Junior forward Oscar Estrada scores San Benito’s lone goal
GILROY
An even first half turned into a blowout Thursday afternoon, as Gilroy High’s boys soccer team dominated rival San Benito in the second half to win 5-1.
Gilroy’s John Paul Sanchez scored the game’s first goal in the 15th minute, taking an assist from Bruce Ocana.
“It was a great result,” Gilroy coach Armando Padilla said. “It wasn’t quite the whole story in the first half. We were struggling.”
Hollister tied it up seven minutes later when junior forward Oscar Estrada scored the equalizer.
“We were doing good,” San Benito head coach Ramiro Ramos said. “It was 1-1 at halftime.”
Without a win, Gilroy thought it wouldn’t be able to qualify for the Central Coast Section playoffs. Coaches didn’t relieve the pressure with a motivational speech during the intermission. Instead, they told players to focus on executing the gameplan.
“At halftime, it was pretty frustrating because we knew we had to get a result,” Padilla said. “We didn’t say too much. I wrote this lineup on a paper and I said, ‘You figure it out.'”
Two minutes into the second half, Ocana assisted another goal, feeding Alex Fernandez a pass to score the go-ahead goal.
Fifteen minutes later, Gilroy scored another goal, this time by Fernandez playing a ball to Jorge Sanchez.
A minute later, Andy Moya passed off to Clemente Pineda for a goal.
“I think within 10 minutes they scored three goals,” Ramos said. “I lost count.”
Ocana tacked on another goal, beating several defenders to slot a shot into the net.
The win still might not be enough for Gilroy (12-5-6 overall, 6-3-3 Tri-County Athletic League) to make the Central Coast Section playoffs, as Alvarez (8-8-4, 6-2-4) ended up winning its final game to take third in league over fourth-place Gilroy.
The Haybalers, meanwhile, finish their season at 2-8-2 in the Tri-County Athletic League, 5-12-2 overall.
San Benito will be losing plenty of seniors next year, eight in all. But the ‘Balers were also loaded with sophomore talent this year as well, giving Ramos an idea of where the team is headed in the years to come.
“It shouldn’t be a lot of re-training,” Ramos said. “I’m actually looking forward to next year.”
TEAM 1 2 F
GILR 1 4 5
SANB 1 0 1
