The San Benito wrestling team started off its season strong with
a second-place finish behind Atascadero during the Kenny Fehlman
Duals it hosted last weekend.
Three Balers were named to the all-Tournament team – Anthony
Sunseri (8-0 in 140s), Alejo Velasquez (8-0 in 160s) and Tito
Flores (8-1 in heavyweight).
The San Benito wrestling team started off its season strong with a second-place finish behind Atascadero during the Kenny Fehlman Duals it hosted last weekend.
Three Balers were named to the all-Tournament team – Anthony Sunseri (8-0 in 140s), Alejo Velasquez (8-0 in 160s) and Tito Flores (8-1 in heavyweight).
And there were a couple other guys who lost just one match but didn’t make it. Joe Verismo at 103 and Octavio Lucatero at 145 both went 8-1.
Verismo lost his first match by one point. The wrestler who was selected to the all-Tourney team in that class was perfect.
Freshmen Bob Glashan at 112, Luis Barocio at 125 and Chris Amaral as well as sophomore first-year wrestler Neal Velasquez at 130 all had a good tournament.
“It was a pleasant surprise,” said Baler coach Matt Olejnik. “They were competitive and wrestled hard. They finished about .500. For the first time out of the block, it can be intimidating. But they did a good job.”
Olejnik is currently working ways to expand his talent to get the most from his experienced athletes.
“We have four solid kids for two weight classes,” Olejnik said. “We have to move people around to get them somewhere in the lineup. It seems to be our problem every year. The problem lies when you have to fill some of the other spots with kids who may not be ready to compete yet.”
The Baler wrestling team suffered a big blow when junior Francisco Aviles broke his leg during the CCS football final on Friday. Aviles, who would have been the 171-pounder for the varsity team, had a rod placed in his leg this weekend. He is scheduled to be out about 8-12 weeks, but won’t be able to do any serious competing for awhile.
There are about six kids who will be joining the team from football. They are required to practice five times before they can compete. They won’t be ready for tonight’s match with visiting Bellarmine but will be eligible for the East Bakersfield tournament this weekend.
“Everyone will be competing up a class or two to fill the lineup before the football players are eligible this weekend,” Olejnik said. “Bellarmine will have a full team. It will be a good measuring stick for us to see how far we need to go.”
Girls varsity soccer
The San Benito girls soccer team was defeated by Burlingame on Saturday, 2-0. The first goal was scored in the 30th minute on a hard kick outside the 18-yard line. The Baler girls had almost the same number of shots on goal as Burlingame, but the team could not get the ball into the back of the net.
In the 68th minute of the game, Burlingame scored its final goal. The Balers played control ball and did not panic, but still could not get the ball in the goal.
Last year the Baler girls lost to Burlingame 6-1. This year was a definite improvement, said coach Mike Schurig.
“Better passing and possession was there, and we had great communication,” Schurig said. “The girls never gave up right up to the last second.”
The next game is today at Harbor at 3:30 p.m. The Balers play Thursday at Monte Vista Christian before returning home to play their first game in the stadium under the lights against Soquel. Game time is 5 p.m.
Boys varsity soccer
The San Benito boys soccer team had a tough task Friday trying to figure out the two referees and the tough host Oak Grove team in the 2-1 loss.
“They are a good team,” said Baler coach Mike Warner. “They are strong in the middle and have good speed.”
Jamie Torres got the Balers on the board first with a goal from the left side after picking up the rebound shot by Jonathan Alonzo.
But in the second half, the referees awarded a questionable penalty shot to Oak Grove. The winning goal came on a shot taken from the left side that sailed into the top of the net.
But San Benito (2-4) had several chances to score after coach Warner switched to the 4-4-2 scheme.
With about two minutes left in the game, the ball fell in front of the goal on a cross. Jesus Ramos had a good hard shot attempt, but it just got deflected wide of the goal.
The Balers were the recipients of six yellow cards, while Oak Grove received two.
Luis Vasquez was playing his first game this year for the Balers after returning from Mexico.
The team is still waiting for the paperwork to clear on Faustio Andrade, a speedy forward foreign exchange student from Ecuador.
“We played really well,” Warner said. “We were hitting the passing routes. I was proud of my team. It could have turned ugly with the calls, but they stayed focused. I am proud of how they handled themselves. They kept pounding until to the end.”
Alvarez will be visiting today, and Alisal comes to Hollister on Wednesday.
“We have two very high scoring teams coming in this week,” Warner said. “We will try to mix things up a little. We’re talented. We just have to find the right combination.”
Boys JV soccer
The JV boys soccer team suffered its second straight shutout loss, losing 3-0 at Oak Grove Friday night. However, the game was anything but lopsided.
Oak Grove scored its first goal only two minutes into the game. And the Eagles scored two goals in the first 90 seconds of the second half.
San Benito had several chances throughout the game, but none of the shots found the net. The addition of midfielder Eduardo Trujillo, who recently joined the team after cross country, combined with left forward Armando Espinoza has helped the Balers become both a stronger offensive and defensive team.
The Balers (2-3-1) play at home Tuesday and Wednesday at 3:30.
Girls JV basketball
The JV girls basketball team took home the title in the Oak Grove Tournament of Champions held last week, winning all four games. Jaime Temperino and Arie Romero were named All-tourney players. The varsity and JV teams take on King City tonight in King City.
San Benito 41, Presentation 37
On Tuesday, the Balers (7-1) opened up with a big game against Presentation.
The offensive execution helped the Balers build a 10-4 lead at the end of the first quarter. San Benito was 3 for 15 from the free-throw line, but the defense came up big. Strong defensively were Rachelle Barrientos and Kristen Archuleta.
Temperino, Marlene Ramirez and Jaime Huston were instrumental on rebounds. The Balers had 13 offensive and 24 defensive boards.
The high scorers were Amanda Boyd with 10, Huston with nine and Temperino with seven.
San Benito 10 14 8 9 –– 41
Presentation 4 13 10 10 –– 37
San Benito 44, Wilcox 28
The girls played aggressively Thursday against Wilcox. The Balers had 19 steals, most of which led to layups. Intense guard play by Nicole Lucas, Gloria Brigantino and Christine Goytia was key to starting off the offense. Temperino had 13 rebounds and nine points. Huston had eight points.
San Benito 8 13 9 14 –– 44
Wilcox 8 10 6 4 –– 28
San Benito 32, Santa Teresa 26
In Friday’s game against Santa Teresa, the Balers had trouble getting the offense going until the third quarter when Ashley Alnas and Romero created some key baskets. Boyd had seven points, Jen Crepeau and Temperino had six points.
San Benito 7 10 12 3 –– 32
Santa Teresa 9 6 9 2 –– 26
San Benito 36, Sacred Heart Prep 33
In the championship game, the Balers again came up with a strong defensive effort for the win. Barrientos and Archuleta had key baskets to keep the Balers ahead. The game became a free throw shooting contest. Both teams were in bonus during the first half and in double bonus in the second half. Romero sunk three free throws and had a basket in the fourth quarter.
Huston led the Balers with eight points, Barrientos and Temperino each had six points.
San Benito 13 5 7 11 –– 36
Sacred Heart 5 6 9 13 –– 33
