The San Benito High football team had just put the finishing touches on a 35-0 win over Alisal-Salinas when its upcoming opponent, Palma-Salinas, was mentioned frequently in the postgame huddle.
“Any time you play Palma, it’s like preparing for a playoff game,” said Zak Hicks, who had 11 carries for 85 yards and three touchdowns (two running) in the victory over Alisal. “It’s always the biggest game on our schedule.”
And with good reason. Two years ago, the Haybalers edged the Chieftains, 13-12, to win the Tri-Counties League championship. San Benito-Palma is always a pivotal contest, and this year it’s no different.
When the two teams kickoff at 7:30 p.m. on Friday at Rabobank Stadium, in the final week of regular-season play, plenty of ramifications will be on the line. The Chieftains (6-3 overall, 5-0 Monterey Bay League Gabilan) have a chance to go undefeated in league play and win the championship outright.
Meanwhile, a San Benito (5-4, 3-2) win would lock up sole possession of third place and an automatic berth into the Central Coast Section playoffs. Even with a loss, the Balers have already accumulated enough power points and sewn up an at-large berth into the Division I field.
Of course, nothing could be on the line and the game would still be a huge deal for the Balers.
“Palma will always be our No. 1 game, the one we look forward to,” Hicks said. “I remember two years ago we beat them for the league championship, and it was just crazy. Then they got us good last year (a 31-14 Palma win).”
Balers coach Chris Cameron put it succinctly when asked what would it take for his team to come out on top.
“The kids have to play above themselves,” he said. “They (Palma) have more talent than any team in the league across the board every year — that’s a given. We’ll have to play a pretty flawless game to beat them.”
Friday’s contest should be smash-mouth football at its best. The Chieftains have a stout offensive line and an outstanding running back in Brandon Olivares, who has rushed for 1,390 yards on 260 carries.
“Palma is big up front, and they can mow you down,” Cameron said.
However, the Chieftains are not a one-dimensional offense, as quarterback Mitchell Kidd has completed 73-of-130 passes for 657 yards, with four touchdowns and nine interceptions.
Kidd has been prone to throwing interceptions, something the San Benito defense might be able to take advantage of.
The Balers’ Guillermo Regalado has a team-high four interceptions, displaying tremendous ball-hawking skills in the process. If the Balers are to prevail, they’ll probably have to get on top early, which means scoring in the first quarter, something they’ve done only one time offensively all season (the team’s nine first-quarter points consists of a touchdown and a safety in the opening week of the season).
Basically, San Benito will have to impose its will — meaning pound the ball for 3, 4 and 5-yard chunks at a time — while playing its best game defensively and winning the turnover battle to beat Palma.
“That’s what it’s going to take to win this game,” Cameron said. “It sounds like a lot because it is.”
