Stop me if you’ve heard this one before.
Following the graduation last year of J.C. Clayton and Marisa
Ibarra
— arguably the two best softball players to come through the
halls of San Benito High School — manager Scott Smith was set to
hang ’em up after seven seasons.
This is actually true. Although the real reasons why Smith was
planning on retiring as San Benito’s skipper may be slightly
different than what was said and heard through the Hollister rumor
mill, which was apparently working overtime following the Balers’
fourth straight Central Coast Section Division I championship last
year.
HOLLISTER
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before.
Following the graduation last year of J.C. Clayton and Marisa Ibarra — arguably the two best softball players to come through the halls of San Benito High School — manager Scott Smith was set to hang ’em up after seven seasons.
This is actually true. Although the real reasons why Smith was planning on retiring as San Benito’s skipper may be slightly different than what was said and heard through the Hollister rumor mill, which was apparently working overtime following the Balers’ fourth straight Central Coast Section Division I championship last year.
Yes, Smith was set to step down after last season, but not because San Benito’s chances of winning a fifth straight Division I championship appeared to be less than in years before — now that the team was sans Clayton and Ibarra.
The rumor mill said otherwise, though.
“That really upset me because I’ve never coached for those reasons,” Smith said recently.
Truth be told, the initial plan was for Smith to coach Clayton and Ibarra through high school — as both Darrell Clayton and Leo Ibarra are both part of the San Benito coaching staff and close friends. The extra time off would then supply Smith with a chance to watch his son play high school baseball, as well as watch his daughter’s senior season for the Santa Clara softball team.
Smith said he heard the whispers around town, though, and decided to come back for an eighth season to prove all those naysayers wrong.
After all, the man is just a little competitive, and that’s the truth.
“But obviously, the rumors did hit a chord with me,” Smith said. “I didn’t expect to do it this year (to win a fifth straight championship), but I expected to compete.”
By now, you’ve heard the Balers did win a fifth straight Division I title, even though the team’s chances of winning a fifth straight Division I championship appeared to be less than in years before — being without Clayton and Ibarra and all.
But with zero transition at the top — despite the entire coaching staff’s children having graduated through the system already — and a skillful influx of youth, San Benito was able to claim an unprecedented fifth title.
Its actions — a 25-4 record and four straight wins to close out the season — spoke louder than words ever could.
“I just thank the girls for letting me be a part of it,” Smith said. “It was really fun this year.”
Of course, the obvious question now is Smith’s plan entering next season. But before the rumor mill begins to churn, let the record show the San Benito skipper plans on making a return for his ninth season.
“I got so attached with some of the kids,” Smith said. “I’ll be here, at least one more year, for sure.”
