Improved Balers team battles Oak Grove Friday; Eagles handed San
Benito one of its worst losses last season
HOLLISTER
Of the 144 minutes of football San Benito has played this season, the Haybalers have trailed their three opponents for all of one minute and 29 seconds.
San Benito’s brief meeting with adversity occurred in Week 1, when visiting Andrew Hill took a 7-0 lead early in the second quarter. One minute and 29 seconds later, however, the Balers knotted the score at 7-all and haven’t trailed an opponent since.
San Benito head coach Chris Cameron owed the developed play to good field position and winning the turnover battle.
“And you can’t beat that,” he said.
But whether adversity returns to Andy Hardin Stadium on Friday night remains to be seen. The visiting team will be Oak Grove, which handed the Balers one of its worst losses of the season in 2008 – a 43-0 drubbing in San Jose.
“They’re gonna be a challenge and they killed us last year and our guys know that,” Cameron said. “We’ve got something to prove and they’ve got something to stick us with.”
San Benito is better off this season, of course, and is coming off perhaps its best game of the season against Wilcox – a 31-7 rout over the favored Chargers. The defense forced four turnovers in that game while also pocketing a touchdown, and the offense went to work on the ground, rushing for 246 yards against the Santa Clara school.
“We’re running the football and we’re running it decently, which is opening up other facets,” Cameron said.
Below is this week’s edition of the Score, which previews the Oak Grove game:
What may have opened up the ground game was San Benito’s passing, not to mention the success it had early on with the option pitch. Although quarterback Trevor Fabing had just 15 attempts against Wilcox, he threw for a season-high 121 yards, despite the Balers opting to throw the ball just 25 percent of the time.
“They had to run a defense where they had to play the perimeter as well as play the run, which helps us out,” said Cameron of the Chargers, which were forced to spread its defense out after the Balers showed it could exploit holes to the outside.
Through three games, the Balers have more than doubled their rushing output compared to last season – 322 yards in 2008 to 704 yards rushing this season – while the defense has forced 11 turnovers and scored four touchdowns in just 12 quarters of football.
But mimicking what they did last week against Wilcox will be ideal for Friday night’s game against Oak Grove, Cameron said. The Eagles lost to St. Francis of Mountain View 35-0 in Week 1, but it may have proved to be a mere aberration, as Oak Grove returned in Week 2 to rout Woodside 47-0.
The San Jose school had a bye in Week 3.
Defensively, Cameron is expecting Oak Grove to be fast up front and run plenty of blitz packages in order to dictate tempo and instill intimidation. The Eagles revolve around preseason all-CCS linebacker Paul Schwenke, who at 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds, is also Oak Grove’s fullback.
Cameron also expects the Balers to be tested deep. Eagles quarterback Ritchie Castillo delivered two touchdown passes equaling 110 yards to sophomore wideout Cleveland Wallace in Week 2, according to the San Jose Mercury News.
“They’re gonna get the ball to their playmakers,” Cameron said. “Get rid of the ball fast and get it in their athletes’ hands.”
Under first-year head coach Jay Braun, Oak Grove is rather youthful after having lost plenty from last year’s team, which went 11-1 before falling to Valley Christian in the CCS Open Division playoffs.
But Cameron is expecting a physical and formidable opponent, nevertheless.
“I expect them to come in here and go for the home run,” he said.
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San Benito and Oak Grove will square off Friday night at Andy Hardin Stadium in Hollister. Kick-off is 7:30 p.m.
