With a quick cut and the blazing speed of B.J. Boyd and the
defending Division I champs Palo Alto Vikings, the 2011 season
started out in the worst way for the San Benito Balers.
And it got a lot worse before it got better.
With a quick cut and the blazing speed of B.J. Boyd and the defending Division I champs Palo Alto Vikings, the 2011 season started out in the worst way for the San Benito Balers.
And it got a lot worse before it got better.
Following a Baler three-and-out – where they loss one yard – Boyd struck again.
The running back went to the outside of the line before cutting up the middle and sprinting down the field for 62-yard touchdown. Despite running through the middle of the defense, Boyd went untouched and gave the Vikings an early 14-0 lead.
“It’s tough when you start out that way, but they battled back,” head coach Chris Cameron.
And they certainly did battle back, but it was a little too late as the Balers would eventually trail 28-0 before losing 28-18.
And it was those first few moments that did the Balers in.
After the first three minutes of the game, the Balers fixed their tackling and opened up the offense to outscore the Vikings 18-14 for the rest of the game. Overall, the new-look offense – backed by the electric quarterback Michael Bocksnick – totaled 364 yards.
The junior quarterback was the main offensive threat all game long for the Balers, throwing for 179 yards and rushing for 120 and two touchdowns. Bocksnick accounted for nearly 60 percent of the Balers offensive output.
“I thought Michael played really well,” Cameron said. “They will have to account for that kid.”
At first it didn’t seem that would be the case.
In the first half, Bocksnick rarely had time to set his feet, as he was constantly pushed outside the pocket and hit hard. It wasn’t until late in the second quarter Bocksnick started to get loose when the game already seemed over thanks to Baler missed opportunities and tackles.
With the Balers trailing 28-0 late in the second quarter, the Balers made their first move of the year.
With a quick 28-yard strike from Bocksnick to receiver Robert Soto, the Balers moved deep inside Palo Alto territory.
Keeping the ball in Bocksnick’s hands, the quarterback moved the Balers to the Palo Alto 18 yard line with 38 seconds left. Then, the quarterback took over.
Dropping back, Bocksnick couldn’t find an open receiver and started to scramble. Taking a straight line to the middle of the field, Bocksnick outran the defense and scampered to the left side of the endzone.
After a botched snap on the extra point, the score inched the Balers closer to the Vikings at 28-6.
The play was the momentum swing the Balers had been aching for.
“In the first half we came out a little timid and weary of what the other team is like,” Bocksnick said. “I mean state champs – yadda, yadda, yadda. They played good – they are a good, well coached team.”
Bocksnick also had a 62-yard touchdown run in the second half to continue the Balers second half momentum.
But it was the defense that truly changed the tide of the game.
“They have a lot of great athletes but we needed to come out and execute like we are supposed to do from day one,” linebacker Ryan Di Salvo said. “The d really stepped up. Coach (Tod) Thatcher told us that we need to step up. We need to execute – we needed to do what we needed to do.”
And the defense did just that, swarming Palo Alto’s two-headed running game of Boyd and Dre Hill and sophomore quarterback Keller Chryst.
Chryst finished the game going 8-23 for 109 yards and two touchdowns, but in the second half he completed only two of his 10 passes and threw an interception.
Boyd touched the ball three times but gained only two yards.
“We were shelled shock from the get go,” Cameron said. We told them in practice they have speed, they have speed, they have speed, but we don’t have anyone in practice … we don’t have the speed in practice. So those guys were flying right by us.”
But in the second half that all changed.
“We started to play real hard,” Cameron said. “They started to play with confidence and we starting playing like we can. We are playing a lot of young guys and they didn’t settle into the game and it showed.”
The deficit was just too large for the resurgent Balers.
Despite the 28-18 loss, the Balers finished their season opener with high spirits.
“I’m happy the way the kids came back,” Cameron said. “If we can somehow erase the kickoff and the first play from scrimmage – who knows.”
He continued, “It showed our character. We could have totally tanked. It shows we have fight in us. We had an opportunity to win the game.”
Hopefully for Cameron the game will serve as a lesson for week two, and home opener, opponent Oak Grove on Friday.
“We are gong to see all this and more next week. So I hope we come out expecting it and settle more into the game,” Cameron said.
San Benito 0 6 6 6 – 18
Palo Alto 14 14 0 0 – 28
First Quarter
PA – Boyd 95-yard kickoff return (Whitehead kick) 11:47
PA – Boyd 62-yard run (Whitehead kick) 9:30
Second Quarter
PA – Ja. Gates-Mouton 19-yard pass from Chryst (Whitehead kick) 9:36
PA – Ja. Gates-Mouton 11-yard pass from Chryst (Whitehead kick) 4:19
SB – Bocksnick 18-yard run (conversion failed) :38
Third Quarter
SB – Bocksnick 62-yard run (conversion failed) :25
Fourth Quarter
SB – Cervantes 4-yard run (conversion failed) :36
RUSHING – SB: Cervantes 2-7, Bocksnick 17-120, Soto 1-(-2), Avina 3-28, Valencia 4-11, De Leon 5-21; PA: Chryst 4-19, Boyd 8-100, M. Gates-Mouton 6-32, Hill 12-25.
PASSING – SB: Bocksnick 12-23-0-179; PA: Chryst 8-23-1-109.
RECEIVING – SB: Soto 5-60, Valencia 3-44, Haro 1-36, Di Salvo 1-13, De Leon 1-12, Gonzalez 1-14; PA: Ja. Gates-Mouton 6-72, Landa 1-11, Boyd 1-26.
