Two generations of the Morales family coach Hollister High’s
cross-country teams
Both the San Benito High boys and girls cross-country teams are
considered two of the top programs in all of the Central Coast
Section.
And once you muddle through the team’s talent-rich roster, it
doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out the main reason why
the program is so successful year in and year out.
Two generations of the Morales family coach Hollister High’s
cross-country teams
Both the San Benito High boys and girls cross-country teams are considered two of the top programs in all of the Central Coast Section.
And once you muddle through the team’s talent-rich roster, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out the main reason why the program is so successful year in and year out.
One only has to take a look at the intense dedication of a coach named Jess Morales, who took the boys program over in 1998 with a passion for recruiting new runners to the sport and instilling a philosophy in them that made them eager to compete at a high level.
Although the Balers cross country program was always solid, since Morales has been at the helm, both squad have won numerous league titles, made it a formality to advance to the CCS championships and a number of runners have done well at the state level. Many of his athletes have also gone on to compete in college.
One of them is his oldest son Josh, who has been dubbed the head coach of the girls’ team at San Benito High since last year. After competing at San Benito High, Josh ran two seasons at Hartnell College before transferring to Sacramento State to complete his education.
“He has the title of the head girls coach,” Morales said. “But it’s really just a label. We educate and teach the kids to not get caught up in who is the head coach. We all just want to help them get to the next level.”
Morales has coached his other children during their stints at San Benito High as well.
In 2000 his son Ben captured the CCS individual cross-country title. After graduating from high school that year, Ben went to Oklahoma State for a brief period before transferring to Sacramento State where he became an all-conference runner.
In 2002, his daughter Beth graduated from San Benito High and his youngest, Leann, graduated in 2004.
Over the years, all of his children as well as former runners have came back now and again to help out with coaching duties because they believe in his philosophy and program, which has had much success in recent years.
In 2003, the boys team won its first-ever CCS championship. In 2004 they took second at CCS and finished fourth a year ago. The boys are also going for their fourth league title in a row.
In both 2004 and 2005, the girls team finished third at CCS. Last year, the girls team won league and also won it in 2003.
“Those seasons were all impressive because we go up against a lot of private schools. We work hard at it,” Morales said.
And with success comes more success, and more student athletes that want to sign up for the program. This year, there are 36 girls in the program and 29 boys – quite a large roster considering that only seven runners compete on the varsity team and only the top five times are scored.
“It’s fun and easy (coaching with dad),” Josh Morales said. “He coached me and my brothers and sisters. His philosophy is to get everyone in the frame of mind where you want to be a good runner and you’re willing to push yourself to get to the next level.”
On Monday the Balers will get to see exactly what level they are at when they take on Gilroy High on their home Park Hill course at 3:30 p.m.
Morales, who also ran during his high school years at Gilroy High in the early 1970s, first got into coaching at the high school level after Josh transferred from Anzar High to San Benito High in order to run for the Balers his junior year.
Now several years later, the father and son are on the same level.
“He went through the same program that he is now coaching. So he knows what it takes to succeed,” Morales said.
The two get along for obvious reasons and the teams succeed because the overall philosophy is unified.
“We’re a partnership,” Morales said, when asked how it was to be coaching with his son. “We combine his energy with mine and have the same focus. We’re both on the same page.”
And even though that focus and energy has led to winning seasons, the overall goal is not winning titles.
“Our goal is to run healthy and finish the season strong,” said Morales, 50. “That’s the only thing I could ask for.”
This year the Balers boys team is led by a core group of seniors runners who have been together since their freshman season. The Balers No. 1 runner is Rigo Vasquez, who is a delight to coach, Morales said.
“He is a hard worker and very respectable,” he said. “I’ve never had a problem with him. I wish every kid in the group was like him.”
The team’s No. 2 runner is Eddie Trujillo, who won the league championship last year.
“He makes it look easy,” Morales said. “He plays two sports (cross country and soccer), but he’s running this year a lot more than he has in the past and it’s paying off. He’s very talented.”
Adrian Rodriguez has been the surprise addition to the Baler roster this season. Already the sophomore standout, Rodriguez is putting up 16.18-minute times on the 3.1-mile courses.
“He’s one of the fastest sophomores that I’ve had in a long time,” Morales said. “He’s very impressive and his twin brother Eric is running 17 (minutes) flat.”
In addition to the two Rodriguez brothers, the Balers also have two other sophomores as well. The team’s No. 4 runner this year is senior Cameron Hill.
Equally impressive as the boys team, the Baler girls’ squad also has an abundance of talent.
“It’s looking really good right now,” Josh Morales said. “We have a lot of new faces this year that are doing really well.”
Setting the pace on the girls team is sophomore Courtney Allen. A year ago, she was the team’s top freshman runner.
“She goes out there and runs real hard every day,” Josh said.
In the No. 2 slot on the girls’ squad this year is freshman Annmari Rich. The younger Morales is impressed with her desire to push herself and run with a lot of guts and determination.
Rounding out the top five spots on the girls team is Alison Meyer, Loren Villasenor and Sandy Meza.
The lone senior on the girls’ team also happens to be a transfer student from Tennessee named Dana Balsey.
“She’s the lone veteran. She ran three years in Tennessee and is a very good runner,” Josh said.
Both boys and girls teams also run together as a team, just as father and son work as a team for the betterment of the program.
“We get along fine,” Josh said. “He leads by example. We practice together and then we break off and do some workouts as boys and girls. The pace may be a little different but we definitely don’t favor the girls. My goal is to see steady improvement throughout the whole season so that we’re peaking perfectly at the end of the year. ”
Like father, like son.
