High School Sports

San Benito High wrestlers Michael Camacho and Kira Emma earned berths to the CIF State Championships after strong performances over the weekend. Camacho, a junior, took third place in the 182-pound weight class. The junior standout, fresh off a win in the Monterey Bay League Championships, won his first first three matches via pinfall before dropping a 9-1 major decision to Monte Vista Christian’s Lucas Olgiati.

The San Benito High girls soccer team is winning by not focusing on the scoreboard. While that may seem counterintuitive on the surface, it makes perfect sense in the sports world.

It was a snapshot and glimpse into what might have been. For the second year in a row, the San Benito High boys basketball team has been plagued by injuries and other issues that have cost them a chance for a top-tier finish in league and a Central Coast Section playoff berth.

Callee Heen moved to the top of the key only to see no Salinas defender around her. The situation repeated moments later, and both times the San Benito High senior drained a 3-pointer. When Heen wasn’t connecting on shots from the outside, she was mixing things up and getting physical in the paint.

After a solid start, the San Benito High boys soccer team has struggled in the top-heavy Monterey Bay League’s Gabilan Division. The Haybalers entered Thursday’s match against Alvarez with a 0-4-5 mark in division play. Despite the slow start in league, players like junior striker Jonathan Garcia expressed confidence the team could turn things around.

Even when Kira Emma had doubts, her mom, Whitny, always encouraged her to stay strong. A sophomore at San Benito High, Emma is one of several solid girl wrestlers on the San Benito High wrestling team. Emma entered the week ranked 11th in the Central Coast Section in the 106-pound weight class.

As the only two seniors on the Anzar High boys basketball team, Jarret DeAmaral and Josiah Martinez knew they would have to lead a young squad by example.

Kayla King always wanted to find a way to express her appreciation and thoughts to her loved ones in the most vulnerable way possible. The San Benito High senior got her chance when she signed her letter of intent to play soccer at Jacksonville University on Thursday.

Shantay Tamez is the high school version of Stephen Curry on the soccer field, where a shot from long range equates to a good scoring opportunity. Tamez’s rifle for a leg was on full display in the San Benito High girls soccer team’s 5-0 dismantling of Gilroy on Jan. 29.

Dominique Monteon already knows where she’ll be playing softball in college—and she hasn’t even played a game in high school. On Jan. 24, the San Benito High freshman made a verbal commitment to play softball at the University of North Carolina, a school that ranks high both for athletics and academics.