Sports

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.

A year ago, the San Benito High wrestling team didn’t have an individual winner in the Monterey Bay League Championships. On Saturday at Watsonville High, the Haybalers had two in Michael Camacho and Miguel Puga. Just as important, the Haybalers (171 points) finished in second place in the team standings, behind state power Gilroy (267.5).

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.

The NFL Experience at the Moscone Center in San Francisco can best be described as an amusement park for football fans. On Wednesday, I got a media credential day pass to scour the grounds and soak in the experience. One thing that stood out was the presence of security, which was omnipresent.

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.