Mixed success at season center
Depending upon the schedule, we’re more or less halfway through
the winter season at San Benito High, and the postseason is already
taking shape for some, not so much for others.
Mixed success at season center
Depending upon the schedule, we’re more or less halfway through the winter season at San Benito High, and the postseason is already taking shape for some, not so much for others.
Hey, it happens.
With a month remaining to the winter season, let’s break down each team, from basketball to soccer to wrestling.
Where does each team stand right now? What’s upcoming for the remainder of the season? It’s a quick glance to an otherwise long season.
Enjoy.
Girls’ basketball
The Lady Balers have established themselves as the team to beat in the Tri-County Athletic League after they bested North Salinas 55-44 recently. And not to sound like a movie critic, but if you see one more game this season, travel to North Salinas High on Feb. 6 for the rematch.
No, seriously. It’ll be worth it.
With that said, and with San Benito’s current 13-3 overall mark, it’s easy to make the case why the Lady Balers are perhaps the team to beat in the Central Coast Section as well.
For one, they’re the defending CCS champions – that helps – and two, well, they’re playing at such a high intensity right now that it’s safe to believe that anything is possible.
As long as they continue to play at the level they’re playing at, we could be talking about a Lady Balers team that actually trumped last season’s records and this season’s expectations.
Boys’ basketball
After losing 10 seniors to graduation, the Haybalers are having a difficult time rebounding from last season’s mass exodus.
They’re 0-4 in the TCAL at press time, and are unfortunately having one of those better-than-their-record type seasons. With just four seniors, San Benito is having trouble finishing, which is usually a staple of a youthful team.
In six games this season decided by two points or less, the Haybalers are 2-4. If they can turn that around, San Benito could make it interesting in the second half of the season.
They may still be searching for their first league win, but they’re only two games out of a playoff spot. Turning the season around, however, needs to happen quickly.
Wrestling
The San Benito High wrestling team is perhaps the most difficult team to gauge at this point in the season. Ranked No. 4 in the section, San Benito has backed it up with a first-place finish at the Coast Classic in Scotts Valley and a fifth-place finish at The Bash in Clovis East.
But duals against Palma (Jan. 28) and Gilroy (Feb. 10) are still on the slate, while this weekend’s Mid Cals, which should be a preview of the CCS Championships, should be taken with a grain of salt after San Benito’s recent spate of injuries.
The team will be without 119-pounder Junior Davila (hand), 125-pounder Morris Stevens (shoulder) and 112-pounder David Bazan, who head coach Brian DeCarli yanked from last weekend’s tournament at Overfelt after he was slammed to the mat.
“The way this last week’s been going, we need to recoup and get healthy,” DeCarli said. “That’s our main concern right now. We need to get everyone healthy.”
Indeed. A run at Mid Cals would be great, but it’s nothing in the long run. Right now, San Benito will be eyeing the health of its team as it preps for Jan. 28 at Palma.
Boys’ soccer
After a pair of losses to Palma and Alisal to open the Tri-County Athletic League, two games in which San Benito was outscored 9-1, the Haybalers have battled back recently and are playing strong soccer.
But similar to the boys’ basketball team, San Benito is having a better-than-their-record type season, and are also having difficulty finishing.
They’re more or less youthful as well – half of San Benito’s lineup is seniors, while the other half is freshman and sophomores.
But after that dismal opening, San Benito has lost 4-3 to Gilroy, 1-0 to Salinas, and tied Everett Alvarez 1-1. It’s tough to foresee this team in the playoffs right now, but as those underclassmen grow, head coach Ramiro Ramos could very well have one of the best teams in the TCAL on his hands.
Girls’ soccer
I actually considered waiting to write this column because San Benito hadn’t played Gilroy yet, a game that will weigh heavily toward which team emerges with the TCAL crown.
But just being in that position means you’re having a great year, and such is the case for the Lady Balers, which are 3-0-2 at press time, 11-1-3 overall.
Yes, they’re having a great year.
If they can hold their current second-place standing, San Benito will qualify for the section playoffs for the third straight year.
They just need to bring the same consistency every game. For instance, they tied Notre Dame 0-0 and North Salinas 2-2 earlier this season, then pummeled Everett Alvarez 5-1 and Salinas 5-2 last week.
If they can mimic their play of late through the rest of the season, they can finally topple Gilroy.
