‘Balers roll over Alvarez in league opener; San Benito defense
fierce on home turf
Hollister – As the ‘Balers piled on the points while limiting a struggling Alvarez offense to negative yards deep into the first half, the question loomed – Could San Benito not only shut out the Eagles, but hold the visitors without a first down?
With the ‘Balers comfortably in front at 22-0, Alvarez eventually ended any such thought with a reverse pass that went for a 77-yard touchdown. But aside from that blemish, San Benito completely dismantled the Eagles, prevailing 38-6 at Andy Hardin Stadium.
The ‘Balers (4-1, 1-0 TCAL) expected to pound a team that entered Friday’s Tri-County Athletic League opener having been outscored 97-13 in the preseason. And after seeing its lengthy opening drive fall short with a missed field goal, San Benito did just that, scoring on each of its next four possessions to quickly put the game out of reach.
“They’re not at all at our level,” said quarterback Joey Covey, who finished 5-of-9 for 77 yards, “but we still worked hard at practice and did what we’re supposed to do.”
A steady diet of Tim Lango proved entirely too much for the Eagles (0-4-1, 0-1 TCAL). The senior fullback ran for 104 yards and two touchdowns in the first half alone, finishing with 16 carries for 126 yards.
Dru Blake drilled a 40-yard field goal, and then Kevin Burley recovered a San Benito fumble in Alvarez’s end zone for a touchdown and a 22-0 ‘Baler lead with 1:53 left in the second quarter.
San Benito appeared ready to hit the locker room with its near perfect defensive game intact, but the Eagles outfoxed the formidable ‘Baler defense with a bit of trickery. Facing a third-and-seven deep in its own territory, Alvarez saw fullback Joey Alvarez connect with tight end David Valenzuela for a long touchdown with 10 seconds left in the half.
“They had to go into the bag of tricks to get past our ‘D,'” cornerback Dru Blake said after the ‘Baler defense allowed just one first down all night.
Alvarez lineman Robert Fernandez left in an ambulance following a third-quarter collision, but the Eagles coaching staff said the move was precautionary and that the senior likely had a stiff neck or a slight sprain.
In its first game in the TCAL after moving from the Monterey Bay League, Alvarez struggled just as expected. “It’s a tough start for us in TCAL against any team,” Eagles head coach Bobby Rawles said, “much less against the defending CCS champions.”
Entering a bye week, the ‘Balers were happy with their strong start to the league season, but look to remain focused with upcoming visits to North Salinas and Palma.
“We’re 1-0 in TCAL,” ‘Balers head coach Chris Cameron said. “We’re on our way.”
Assistant coach Sean Tennenbaum added a precautionary note. “Tonight was an expectation win,” he said. “They’re going to get much tougher from here.”
JV Note: The San Benito JV football team (4-1, 1-0 TCAL) defeated visiting Alvarez 16-8 Friday night, using strong running and a stingy defense to win its TCAL opener.
“The game, it was a win, and I handed it all to Sebastian Cathirell,” head coach Luis Espinoza said of the ‘Baler running back that had a 15-yard touchdown to give the hosts an early lead. “Alvarez had a good defense, but we should’ve scored more points.”
Freshmen Note: The San Benito freshman football team (3-1-1, 1-0 TCAL) shut out Alvarez Thursday, winning its league opener 21-0. After losing to Bellarmine, defensive coordinator Herb Bocksnick said the win was a feel-good night. “Coming back from giving up quite a few points to Bellarmine, to get some confidence back, it was real good,” he said.
