High School Sports

The San Benito High girls water polo program was close to not being able to field a team this season. That’s what makes the Haybalers’ year all the more impressive.

aniella Sanchez is a bright, bubbly, athletic 8-year-old. But behind her big brown eyes and sweet smile is a girl who likes to hit—and she’s good at it, too.

After winning its first three games in impressive fashion, the San Benito High football team has lost two in a row—and the games weren’t close. Wilcox of Santa Clara dealt the Haybalers (3-2 overall, 0-1 MBL Gabilan) a 35-14 drubbing two weeks ago, and last week San Benito suffered a demoralizing 39-16 loss in its league opener to Salinas.

The Anzar High football team entered the 2015 season with a couple of goals in mind, including finishing games off strong. In last Friday’s 34-22 win over East Palo Alto Phoenix Academy, the Hawks did just that. Anzar (2-2, 0-1 Mission Trail 8-man league) outscored East Palo Alto 14-0 in the fourth quarter to win going away.

The red sunset filled the Friday evening sky above Salinas High Stadium, and Hollister High's sea of red, its populous football team, was trying to do the same on the field.

Playing with energy and passion, the San Benito High girls volleyball team earned arguably its biggest victory of the season on Thursday, knocking off Notre Dame-Salinas in four sets. Game scores were 24-26, 27-25, 28-26, 26-24.

High tempo, high octane, fast and furious. That’s the way the San Benito High girls volleyball team has played this season, and the frenetic pace has left most of the Haybalers opponents gasping to catch their breath.

Hunter Nye gained a solid 10 pounds of muscle in the off-season, diligently hitting the weights with his twin brother Wyatt in their backyard. All of the hard work is paying off for Nye, a burly 5-foot-10, 185-pound junior fullback. Through four games, Nye is averaging 154 yards per game, including seven touchdown runs.

The San Benito High girls tennis team defeated Pajaro Valley 7-0 on Sept. 24. Jessica Kirschmann, Megan Hurley, Julia Pearson and Heidi Bribiesca all were victorious in singles, combining to drop only 12 games in the process.

Through the first three games of the season, the San Benito High football team controlled the line of scrimmage by playing a physical style that has come to define the program. On Friday night, however, host Wilcox gave the Haybalers a taste of their own medicine.