The San Benito High football team has a tough assignment ahead
if it is going to win the Division 2 Central Coast Section
title.
Although it will not be easy, it is an attainable goal this
season, especially because there are no private schools in the
bracket and the Balers have been playing good football.
The San Benito High football team has a tough assignment ahead if it is going to win the Division 2 Central Coast Section title.
Although it will not be easy, it is an attainable goal this season, especially because there are no private schools in the bracket and the Balers have been playing good football.
San Benito, which had an unbeaten streak of eight games this season, dropped down to Division 2 after losing last week to Palma 7-6.
Teams are placed in divisions based on their enrollment the previous year for grades 10-12. Last year, San Benito’s enrollment in the category was 1,868, while Milpitas’ was 1,932.
The top eight teams or an “A” league champion have the option of moving up to play in the higher bracket, bumping other lower seeds down. Teams can petition at the start of the year to play in a higher bracket.
Sometimes the seedings are not always fair. Valley Christian, one of the top teams in the area and the Division 1 defending champion, dropped down to Division 4 with some of the smaller schools and should have no trouble winning the Division. None of the games will probably closer than two touchdowns.
But the Balers may have caught a bit of a break. The teams in Division 1 have won a combined 29 CCS titles, but there are no easy teams in Division 2 either.
San Benito, the No. 4 seed, does get a home game Saturday night in the first round against No. 5 Milpitas. But the Balers can’t rely on the home-field advantage alone to give them the win.
San Benito will have to play solid football like it has for most of the season. The Balers will also have to have a perfect special teams game. Each team should be able to score three or four touchdowns if the field is dry.
Milpitas played Live Oak earlier this year in a game I covered at Milpitas. The Trojans won that game 24-0. Milpitas, which has an almost identical record to San Benito, is a quick and powerful team.
Both the Balers and the Trojans have a similar style of play, and both teams have tough defenses.
The Balers have to be careful not to give up any big plays against their potent offense.
If the Balers can win in the first round, they will most likely play No.1 Los Gatos. Los Gatos, which won three consecutive Division 3 titles before being moved up to Division 2 this year, should be able to defeat Alisal in the first round of the playoffs with its eyes closed.
After all, the team has posted 36 CCS wins – more than any other public school in the section.
However, Alisal is playing in its first ever CCS playoff game and may come out hungry.
A win in that game would move the Balers to the championship game. San Benito will more than likely face No. 3 Leland or No. 2 Aptos in that game.
My bet would have to be with Leland. Although the Chargers are the lower seed, they play a tougher schedule and have one of the top running backs in the section.
But maybe a team like Menlo-Atherton or North Salinas can make a run as well. North Salinas has looked good this year with its good core of backs led by Ronnie Drummer. The team pulled off a big win over Salinas that helped secure a spot in the playoffs and knock Salinas out.
So, my prediction for this week – Balers 27, Trojans 24.
