Friday night’s contest between San Benito and North Salinas
didn’t take an unusually long time to conclude. But as the final
seconds ticked away on the fourth quarter, San Benito defensive end
Ryan Di Salvo was on the sidelines, telling teammates how it felt
like the longest football game he’s ever played.
It was perhaps because it was one of the few times he was ever
on the sidelines Friday night
— a night San Benito broke from recent traditions by having two
players go both ways, two quarterbacks each see significant playing
time, and even an increased passing attack that caught visiting
North Salinas off guard.
The end result was a 31-0 drubbing of the Vikings, who saw
little of what the Balers showed on Friday night in prior game
film.
HOLLISTER
Friday night’s contest between San Benito and North Salinas didn’t take an unusually long time to conclude. But as the final seconds ticked away on the fourth quarter, San Benito defensive end Ryan Di Salvo was on the sidelines, telling teammates how it felt like the longest football game he’s ever played.
It was perhaps because it was one of the few times he was ever on the sidelines Friday night — a night San Benito broke from recent traditions by having two players go both ways, two quarterbacks each see significant playing time, and even an increased passing attack that caught visiting North Salinas off guard.
The end result was a 31-0 drubbing of the Vikings (1-6, 1-2 TCAL), who saw little of what the Balers showed on Friday night in prior game film.
“We pretty much changed our entire practice format and philosophy, our thought process and how format it. It’s all 180 degrees,” San Benito head coach Chris Cameron said.
“I didn’t think it was gonna be like this tonight. I didn’t think we’d shut them out, for one; and two, I didn’t think we’d post 31 points. But we went out and played real well tonight. We came out and played like everyone gave a hoot.”
The rousing win not only puts a positive spin on a Friday night outcome for the Balers — something that really hadn’t happened since mid-September — but it also places San Benito (4-3, 2-1 TCAL) one step closer to a postseason berth.
“Both teams were trying for the playoffs,” said defensive lineman Adrian Enriquez, who helped lead a stingy defense Friday that allowed 101 yards of total offense. “This puts us in the right spot, and on the right track, for a playoff spot.
“2-1 is a lot better than 1-2.”
Records were one indicator of a different team Friday night.
Two weeks after it posted a single score against Salinas, on a touchdown that came in the waning minutes of the fourth quarter, the Balers jumped on North High early Friday night by scoring on four of their first five possessions of the game to take a 24-0 lead to halftime.
San Benito even racked up a season-high 307 yards of total offense and threw for a season-high 87 yards in the air. Tyler Decker and Michael Bocksnick played every other offensive series at quarterback, combining for a very efficient 8 of 9 passing, while Di Salvo lined up at both defensive end and tight end (he caught one pass for 20 yards), and Cody Hendricks at fullback and linebacker.
“There aren’t words to how I feel,” said Hendricks, who ran for a game-high 133 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries on offense, but also picked off a Curt Ceralde pass in the second quarter on defense. “Offense is fun and I like running the ball. But it’s fun getting to hit someone for a change, instead of being the one getting hit.”
Practically no one was able to touch Hendricks earlier in the second quarter when he burst off toward the right side and shed two tackles on a breakaway, 59-yard touchdown run midway through the second quarter to stake the Balers out to a 24-0 halftime lead.
The wide-open scamper — the longest scoring play of the season for San Benito — came less than three minutes after Bocksnick faked a hand-off up the middle, then bounced out toward the right side for a 6-yard touchdown.
Bocksnick, who’s been limited to a back-up role this season behind starting senior Tyler Decker, was grateful of the opportunity.
“We’re splitting time between series and it’s working really good. [Decker] is a good player to look up to and he’s a good senior,” said the sophomore Bocksnick, who was 5 of 5 passing Friday night. “We’re starting to rally around each other and it’s a lot of fun.”
Cameron said the dual quarterback role was something they would have gone more to earlier this season, but Bocksnick was hampered with injuries early in the year and illness of late. The two QBs offer different styles of play — and give San Benito a different offensive package — and have already even coined their own nickname.
“We like to call each other, ‘Thunder and Lightning,'” Bocksnick said. “He brings the pound and I’m a little quicker. It was fun.”
On Friday, though, the two signal-callers did most of their damage in the air, with James Flook the main beneficiary. The senior wingback caught five balls for 61 yards, including a 30-yard toss from Decker in the first quarter that set up San Benito’s first touchdown — a 1-yard, up-the-middle burst by James Sanchez.
Sanchez, who finished with eight carries for 63 yards, also tacked on San Benito’s last score of the game in the third quarter — an 8-yard run off the left side.
Tino Granados had a 28-yard field goal in the first quarter to put San Benito up 3-0.
“They played really hard. I’m not going to take anything away from them,” North Salinas head coach Steven Zenk said of the Balers. “But we were just making too many mistakes, and missed tackles never help.”
Neither do penalties. The Vikings were charged nine times for 92 yards, and went three-and-out on their first four possessions. The 24-point deficit even forced the Vikings into playing in four-down territory midway through the second quarter, but the extra crack at a first down never led to paydirt.
On fourth-and-seven from the Baler 33 in the second quarter, Enriquez earned the first of his two sacks in the game, and prevented the Vikings from advancing any further.
“It’s definitely big,” Enriquez said. “It definitely reflects our defense.
“From our team dinner yesterday, we knew we were gonna bring it.”
The Vikes had their best chance to find the end zone after falling behind 31-0 in the third quarter. Return man Damian Sanchez took the opening kickoff to the Baler 33, but North High, which eventually had fourth-and-goal at the 2, could not break the plane. A fourth-down rush up the middle by Don Carter was quickly countered with a gang-tackle from Conner Stevens and Jon Huaracha.
Said Enriquez, “A shutout goes down way better than a win.”
The San Benito Haybalers will travel to Salinas next Friday to take on Everett Alvarez at 7:30 p.m. The Eagles lost 42-9 against Palma on Friday night.
TEAM 1 2 3 4 F
NS 0 0 0 0 0
SB 10 14 7 0 31
SCORING SUMMARY
First Quarter
KICK (4:14) — SB, Tino Granados, 28-yard field goal is good; 3-0, SB.
RUSH (:28) — SB, James Sanchez, 1-yard touchdown, PAT (Tino Granados) is good; 10-0, SB.
Second Quarter
RUSH (10:04) — SB, Michael Bocksnick, 6-yard touchdown, PAT (Tino Granados) is good; 17-0, SB.
RUSH (7:34) — SB, Cody Hendricks, 59-yard touchdown, PAT (Tino Granados) is good; 24-0, SB.
Third Quarter
RUSH (3:55) — SB, James Sanchez, 8-yard touchdown, PAT (Tino Granados) is good; 31-0, SB.
NORTH SALINAS STATISTICS
Passing: Curt Ceralde — 5 of 12, 56 yards, 2 interceptions. Rushing: Curt Ceralde — 8 attempts, -4 yards; D.J. Zarate — 7 attempts, 7 yards; Don Carter — 18 attempts, 41 yards; Daniel Gales — 1 attempt, 1 yard. Receiving: Daniel Gales — 1 reception, 20 yards; Angel Estrada — 1 reception, 2 yards; Gerald Omictin — 1 reception, 11 yards; Alex Nunez — 1 reception, 13 yards; Ryan Uto — 1 reception, 10 yards.
SAN BENITO STATISTICS
Passing: Tyler Decker — 3 of 4, 49 yards; Michael Bocksnick — 5 of 5, 38 yards. Rushing: Tyler Decker — 5 attempts, -5 yards; Michael Bocksnick — 6 attempts, 4 yards, 1 touchdown; James Flook — 2 attempts, -2 yards; Cody Hendricks — 13 attempts, 133 yards, 1 touchdown; Anthony Cervantes — 2 attempts, 20 yards; James Sanchez — 8 attempts, 63 yards, 2 touchdowns; Nate Valencia — 1 attempt, 4 yards; Vincent Navarrete — 2 attempts, 2 yards. Receiving: James Flook — 5 receptions, 61 yards; Nate Valencia — 2 receptions, 6 yards; Ryan Di Salvo — 1 reception, 20 yards.
TOTAL OFFENSE
North Salinas — 101 yards (56 pass, 45 rush)
San Benito — 306 yards (87 pass, 219 rush)
TURNOVERS
North Salinas — 2
San Benito — 1
SACKS
North Salinas — 3 (Gerald Omictin, Daniel Gates 2) for -20 yards.
San Benito — 2 (Adrian Enriquez 2) for -15 yards.
PENALTIES
North Salinas — 9 for -92 yards.
San Benito — 7 for -48 yards.
JV Note:
The San Benito junior varsity football team defeated North Salinas 14-10 Friday night at Andy Hardin Stadium in Hollister.
The Balers will visit Salinas next Friday to take on Everett Alvarez at 5 p.m.
Frosh Note:
The San Benito freshmen football team remained perfect on the season with a 34-6 victory over North Salinas on Thursday at Andy Hardin Stadium in Hollister.
The Balers are now 3-0 in the Tri-County Athletic League, 7-0 overall, according to head coach Herb Bocksnick.
San Benito will travel to Salinas next Friday to take on Everett Alvarez at 3 p.m.
