On Friday, before their game at Everett Alvarez, the San Benito
Haybalers left the locker room after practice at Andy Hardin
Stadium with an air of confidence about them.
On Friday, before their game at Everett Alvarez, the San Benito Haybalers left the locker room after practice at Andy Hardin Stadium with an air of confidence about them.
I wouldn’t say they were cocky, confidence’s evil twin, but the ‘Balers carried a certainty and a swagger that hasn’t been truly seen this season.
Of course, it’s easy to wear confidence on your sleeve when the team you’re playing hasn’t won a game in its last 19 tries, stretching over a three-year span. And while the ‘Balers may have been seen as just a tad cocky in the first half, as they trailed 6-3 at halftime, they didn’t let it last too long.
“It was good to see our kids get the win – a tale of two halves,” said defensive coordinator Tod Thatcher. “It was nice to see our team, as a group, play together in the second half. That was a positive.”
The ‘Balers capitalized on the ground, and capitalized on the Eagles mistakes, leading to 26 second-half points, 20 unanswered in the fourth quarter alone.
Head coach Chris Cameron said their was no “Knute Rockne thing” in the locker room at halftime, although the ‘Balers most definitely flipped the switch coming out in the third quarter.
The one moment of uncertainty in the second half was the Eagles’ three-play, 75-yard drive that resulted in a 26-yard touchdown run from Esau Merino and a 13-9 Alvarez lead.
But after the Eagles nabbed a narrow lead, there was no panic in the ‘Balers, even after the ensuing possession for the San Benito offense resulted in no points.
No points. No panic. Just brimming with confidence, maybe?
After Taylor Coustette dragged down Eagle running back Jacob Jones for a loss of four yards, on an important third-down-and-one nonetheless, the ‘Balers offense got the ball and found pay dirt on a 2-yard touchdown run from Nick Acosta.
Suddenly, the ‘Balers held a 3-point lead, and with more than eight minutes to go, could smell victory.
The defense stopped Alvarez on a three-and-out on their next drive, and San Benito increased their lead to six points on a 27-yard kick by Gus Silva.
The ‘Balers added 10 more points late in the game off of Eagles mistakes, but the most important factor was that the team played with confidence in the second half.
They were down early, they trailed late, but they were never out of it, and they carried themselves as such.
Cameron said the biggest thing plaguing the team right now is immaturity, leading to blown assignments on the field. And while they may still have quite a ways to go to be “firing on all cylinders,” the ‘Balers need to enter each and every game believing they’ll be successful, as well as carry that belief throughout the game.
While playing a football team that hadn’t won in three years surely helped in the confidence department, somewhere along the line, likely at halftime, the ‘Balers turned that confidence into success on the field.
Saturday was a good start to the “second season.” Now they need to carry that over to North Salinas on Oct. 12.
JV NOTE: The San Benito Haybalers junior varsity team jumped out to an early lead and cruised to a 35-2 win over Everett Alvarez on Saturday.
While the ‘Balers scored 35 points on offense, they also caused 10 turnovers on defense, with five of the turnovers off fumbles and the other five off interceptions.
“We took it to them,” coach Luis Espinoza said. “They pretty much shut down in the second quarter.”
The ‘Balers held a 20-0 lead after one quarter.
Wayne Clark Urbina put San Benito on the scoreboard first with a 5-yard rushing touchdown, while quarterback Kyle Vallejo connected with Ryan Ashley for a 20-yard touchdown pass.
Vallejo did it again later in the quarter, this time hitting Michael Avena for a 60-yard score.
In the third quarter, San Benito padded their lead when Jordan Ashford ran it in from three yards out, while in the fourth quarter, Greg Vasquez threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Urbina. A quarterback sneak from Vallejo for the two-point conversion put San Benito well ahead to end the game.
The ‘Balers will have a bye week this week before hosting North Salinas on Oct. 12.
“We’re just trying to heal our injuries and trying to get a full squad back,” Espinoza said, “but we’re not taking it easy.
