Roundup: Anzar hoops can’t keep pace against Gonzales
The San Benito Haybalers trailed Evergreen Valley 2-0 after 15
minutes of play in the Homestead Christmas Cup tournament on
Monday. But a hat trick from Alex Salvatier
— the go-ahead goal coming in the 72nd minute — proved to be the
difference for San Benito as the Balers posted a come-from-behind
3-2 victory against the Cougars in San Jose.
Roundup: Anzar hoops can’t keep pace against Gonzales
The San Benito Haybalers trailed Evergreen Valley 2-0 after 15 minutes of play in the Homestead Christmas Cup tournament on Monday. But a hat trick from Alex Salvatier — the go-ahead goal coming in the 72nd minute — proved to be the difference for San Benito as the Balers posted a come-from-behind 3-2 victory against the Cougars in San Jose.
“They pretty much dominated the first 20 minutes,” San Benito head coach Ramiro Ramos said of Evergreen Valley. “It took us a while to get into it.”
Spotting the Cougars a two-goal cushion — Evergreen Valley deposited its goals in the 7th and 15th minutes — the Balers finally got on the scoreboard in the 19th minute when a Brian Cruz through-ball pass found Salvatier up the middle.
“It was a fast ball, and Alex was a little bit faster than the defense,” Ramos said. “From then on, it was mostly our team possessing the ball.”
The score remained 2-1 at halftime, but San Benito knotted the game up in the 53rd minute when Salvatier dribbled down the left sideline toward the net.
With a pair of defenders in his way, Salvatier chipped it over the defenders, corralled the loose ball, then chipped it over the approaching keeper and into the net.
“It was kind of like a double-chip,” Ramos said. “He pretty much did it all by himself.”
Salvatier didn’t score the eventual game-winner until the 72nd minute when teammate Ivan Martinez delivered a cross from the right side and into the box. The ball bounced past a pair of Balers before Salvatier put a leg on it. The lefty mid crossed the Cougar goalie when he shot far post toward the right side of the net, supplying San Benito with a one-goal edge.
Ramos, who often prefers a slower style of game to his opponent, opted for the speed game against Evergreen Valley on Monday — San Benito’s final game of the Christmas Cup tournament.
The Balers finished the tournament with a 1-2-1 record.
“I really haven’t seen them play that fast before,” Ramos said. “It ended up working today.”
San Benito (3-3-1) will return to action after the holiday break. The Balers are scheduled to open Tri-County Athletic League play against Palma on Jan. 7 at 3:30 p.m.
AHS Boys Basketball
Despite a strong three quarters of basketball, the Anzar Hawks were outscored 21-3 in the second stanza against visiting Gonzales on Monday and couldn’t rebound from the sizable deficit, leading to a 62-44 loss in San Juan Bautista.
Wipe away the second quarter, though, and the Hawks and Spartans are knotted at 41-all. But with Anzar short a player, it had just seven bodies total compared to Gonzales’ 15.
“In and out,” Anzar head coach Ed Cecena said of Gonzales’ rotation. “They pressed us the whole game and pretty much wore us down.”
Mark Rania and Andres Gomez each scored 12 points apiece for Anzar.
