The top-seeded San Benito Haybalers defeated No. 8 Independence
13-9 in the first round of the Central Coast Section Division I
playoffs Friday night at Andy Hardin Stadium in Hollister.
HOLLISTER
Some running backs simply have a nose for the end zone. It’s not their fault, though, if their desire to reach paydirt suddenly turns into a rabid fixation.
“When I saw the (goal) line, I started foaming at the mouth,” junior Cody Hendricks said. “I wanted it.”
The San Benito fullback’s urge to reach the end zone Friday night against No. 8 Independence was on full display late in the third quarter. With his team trailing the visiting 76ers by a narrow 9-7 margin, Hendricks ran off right tackle from four yards out and bulldozed his way over safety Joe Pauli and across the goal line — the eventual game-winning touchdown in San Benito’s 13-9 victory in the Central Coast Section Division I playoffs.
“They were going for the legs at first,” said Hendricks, who finished with 47 yards on 11 carries. “I high-stepped and got out of it and into the end zone.”
In the playoffs, it’s whatever works.
Coming off consecutive losses to Palma and Gilroy to wrap up the regular season, the top-seeded Balers (9-2) “limped” into the Division I playoffs and lost key offensive contributors along the way, including starting quarterback Trevor Fabing (shoulder).
Junior backup Tyler Decker got the start behind center, and finished with 12 carries for 46 yards.
But with a return to its smashmouth-style defense and fight-for-every-yard offense, San Benito returned to the win column Friday night at Hollister’s Andy Hardin Stadium, and not a moment too soon.
“It wasn’t a real pretty game. Hopefully, we can clean it up,” San Benito head coach Chris Cameron said. “It always matters what it looks like. But the important thing is that we get to walk away with the victory.”
Advancing to the CCS semifinals for the first time since 2005, San Benito will now play No. 4 Salinas (7-4) on Saturday at San Jose City College. The Cowboys, who lost to the Balers by a 29-10 margin on Oct. 30, defeated No. 5 Andrew Hill (7-2-2) on Saturday, 52-24.
Beating the same team twice in a given season is a tall order, Cameron said, and the Baler offense, which committed two turnovers and compiled 184 total yards Friday night, will need to improve moving forward.
But after Independence’s (6-4-1) Tony Lopez split the uprights with a 30-yard field goal attempt that put the Sixers ahead 9-7 at halftime, San Benito’s senior leaders came together in the locker room at the break, and perhaps instilled a sense of urgency back into the Balers.
“I just told them that we have more heart than them and that we shouldn’t be losing by this much,” senior linebacker Michael Murphy said.
Even a two-point halftime deficit is an item for motivation.
“This was the last time we’re playing on this field,” added senior offensive lineman Courtland Thompson. Both Murphy and Thompson spoke of senior defensive lineman Jacob Benitez, though, who recalled his freshman season when the Balers were upset at home by Piedmont Hills in the first round of the Large School Division playoffs.
“He was talking about how we’re a family now,” Thompson said. “We definitely have to play for ourselves, for the team and for this community.
“He got us riled up.”
And for a team that lives off the big hit, the second half’s chilly temperatures only added to the fuel. On the first play from scrimmage, junior defensive lineman Marcos Silva sacked quarterback Jose Penaloza for a loss of seven yards, leading to an Independence three-and-out.
“Came out in the second half and we didn’t have a dead third quarter,” Cameron said.
Although the Balers did the same after a holding penalty on first down, the defense responded with another three-and-out, and gave the Balers’ offense the ball back at their own 46.
Nine plays later, after fullback Nick Acosta and quarterback Tyler Decker ran off double-digit rushing attempts to put the Balers inside the 5, Hendricks burst off right tackle with 1:12 remaining in the third quarter to give San Benito the four-point edge.
“We think we should have put more points up,” Hendricks said. “But missing some key players on offense, we played with heart.”
San Benito opted for the two-point conversion off Hendricks’ touchdown, but Decker’s intended pass to Dustin Franco fell incomplete.
“We thought the one point wouldn’t do anything for us,” Cameron said. “If it was six, they still would have had to kick the extra point to beat us.”
And kicking the extra point was by no means a gimme for Independence.
Despite being held to 170 yards of total offense, the 76ers took their first offensive play from scrimmage 65 yards down the left sideline at 7:59 in the first quarter.
“It was a scrum,” Murphy said. “All the guy did was run out that way.”
Taking a direct snap, running back Joe Pauli tried to run straight up the middle into a pile. But once the San Benito defense committed to the “scrum,” Pauli somehow bounced out of the pile and out to the left sideline, where 65 yards of rain-soaked grass was all that was in front of him.
The extra point by Lopez, however, was blocked by San Benito’s Robert Pinedo, keeping Independence to just a 6-0 score.
“We came out a little shaky,” said Acosta, who ran for 66 yards on 15 carries.
The offense went three-and-out on its ensuing possession, but scored its first break when Independence’s Steven Tellez muffed the punt. Murphy recovered the loose football at the 76er 35-yard line, and supplied the Balers with a second chance.
After a false start penalty pushed the Balers back, however, Decker found his sea legs when he ran 11 yards around the left corner, delivering a big hit along the way. Hendricks then picked up 18 yards on a crucial third-and-two, while Acosta blasted up the middle and into the end zone on a third-and-goal from the Independence 1.
Tino Granados’ point-after attempt gave the Balers a 7-6 lead with 2:28 remaining in the first quarter.
“I think the score should have 20-something to zero,” Acosta said. “We came out a little nervous. But we stepped it up in the second half and played our game.
“The speech got us fired up. And once we got that touchdown (in the third quarter), they couldn’t come back after that.”
Independence did have their chances, however. Along with Pinedo’s blocked point-after, the 76ers missed a 38-yard field goal attempt in the second quarter and a 37-yard attempt in the fourth quarter after Hendricks’ go-ahead touchdown.
“We were mentally strong and that’s what helped us in the long run,” Murphy said.
The Sixers had one final chance in the fourth quarter, though. After the Balers ate up nearly six minutes of clock on offense in the final stanza, San Benito finally relinquished the ball to Independence at their own 22 with 2:59 remaining.
But a Penaloza pass fell incomplete on first down, while linebacker Larry Mendoza sniffed out a screen pass on second down for a loss of seven yards. Taylor Coustette followed with a quarterback sack that pinned Independence back three more yards, while defensive backs Jordan Ashford and Alex Alvarez broke up Penaloza’s intended pass on fourth-and-20 to seal San Benito’s victory.
“The coach had us in dime-man, and we practiced that all week,” Mendoza said. “I was just following my man everywhere, and he didn’t go anywhere.”
San Benito will look to continue forward in Saturday’s semifinal round against league rival Salinas. Kick-off is 3 p.m., at San Jose City College.
“This was a big emotional win for our seniors,” said the senior Mendoza. “But it doesn’t matter (who we play). We need to pick up our practices.”
Said Murphy, “I’m just glad we came out with a victory.”
TEAM 1 2 3 4 F
INDP 6 3 0 0 9
SANB 7 0 6 0 13
SCORING SUMMARY
First Quarter
RUSH (7:59) — INDP, Joe Pauli, 65-yard touchdown, PAT (Tony Lopez) is blocked; 6-0, INDP.
RUSH (2:28) — SANB, Nick Acosta, 1-yard touchdown, PAT (Tino Granados) is good; 7-6, SANB.
Second Quarter
KICK (0:01) — INDP, Tony Lopez, 30-yard field goal is good; 9-7, INDP.
Third Quarter
RUSH (1:12) — SANB, Cody Hendricks, 4-yard touchdown, two-point conversion failed; 13-9, SANB.
INDEPENDENCE STATISTICS
Passing: Jose Penaloza — 5 of 9, 43 yards. Rushing: Jose Penaloza — 7 carries, -5 yards; Joe Pauli — 2 carries, 65 yards, 1 touchdown; Robert Rodriguez — 7 carries, 37 yards; Shaquille Iosefa — 3 carries, 4 yards; Jason Belanger — 1 carry, 7 yards; Leio Ulu — 2 carries, 1 yard; T.J. Muaava — 2 carries, 18 yards. Receiving: Jason Belanger — 3 receptions, 0 yards; Joe Pauli — 1 reception, 14 yards; Steven Tellez — 1 reception, 29 yards.
SAN BENITO STATISTICS
Passing: Tyler Decker — 0 of 2. Rushing: Tyler Decker — 12 carries, 46 yards; Nick Acosta — 15 carries, 66 yards, 1 touchdown; Cody Hendricks — 11 carries, 47 yards, 1 touchdown; Andre Cornell — 4 carries, 14 yards; Junior Davila — 1 carry, 7 yards; Wayne Urbina — 1 carry, 4 yards. Receiving: N/A.
TOTAL OFFENSE
Independence — 170 yards (43 pass, 127 rush)
San Benito — 184 yards (0 pass, 184 rush)
TURNOVERS
Independence — 0
San Benito — 2
SACKS
Independence — 1 (Jason Belanger) for -2 yards.
San Benito — 3 (Michael Murphy, Marcos Silva, Taylor Coustette) for -15 yards.
