Sports

The San Benito High girls volleyball team had one of its best seasons in program history a year ago, as it went 31-7 and won a Monterey Bay League Gabilan Division championship. However, the Haybalers simply weren’t good enough in a three-set blowout loss to Menlo-Atherton in a Central Coast Section Division I playoff semifinal.

A new era has begun at San Benito High with the ascension of coach Bryan Smith, who took over in the off-season after Chris Cameron stepped down after 22 years. Even though Smith will bring his own coaching style to the Haybalers, don’t expect them to turn away from their roots.

San Benito High won’t field a girls water polo team this year. A shortage of players and a look toward the future ultimately were the reasons why the school decided to cancel the 2016 season.

When R.J. Collins and Jesus Limon graduated from high school, no colleges offered them a scholarship. But after two seasons playing for Gavilan College, Collins and Limon are a step closer to their dreams of playing for a four-year university. Last Friday the two were inside the Gavilan gymnasium in front of family, friends and teammates to confirm their signings.

Entering its second year as a program, the San Benito High field hockey team promises to make opponents pay if any of them takes it lightly.

When the Miami Dolphins called Ryan DiSalvo’s agent to make him an offer shortly after the NFL Draft in May, the 2012 San Benito High graduate and former San Jose State long snapper was in utter disbelief.

Robbie Skinner, top right along with men’s basketball coach David Kaplansky, earned Gavilan College 2015-2016 Athlete of the Year honors. The 2014 San Benito High graduate won the award based off his athletic performance (Skinner was one of the best players on the team) along with academic achievement (he had a cumulative 3.6 GPA) and community service. Skinner will not attempt to play basketball at San Jose State; rather, he is majoring in mechanical engineering and will focus his efforts in the classroom. Skinner still keeps himself busy with hoops, however, as he worked as an instructor for the well known Basketball Jones camps. For winning the award, Skinner received a blanket, a $50 gift certificate to Togo’s and a plaque.

San Benito High wrestling coach Steven Salcedo never thought he would see this day. Same goes for junior varsity football coach Chris Cameron. The list goes on and on, with scores of people within the Haybalers athletics program dying to see the school replace the archaic weight room and wrestling facility with a modernized version.

From an early age, Daniel Hopkins knew he wanted to earn an athletic scholarship. Last Friday, the 2016 San Benito High graduate saw his dream come true when he signed a letter of intent to play baseball for Holy Names University, the Oakland college that is transitioning to the NCAA Division II level.

Conner Menez was on the golf course with his brother when he received a call from his manager Monday morning. Menez, who had just got called up to the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes—the low-A ball team of the San Francisco Giants—didn’t know what to expect since his only start with the team was a rough one.