Sports

From an early age, Jessica Bueno had a knack for shooting the ball. Introduced to the game at 6 or 7, Bueno always received advice from her dad, Manuel, on the fundamentals of proper shooting technique. The San Benito High senior shooting guard has used that advice every time she went into a practice or game, and it’s evident her diligence and hard work have paid off.

It’s gut-check time for the San Benito High boys soccer team. After a 2-1 loss to Pajaro Valley on Monday, the Haybalers have little margin for error if they plan on finishing in the top three in the tough Monterey Bay League Gabilan Division. San Benito, which is battling Pajaro Valley for fourth place in the standings, dropped to 0-2-3 in league play.

Michael Camacho entered the week with a perfect 17-0 record, having pinned every single opponent. Ranked No. 5 among 195 pounders in the Central Coast Section, Camacho will receive considerably tougher competition this weekend in the Mid-Cals at Gilroy High, which features top wrestlers from the Central Coast and North Coast Sections.

When Diego Garcia rolled his ankle in the first quarter in a game against Christopher on Jan. 13, he was determined to finish the contest. And that’s exactly what the San Benito High senior did, finishing with 14 points in the Haybalers’ 67-60 loss. San Benito entered Wednesday’s game against Salinas with a 0-4 league record, but Garcia’s play has been a positive in an otherwise tough season.

The San Benito High girls soccer team has entered the most critical juncture of its season. The Haybalers entered Wednesday’s game against Salinas—the result was not available when this edition went to press—in fourth place in the Monterey Bay League Gabilan Division standings, trailing first-place Salinas, Gilroy and Christopher.

In August 2014, Hyram Miskin was set to attend the University of Utah. The 2014 San Benito High graduate had already registered for his classes attended the orientation for incoming freshmen and even had his living accommodations finalized at one of the college dormitories.

HOLLISTER—The Christopher and San Benito boys basketball teams came into Wednesday’s game with one objective—to earn their first Monterey Bay League Gabilan Division victory. It was the Cougars who left Mattson Gym happy, coming away with a 67-60 win.

A year ago, James Moreno was in the midst of the best basketball season in his career. Five months later, he was diagnosed with leukemia, a cancer of the body’s blood-forming tissues (leukemia hinders the body’s ability to fight infection). Moreno, an Anzar High junior who is being home-schooled this year due to cancer, was diagnosed on June 9, 2014, a week before his 16th birthday.

The upcoming 2016 race season will go a long way in determining just how far Adam Lemke can advance in the race-car driving world. Lemke, an eighth-grader at Spring Grove, has won too many races to count—“I’ve lost track,” the 13-year-old said—but he’ll be taking a big step up in competition this year.

Before the season started, freshman Alyssa Ito didn’t expect to earn a starting spot on the San Benito High girls basketball team. Then again, Ito isn’t your normal freshman. The 5-foot-1 Ito has done a solid job at the point guard spot this season, displaying a maturity belying her youth.