League play intensifies games
Next to the start of the Central Coast Section playoffs, this
week marks the most important week of the season for all the winter
sports teams at San Benito High School.
It’s the week that most teams transition from playing the
preseason portion of its schedule to competing in league games
– the games where rivalries are made and seasons are either won
or lost.
League play intensifies games
Next to the start of the Central Coast Section playoffs, this week marks the most important week of the season for all the winter sports teams at San Benito High School.
It’s the week that most teams transition from playing the preseason portion of its schedule to competing in league games – the games where rivalries are made and seasons are either won or lost.
These upcoming games are not only the games that decide who will win a Tri County Athletic League title, but who will make a strong enough push down the stretch to make it into the playoffs.
And any coach, regardless of the sport they strategize and plan for, is quick to point out that these games are often the most grueling games played all year.
“It’s more intense. The teams in league are stronger,” San Benito High boys varsity soccer coach Juan Martinez said. “During the practice games, we are trying more things out. Once league play starts, we don’t make a lot of changes.”
League play for the Baler boys soccer team got underway a few weeks ago. In the first half of the season the Balers posted a 1-4-1 record, which means that they’ll have to turn their play around considerably down the stretch to make the post season. In soccer, teams need to finish in either first or second place in league play to advance to the postseason.
With that in mind, it appears that the Balers have picked up their intensity somewhat in the few league games that they played so far.
In league play, the Baler boys soccer team is 1-0-1.
“It seems like they play harder in league,” Martinez said. “When we first started this season I thought we were going to be a weak team. But after seeing how we played against Gilroy (1-1 tie), I think we can beat anybody if we play that way every time. Gilroy is always one of the top teams.”
hile the Baler varsity boys soccer team has seemed to pick up its play a notch in the few league games that they’ve been in so far, the varsity girls soccer team has posted a 0-1-1 record in the two league games that it has competed in so far.
“It’s definitely a lot more intense for league play,” Baler girls soccer coach Mike Schurig said. “The attitude goes up and teams just seem to pick up the intensity.”
With former league powerhouse Live Oak no longer competing in the TCAL this year, Schurig also points out that things are a little more up for grabs this season.
“There’s a lot of parity in the league this year,” said Schurig, who pointed out that he, too, uses the preseason to try more players out. “The games could go either way this year. It’s a tough league with a lot of tough teams.”
Even in wrestling where individual achievement is just as big of a focus as team results, the meets are more intense.
“Anytime you get in league that’s when it counts the most, so you step-it-up a notch,” Baler wrestling coach Matt Olejnik said.
The only time the dual league wrestling meets aren’t as intense is when going up against a school that may not have a full team, resulting in a number of forfeits in certain weight classes, which can prevent some wrestlers from competing.
“We do more dual-meet tournaments than anyone else, and that’s why we do them,” Olejnik said. “Tournaments give all wrestlers a chance to compete. We try to seek out the best competition that we can to get ready for the league meets. They definitely crawl up a notch. The league meets are more important for CCS too.”
The way it is set up is that the top four wrestlers in each weight class in league advance to CCS.
In basketball league play can be even more important, especially if a team struggled in preseason play.
“Every game becomes more intense as you go forward,” Baler boys varsity basketball coach John Becerra said. “All of the players’ intensity gets to a different level.”
The way the basketball playoff guidelines are set up teams must post a .500 record overall or in league play in order to advance to the post season. That means that if a team struggled in the early going the final 12 league games can have a playoff atmosphere to them as teams fight for its playoff lives.
“(Another reason) the league games can be more intense is because the kids kind of all know each other a little more,” Becerra said. “We put a little more emphasis on the league games. Even our substitutional rotation will get smaller during league play.”
