High School Sports

Cassidy Aalgaard and Shelby Littleton are the last line of defense for the San Benito High field hockey team. Littleton, a senior sweeper, and Aalgaard, a junior goalie, are two of the many reasons why the Haybalers (2-10 overall, 2-6 league) have been competitive for a first-year program.

Angel Jimenez took the handoff before colliding with a couple of Pinewood players three to four yards beyond the line of scrimmage. Inevitably, the Anzar High tailback dragged along defenders for several more yards as his legs kept on churning like pistons.

A year ago, Elijah Changco finished fourth overall in the Monterey Bay League Cross-Country Championships at Toro Park in Salinas. Elli Kliewer wasn’t even on the course—she was playing volleyball. On Saturday, the two were crowned MBL champions for the first time in their careers.

One play encapsulated the Anzar High football team’s 60-42 loss to visiting Pinewood on Friday in an 8-man Mission Trail League game. Having just cut its deficit to 38-34 with 4 minutes, 4 seconds left in the third quarter, the Hawks (3-5 overall, 1-4 in league) looked like they were going to get the ball back with Pinewood facing a fourth-and-25 from its own 18-yard line.

No less than five minutes had passed when the talk of the Palma football team entered the conversation. San Benito High was in its postgame huddle, having just put the finishing touches on a 50-7 win over Christopher on Oct. 23.

For the San Benito High boys water polo team, its Senior Day match took on extra meaning on Oct. 27. That’s because of the 12 players on the San Benito roster, nine are seniors. The senior class went out in style, helping to deliver the team a 9-6 non-league win over Palma.

When Andrew Sotelo turned 18 on Oct. 21, he gave himself a memorable birthday present—making a verbal commitment to play for the Cal State University Los Angeles baseball program. Sotelo can sign his letter of intent on the first day of the official signing period on Nov. 11.

GILROY—Until Friday night’s game, the last time the San Benito and Christopher football teams had played each other was in 2012. The Cougars probably wouldn’t mind if it was another three years—at a minimum—before they played the Haybalers again. San Benito mauled its third straight league opponent, 50-7.

For the second straight league game, the San Benito High football team’s defense stood tall. The Haybalers allowed only 129 yards of total offense in a 45-6 win over Monterey two weeks ago, and last week they limited Alvarez to just 79 yards—including 1 yard, yes, 1 yard—in the second half en route to a 63-6 victory.

Anzar High cross-country coach Faby Felix knows she has a major talent in junior Angel Garcia. The problem—and it’s a good problem at least—is Garcia has so much energy he doesn’t like to relax. Just like the Energizer Bunny, Garcia seemingly has no off button.