Only time will tell if the San Benito High football team can produce another magical run like it did in 2012, when it won six of its last seven games en route to a Central Coast Section Division I championship.
This much is certain: The host Haybalers needed to take care of business on Friday, and that’s exactly what they did in the form of a 48-10 rout of Monte Vista Christian-Watsonville.
To say San Benito (3-4 overall, 1-2 Monterey Bay League Gabilan Division) dominated would be an understatement. The Balers totaled 375 yards of offense — including 310 on the ground — while limiting the Mustangs (3-5, 1-3) to just one yard of offense in the second half and 164 for the game.
“This is a good confidence booster going into next week,” Balers coach Chris Cameron said. “We haven’t quite turned the corner yet, but hopefully we’re getting there.”
Indeed, the Balers looked nothing like the team that opened league play with losses to Salinas and Monterey. In those two games, San Benito failed to finish strong, put the ball on the ground several times and yielded several big plays.
None of that happened against Monte Vista Christian. Among the many San Benito highlights to come out of Friday’s victory:
• No turnovers in a game for the first time this season.
• Hard to believe, but Zak Hicks’ 8-yard touchdown run on the team’s third play from scrimmage accounted for the team’s first offensive points in the first quarter in 2013.
• John Canes converted on field goals of 42 and 27 yards — the former being a career long. He also blocked a punt that led to a touchdown.
• The Balers scored on eight of 10 possessions, and probably would’ve made it nine of 10 had they had more time on the final drive before halftime.
• San Benito blocked two punts, including one that Austin Cascio returned 22 yards for a touchdown to give the team a 21-3 lead with 9:02 remaining until halftime.
The Balers set the tone early, as Guillermo Regalado came up with an interception and returned it 31 yards on the game’s first play from scrimmage. The Mustangs attempted a flea flicker with disastrous results, as Regalado had blanket coverage all the way.
Three plays later, Hicks (88 yards on 13 carries) scored the first of his three TDs to put San Benito up 7-0 with 10:48 left in the first quarter. Quarterback David Stanton led the rushing attack with a season-high 109 yards, 71 of which came on a TD run late in the third quarter.
Simply put, San Benito was superior to Monte Vista Christian in every phase of the game.
“The team really came together this week in practice, and the result was we played all four quarters,” Canes said. “I think we understand now that if we click well and work together, things are going to go better for us.”
They certainly did on Friday.
