Quarterback Ryan Morrison’s 21-yard touchdown run with 57
seconds left proved to be the game-winner as the visiting Palma
Chieftains leapfrogged San Benito in the waning moments Friday
night en route to a 24-21 victory.
HOLLISTER
Normally, when the fourth-string quarterback makes an appearance on the football field, things probably aren’t going right for the offense, or for the rest of the football team, for that matter.
“But we were still running our offense,” said San Benito head coach Chris Cameron, whose Balers, despite the mounting injuries behind center on Friday night, nearly showed enough moxie to upset the visiting Palma Chieftains.
“Our kids battled,” he said.
It was Palma’s first-string quarterback that proved to be the difference, though.
After San Benito called upon the services of third-string quarterback Garrett Avina and improbably grabbed a 21-17 lead with 3:29 remaining on Friday night, Palma quarterback Ryan Morrison orchestrated an eight-play, 70-yard game-winning drive, culminating with a 21-yard touchdown run with 57 seconds remaining, as the Chieftains leapfrogged a bruised and battered San Benito squad in the final minute en route to a 24-21 victory — the team’s second emotional game in as many weeks.
“Never a dull moment,” Palma head coach Jeff Carnazzo said afterward. A year ago, a late rally by the Balers fell short on a two-point conversion attempt with 19 seconds remaining, as Palma prevailed 24-23.
Friday’s contest wasn’t short of any drama, either.
The Chieftains appeared to have the game sewed up a little bit earlier on, though, as they entered the fourth quarter with a 17-6 cushion — the Balers having not scored since the 9:36 mark of the first quarter. They racked up 307 yards on offense to San Benito’s 212, and ran 26 more offensive plays from scrimmage.
To make matters worse, San Benito’s quarterback position was suddenly equipped with a revolving door.
“We played low on the depth chart, but everyone stepped up,” said senior wingback James Flook, who led the Balers with 62 yards rushing Friday. “Everybody had to pick up everybody else.”
With starting signal-caller Tyler Decker previously sidelined with a knee injury, and backup sophomore Michael Bocksnick suffering a leg injury early in the third quarter, San Benito tabbed third-stringer Garrett Avina on Friday night, and later, albeit briefly, fourth-stringer Robert Soto.
“We were prepping all week. I just stepped in,” said Avina, a junior who normally plays free safey for the Balers, but who quarterbacked both the freshmen and junior varsity teams earlier in his prep career.
“I felt a little off,” he added. “But once the first play went by, I got the hang of it.”
Despite Avina’s place on the depth chart, San Benito didn’t shy away from its usual brand of offense with the third-stringer in place. Avina ran the ball nine times for 16 yards, and delivered a last-second option pitch on a key third-and-7 situation to Flook, who picked up 12 yards and a first down late in the fourth quarter.
“He kept the ship moving,” Cameron said of Avina.
Two plays later, Flook sprinted down the left sideline, shedding three tackles en route to a 42-yard gain and a first-and-goal scenario from the Palma 5. Cody Hendricks then barged his way up the middle for the go-ahead 2-yard touchdown — and on fourth-and-goal, no less — putting the Balers ahead by four points with 3:29 remaining.
The lead didn’t last, though.
“They were down. Their quarterback was down and they still played with such great tenacity,” Carnazzo said. “But I can’t say enough about my quarterback. He took the reins.”
Morrison’s game-winning scamper around the right side was his third touchdown of the game — he scored from 1 yard, 41 yards and 21 yards — and just about knocked the wind out of San Benito, which went four-and-out on its ensuing possession to close out the contest.
“We just weren’t hitting on all cylinders on offense,” Carnazzo said. “But Ryan sure did make up for it.”
Although the Balers managed to bottle up Palma go-to back Jack Baird for just 70 yards on 21 attempts — Baird was the TCAL’s leading rusher entering the game with 1,182 yards on the ground — it was Morrison, with 55 yards in the air and 149 yards on the ground, who tied San Benito into fits.
“Their quarterback killed us,” Cameron said.
San Benito needed to upset its undefeated rival in order to earn a share of the TCAL title — something it hasn’t accomplished since 2005.
Instead, it falls to 4-2 in the TCAL, and will finish in third place behind runner-up Salinas (5-1) and outright champion Palma (6-0).
“We had opportunities to win this football game,” said Cameron, noting the missed field goals, costly turnovers and penalties committed by the Balers.
San Benito actually turned the ball over on the very first play of the game, and although the Baler defense forced a three-and-out, Palma’s Christian Cardona converted the takeaway into points when he drilled a 36-yard field goal just 94 seconds into regulation.
The Balers immediately responded when Shadoe Valenzuela returned the ensuing kickoff 62 yards to the Palma 35, eventually setting up James Sanchez’s 24-yard option pitch touchdown run down the right sideline. But the 25-yard point-after attempt was missed by Tino Granados after San Benito was whistled for a false start.
It was the last time the Balers would find paydirt until early in the fourth quarter, when Hendricks recovered a fumble at the Palma 26, then scored the first of his two touchdowns five plays later from 10 yards out. Avina tacked on the two-point conversion when he rolled over a Palma defender and into the end zone to cut Palma’s lead, 17-14.
“I was excited. I was ready to go,” said Avina, who led the offense to two fourth-quarter touchdowns Friday. “The offensive line did a great job of pushing the guys and giving me good reads.”
Hendricks’ second touchdown roughly eight minutes later nearly ensured a share of the TCAL title for the Balers.
“Ya know, you’re down. But at the same time, my guys don’t give up,” Carnazzo said. “We haven’t been behind much this year. But it was good to see that. We’ll need that going into the playoffs.”
Matt Vallejo nearly ensured the league championship all by himself, too, when he appeared to pick off a Morrison pass during Palma’s game-winning drive. But the senior cornerback fell just out of bounds.
“I’m not sure, but it was just a few inches,” Vallejo said. “It was pretty close. But the ref called it out of bounds.”
A horse-collar penalty on San Benito three plays later then turned what would have been a first-and-20 on the Baler 36 into a first-and-5 on the 21. Morrison took advantage of the shorter distance for the game-winning touchdown just a few plays later.
“It was a heartbreaker,” Vallejo said. “But we kept fighting them on every play, no matter what down it was.
“We had heart. We never gave up and we’re gonna come out fired up next week, no matter who we play.”
San Benito won’t find out its next opponent until this weekend when the Central Coast Section seedings are announced.
And at this point, what the depth chart reads next Friday is anyone’s guess.
“I don’t know what’s gonna happen right now,” Cameron said.
Friday night proved, at least, that San Benito will compete, no matter who lines up where.
“My mindset didn’t change,” Flook said. “Trust in everyone. Have faith in everyone, and we can play together anytime.
“We proved that much tonight.”
TEAM 1 2 3 4 F
PALM 10 7 0 7 24
SANB 6 0 0 15 21
SCORING SUMMARY
First Quarter
KICK (10:26) — PALM, Christian Cardona, 36-yard field goal is good; 3-0, PALM.
RUSH (9:36) — SANB, James Sanchez, 24-yard touchdown, PAT (Tino Granados) is no good; 6-3, SANB.
RUSH (2:47) — PALM, Ryan Morrison, 1-yard touchdown, PAT (Christian Cardona) is good; 10-6, PALM.
Second Quarter
RUSH (9:27) — PALM, Ryan Morrison, 41-yard touchdown, PAT (Christian Cardona) is good; 17-6, PALM.
Fourth Quarter
RUSH (11:11) — SANB, Cody Hendricks, 10-yard touchdown, two-point conversion (Garrett Avina) is good; 17-14, PALM.
RUSH (3:29) — SANB, Cody Hendricks, 2-yard touchdown, PAT (Tino Granados) is good; 21-17, SANB.
RUSH (:57) — PALM, Ryan Morrison, 21-yard touchdown, PAT (Christian Cardona) is good; 24-21, PALM.
PALMA STATISTICS
Passing: Ryan Morrison — 9 of 16, 55 yards. Rushing: Ryan Morrison — 20 attempts, 149 yards, 3 touchdowns; Jack Baird — 21 attempts, 70 yards; Jack Myers — 6 attempts, 22 yards; Tanner Sherman — 1 attempt, 5 yards; Jack Ross — 2 attempts, 6 yards. Receiving: Jack Ross — 2 receptions, -1 yards; Tanner Sherman — 5 receptions, 40 yards; Noah Allen — 2 receptions, 16 yards.
SAN BENITO STATISTICS
Passing: Michael Bocksnick — 1 of 3, 35 yards, 1 interception; Robert Soto — 0 of 1. Rushing: Michael Bocksnick — 7 attempts, 30 yards; James Flook — 5 attempts, 62 yards; Cody Hendricks — 9 attempts, 42 yards, 2 touchdowns; James Sanchez — 5 attempts, 28 yards, 1 touchdown; Robert Soto — 1 attempt, -1 yards; Garrett Avina — 9 attempts, 16 yards. Receiving: Cody Bentson — 1 reception, 35 yards.
TOTAL OFFENSE
Palma — 307 yards (55 pass, 252 rush)
San Benito — 212 yards (35 pass, 177 rush)
TURNOVERS
Palma — 1
San Benito — 2
SACKS
Palma — 2 (Brandon Pulealii, Jack Powers) for -4 yards.
San Benito — 1 (Javier Bustillos) for -5 yards.
PENALTIES
Palma — 10 for -62 yards.
San Benito — 6 for -40 yards.
JV Note:
The San Benito junior varsity football team, playing in its final game of the regular season, lost to visiting Palma 49-14 on Friday night at Andy Hardin Stadium in Hollister.
The loss dropped the Balers to 2-4 in the Tri-County Athletic League, 4-6 overall on the year.
Frosh Note:
The San Benito freshmen football team finished its regular season with an undefeated record on Friday night when it beat visiting Palma 29-6 at Andy Hardin Stadium in Hollister.
The victory improved the Balers to 5-0 in the Tri-County Athletic League, 10-0 overall.
According to San Benito head coach Herb Bocksnick, it is the first freshmen football team in 12 years to finish its season undefeated.
