying.
The funny thing is, and this is why I’m not a basketball coach, the Balers were never rebuilding. They had what they needed; it just needed a little time, a little experience, a little grooming, to fully blossom and develop.
