It’s all about Palma. But then again, it’s not about Palma at
all.
While the Chieftains remain in San Benito’s way for a third
straight season, there’s been a noticeable change in focus among
the Baler boys golf team this year.
Sure, any Tri-County Athletic League championship earned will
mean taking down powerhouse Palma. But in order to do so,
consistently carding sub-200 scores must come first.
Why worry about anything else?
HOLLISTER
It’s all about Palma. But then again, it’s not about Palma at all.
While the Chieftains remain in San Benito’s way for a third straight season, there’s been a noticeable change in focus among the Baler boys golf team this year.
Sure, any Tri-County Athletic League championship earned will mean taking down powerhouse Palma. But in order to do so, consistently carding sub-200 scores must come first.
Why worry about anything else?
“Right now, we shouldn’t be worried about Palma. We should be worrying about the team,” San Benito junior Will Cross said. “If we can get below 200 in the next four weeks, that will give us a lot of confidence.
“But we should be worrying about what we’re doing, instead of what others are doing.”
Recording a sub-200 score has turned into San Benito’s initial goal this season. The team’s best showing came last Thursday when it compiled a 208 at the Ridgemark Golf and Country Club in Hollister, while its team scores of 212 and 217 at the first two Tri-County Athletic League Tournaments has positioned the Balers in second place both times.
Palma took first place in both league meets, however, posting scores of 183 and 195 — strong scores that make San Benito’s sub-200 target all the more important.
“Palma is going to do what it’s going to do and we can’t stop them,” said first-year head coach Chris Branon, who also coaches the SBHS girls golf team and is the head golf pro at Ridgemark as well. “Our goal is 200 and under and I think we should be able to achieve that.”
It wouldn’t be fair to compare this year’s varsity team to last year, however. At this point last season, a senior-heavy San Benito squad was consistently finishing with below-200 marks, and even tied rival Palma with a 185 at the TCAL Tournament that was held at Ridgemark.
The Balers will have a chance to shave several more strokes off their season low come Thursday, when Ridgemark will host the third TCAL Tournament of the season.
Tee time is 3 p.m.
“I think we should do better as a team, but there is a little pressure because this is our home course and we’re expected to do well,” Cross said.
Cross and fellow junior teammate Nathan Winn have been on the varsity squad since they were freshmen, and represent the lone returning golfers from last year’s team, which qualified to the Central Coast Section Regional tournament for a second straight year but finished in 10th place out of 11 teams.
Cross and Winn, meanwhile, missed the individual cut to last year’s CCS Championships by a combined three strokes.
“I told them this is their first year of being captains, and this is their team for the next two years,” Branon said. “They’ve got to take [the team] to the water and let them drink out of it.”
With the exception of senior Taylor Weatherly, the Balers are young and include junior Jade Kimura, sophomores Jacob De Leon and Darren Hopkins and freshman Dalton Destefanis.
“It’s a lot better than I expected,” said Weatherly, who competed on the junior varsity team last year. “Most of the players that were on JV last year are on varsity this year, and we didn’t do that well (last season). Chris (Branon) is helping a lot.”
Branon is the third head coach the team has had in the last three years. He replaces Reggie Synegal at the varsity helm, whose son Marcus graduated from SBHS last spring. Synegal, meanwhile, is currently coaching the JV team.
“It’s building back up,” added Winn, who was part of a senior-less varsity team his freshman season. “I think it all has to do with proving it to ourselves in practice, that we’re capable of doing it in a tournament.”
Winn recently returned to the varsity lineup after suffering an injury to his right hand that sidelined him for six weeks — the longest amount of time he’s ever had to take off from the game of golf.
“It’s been a long time,” he said. “The swing, surprisingly, is back better than I thought it would be. But right now, I’m just going out there and hitting the ball instead of playing golf, instead of trying to do what’s best for the score.”
Winn’s quick return from injury impressed Branon, but his continued development as the season progresses, along with the team’s development, will be the storyline this year.
“And 200 is our goal,” Branon said again.
“As a team, I think we still have a lot of growing to do,” Cross added. “We all have a lot of growing to do.”
San Benito v. Everett Alvarez
The San Benito Haybalers defeated Everett Alvarez 218-234 on Monday at the Salinas Golf and Country Club.
Will Cross medaled the front nine with a 39, Taylor Weatherly and Dalton Destefanis each carded matching 44s, Nathan Winn shot a 45 and Jade Kimura rounded out the team’s scoring with a 46. Darren Hopkins, meanwhile, shot a 48.
