Although its chances of winning the Tri-County Athletic League
were reduced on Tuesday at the sixth and final TCAL Tournament of
the regular season, after it finished in second place behind
current top dog Palma, the San Benito boys’ golf team’s chances of
advancing to the section regional weren’t terribly affected.
GILROY
Although its chances of winning the Tri-County Athletic League were reduced on Tuesday at the sixth and final TCAL Tournament of the regular season, after it finished in second place behind current top dog Palma, the San Benito boys’ golf team’s chances of advancing to the section regional weren’t terribly affected.
Nothing is guaranteed just yet, of course.
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While recording a team score of 211, the Balers took the runner-up spot behind Palma for the fourth time this season at the Eagle Ridge Golf Course in Gilroy, finishing just six strokes shy of the first-place Chieftains, but also further strengthening their position as one of the top two teams in the TCAL.
And only the top two teams in the TCAL can advance to the CCS regional tournament.
Baler Ryan Han medaled Tuesday’s round after carding a par-36 on the back nine of the Gilroy course. Will Cross finished just one stroke behind his San Benito teammate with a 37, while Jared Lantis was third on the team with a 43.
Nathan Winn’s 47 and Jade Kimura’s 48 rounded out the scoring for the Balers, while Aaron Smith finished the par-36 back nine with a 51.
Meanwhile, Palma’s 205 was led by Matt Pinizzotto’s 1-over 37.
While the Chieftains’ first-place finish supplies them with the edge entering Monday’s TCAL Finals, as they have now earned first place four times this season when compared to San Benito’s two first-place finishes, the points awarded at the season finale tournament are doubled, leaving a slight chance for the Balers to leapfrog their league rivals.
At the very least, though, San Benito will need to defeat Palma outright on Monday in order to have a chance at claiming the league championship, but might also need help in the form of a second TCAL member school downing the Chieftains as well — depending how the league standings sit come Monday.
However, no other team in the TCAL has come all that close from knocking off either Palma or San Benito from their perch atop the league standings this season.
Everett Alvarez finished a distant third during Tuesday’s league tournament with a team score of 235, while North Salinas was fourth with a 251. Salinas (256), Gilroy (267) and Alisal (271), meanwhile, rounded out the remaining member schools.
“We’re stuck on a number, obviously — in the 200s as a team,” said San Benito head coach Chris Branon, whose Balers were carding sub-200 scores earlier this season. “They just need to be ready to go next week.”
Monday’s 18 holes of golf at the Salinas Golf and Country Club should set the tone for the remainder of the postseason. If San Benito is able to hold its top-two standing in the league, it would then advance to the CCS Regional, which it reached last year.
Moving past the CCS Regional, to the more exclusive CCS Championships, is something the Balers haven’t done in several years, however. But Branon likes the team’s chances.
“I definitely think we have the potential of going on to the CCS (Championships), but we’re gonna have to grind it,” he said. “We’re going to have to play some of our best golf.”
Only Will Cross and Nathan Winn have advanced to the CCS Championships as individuals in recent years. The duo did it together last season and in 2008, when they were sophomores.
“It could be a long month of May, which is what I’m hoping for,” Branon added. “But we’ll see. It is yet to be determined.”
The Tri-County Athletic League Finals will take place Monday at the Salinas Golf and Country Club. Tee time is 1 p.m.
