On the local sports scene, the 2010 calendar year was filled
with an unusual array of stories, from coaches stepping down to
district cuts, from individuals shining at the youth levels and
well into their college years.
HOLLISTER
1. San Benito softball does it again
After it won an unprecedented fourth straight Central Coast Section title in 2009, the San Benito softball team this year was supposed to relinquish some of the headline-grabbing attention it had rightfully garnered from seasons past, especially after it entered 2010 with a team that included a brand new core of players and just one senior.
But this year’s campaign followed suit with the previous four for manager Scott Smith and the Haybalers. San Benito claimed its fifth straight section title with a 2-1 victory over Fremont and finished with an overall record of 25-4 — really, a ho-hum outcome when compared to the previous four seasons.
But, again, none of what transpired last May was supposed to happen. The Balers were supposed to ease their CCS stranglehold this past season — with a youthful bunch that included three freshmen, a sophomore and five juniors in the starting lineup — but they didn’t.
Instead, after earning a share of the Tri-County Athletic League title with Notre Dame, the Balers ran the table through CCS Division I, topping Salinas 4-1 and Wilcox 4-2, before a slew of underclassmen stepped up in the title game against Fremont to stake San Benito to a come-from-behind 2-1 victory.
Trailing 1-0 in the game, and limited to just one hit at that point, Baler freshman Brittani Newman connected on a leadoff triple in the sixth, then later scored the game-tying run when fellow frosh Sam Puentes delivered an RBI triple some three batters later.
It was two innings later, in the eighth, when Puentes smacked the game-winning hit up the middle to send San Benito screaming from the dugout, as well as to its fifth straight CCS championship.
“I’m still shocked,” Smith said in June. “I think the whole weekend, with them winning CCS again, it was so surreal for me to see how the kids came together and played.
“The funny thing is the freshmen had no idea how difficult it is … and for them to pull it off in their first year is amazing.”
The CCS title and TCAL title weren’t the only accomplishments for the softball team last spring, though. In May, after an easy 10-0 win over Everett Alvarez, Smith reached a career threshold with win No. 200, and accomplished the feat in just eight seasons as manager of the Balers.
Smith currently owns a 205-45-1 overall record, 79-21 in the TCAL.
Later, in July, junior shortstop Jessica Vest was named first team all-state by Cal-Hi Sports, and was one of just 30 players selected from California and one of just 11 juniors to make the short, exclusive list.
2. Budget Cuts at San Benito High, Hollister Middle Schools
As part of a $1.8 million shortfall, the San Benito High School District handed down a budget cut of $100,000 to the school’s athletic fund in February, sending boosters and school officials into a fundraising frenzy this year.
Donations by community members and the efforts of nonprofit groups like the Baler Backers Athletic Organization earned headlines in the sports section, and much of the same is expected in 2011 as well.
Although the school managed to make several cuts of its own this school year, while also receiving some sizable donations from the Baler Backers specifically, prep sports at San Benito High were somewhat reflective of what they’ve been in years past, at least on the surface.
But news of the high school cutting all freshmen sports next year churned through the Hollister rumor mill in the fall months, and all of it was confirmed in November.
“As of today, right now, we are not going to have freshmen sports (next year),” San Benito High Athletic Director Tod Thatcher said during a winter sports meeting.
“We are gonna cut freshmen sports next year,” he added, “and that is a shame.”
The dire financial news was similar at the lower levels as well. In October, the Hollister School District announced it would cut all middle school sports beginning in January, saving the district $56,000 annually.
The news was more positive in December, though, as Maze, Gabilan Hills and Calaveras middle schools teamed up with the YMCA of San Benito County to install a fee-based sports program. Meanwhile, the parent-teacher association at another school, Rancho San Justo, is considering managing a fee-based program as well, all in an effort to continue middle school sports next year.
3. Michael Luna steps down as baseball manager
After six seasons at the helm of the San Benito High baseball program, Michael Luna threw the community a curveball in August when he announced his resignation to take over a similar position at Mission College in Santa Clara next year.
“I really thought I’d be in Hollister until I stopped coaching,” Luna said in August. “That’s how much I liked it there. But you never know when opportunities will come up.”
Luna is expected to be co-head coach next spring at Mission alongside Mike Perez, who will then relinquish his managing duties to Luna the following season.
Previously coaching at Leigh High in San Jose, Luna took over the San Benito program in October 2004 and managed the Balers to five straight Tri-County Athletic League titles beginning in the 2006 season. He also managed San Benito to the Central Coast Section playoffs each year, and finished with a staggering 147-47-1 overall record at San Benito and 85-14 in the TCAL.
In November, San Benito announced Jason Bugg would replace Luna in the Baler dugout.
4. Anzar gains a football team
The efforts to install a football program at Anzar High School started late last year, but the goal was finally reached in early December when the Aromas-San Juan Unified School District approved the contact sport for fall of the 2011-12 season.
Largely aided by the actions of the Football Fundraising Committee, which was seeking to raise $25,000 in initial start-up costs and raised $41,000 instead, the San Juan Bautista high school is expected to hit the gridiron next fall for the very first time in school history.
The FAC raised so much money, in fact, that the football program is expected to be financially solvent for the first two years, without any traditional money-making efforts in place.
“We were shooting for $25,000 in initial seed money,” said David G. Moore, chairman of the FAC, in December. “But a lot of people really came through, and the rest is history.”
The school district is expected to petition the California Interscholastic Federation in January, while Anzar is expecting to suit up for 8-man football within the Coastal Athletic League next fall.
5. College athletes shatter records
Local athletes were making headlines in college this year as well. Utah State senior volleyball player Chelsea Fowles and BYU freshmen softball player JC Clayton wrangled the local spotlight from out of state.
Fowles, a 2007 graduate of San Benito High and starting setter for the Aggies volleyball team, helped lead Utah State to not only its first-ever Western Athletic Conference championship, but also to the NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championships for just the fourth time in school history.
Although the Aggies fell in the first round, the postseason berth was the icing on the cake for Fowles, who in October became the all-time assists leader at Utah State when she shattered a nearly 20-year-old record.
Fowles recorded her 3,943rd assist on Oct. 6 and broke the previous mark of 3,942 career assists set by Carrie Steverson from 1988-91.
Following the first-round loss at the NCAAs, Fowles officially finished her four-year volleyball career at Utah State with 4,520 assists, which is not only first all-time in Aggies history, but also ninth all-time in WAC history.
Meanwhile, 2009 SBHS graduate JC Clayton delivered a strong campaign in just her first season at BYU — she was named Freshmen of the Year in the Mountain West Conference, after all.
The former Baler started at shortstop for BYU as a true freshmen, and led all first-year players in batting average (.446), on-base percentage (.467), runs scored (19), hits (25), triples (two) and total bases (32) during a 15-game conference schedule.
Among all players in the MWC, though, Clayton was first in triples, second in runs scored and hits, fifth in batting average, sixth in total bases and ninth in on-base percentage.
The accolades didn’t stop there, though. Clayton and the Cougars enjoyed arguably their best season in school history, as BYU earned its most wins ever with 46 and advanced to the NCAA Super Regionals for the first time ever.
Meanwhile, Clayton concluded her first year with 80 hits, and became just the fourth player in BYU history to reach that mark.
6. The Prune Bowl
It’s not every year a single, non-championship game can crack the top 10. But this year’s annual Prune Bowl between San Benito and Gilroy was that special.
Trying to seize the VFW Memorial Trophy from Gilroy’s grasp wasn’t easy, of course, nor was it expected during the waning moments of that early November game. The Mustangs had not only won the annual contest the last three years running, but they had also staked a 32-27 lead in the final three minutes of regulation behind nearly 600 yards of total offense.
However, Balers Enrique Ramos and Marcos Silva erased just about everything Gilroy had earned that night.
With the Mustangs punting from their own end zone late in the fourth quarter, Ramos burst through the line and managed to block the ensuing attempt with his thumb, shooting the loose football straight up into the air, then straight down into the awaiting arms of Silva.
Touchdown Balers.
The improbable 34-32 victory was the highlight of the season for the Balers, who ended Gilroy’s three-year reign.
“I’ve been dreaming about this,” Silva said after the game.
7. Isleta sisters shine in the pool
Swimming is second nature for sisters Chloe and Czsarina Isleta, who, despite competing on two different levels, managed to dominate their respective pools this year.
The elder Isleta, Czsarina, qualified to the Central Coast Section Swimming and Diving Championships in every single event as a freshmen at San Benito High this past spring, including seven individual events and three relays, and didn’t lose a single race during the regular season — first place every time.
Her efforts paid off in the Tri-County Athletic League Championships, where she earned individual titles in both the 50 free and 100 free.
Meanwhile, Czsarina’s little sister, Chloe, is making waves on a national level.
At Junior Olympics in April, Isleta was first in the 100 IM, 200 IM and 400 IM, with three first-place times that positioned her No. 1 among all 11 year olds in the nation. Two weeks later, Isleta actually improved upon her nation-leading 100 IM time.
In July, Isleta then broke a nine-year-old Pacific Swimming record in the 400 IM, while just recently in December, she broke a 25-year-old Pacific record in the 50 free.
8. Darin Gillies signs on to Arizona State
Darin Gillies, now a San Benito senior, put pen to paper in November and signed a National Letter of Intent to continue playing baseball at the next level, not at all unlike the many student-athletes who file through the hallways at San Benito High every single year.
But while Gillies’ 2010 campaign was impressive enough, signing on to arguably the best baseball program in the country only solidified the hard-throwing right-hander’s strong year.
After making a verbal commitment in April, Gillies signed on to Arizona State in November, which was ranked No. 1 in the nation at one point last season, and finished the year in the No. 4 spot, according to Baseball America.
The college decision was the culmination of a year that saw Gillies go 6-0 with a 1.30 earned run average in the Tri-County Athletic League, 9-2 with a 1.40 ERA overall. The 6-foot-4 starting pitcher, who was named the TCALs Pitcher of the Year, was also selected to the Area Code Baseball Games in July, an exclusive showcase that has produced more than 300 major league players and includes a player-selection process unlike any other.
While prospective players must survive a rigorous tryout, they can only tryout in the first place if they are invited by a major league scout.
“Our class signed 18 players, nine are pitchers,” Gillies said in November about Arizona State.
“I’ve got to prove to my coaches why I’m different than the nine other players they brought in.
“Just continue to keep working hard.”
9. Cross country program enjoys historic day
On Oct. 30, at the Tri-County Athletic League Championships, the San Benito High cross country team nearly had a perfect day, but instead provided a convincing showing that returned the league hardware to Hollister for the first time since 2007.
At the top, both the boys and girls varsity teams delivered championships behind the running prowess of Eddie Guzman and Vanessa Estrada, each of whom corralled individual titles in their respective races.
It was the first time since 2006 that both the San Benito boys and girls teams have won the league title in the same year.
Meanwhile, the junior varsity boys earned the team title behind a first-place finish from Steven Hernandez, while the JV girls finished second, despite a top-spot performance by Celine Glon.
Steven Velarde clocked a first-place time as well for the San Benito freshmen boys, which followed suit by finishing in first place at the TCAL Championships.
“This means a lot for Hollister, for the program,” coach Jess Morales said after the race. “I’m really touched by the way they did it.”
Morales, who was choked up after the race, later added, “It was a good team effort. I’m really proud of all the kids. This is the reason why I coach.”
10. Former Balers Jacobson, Leonard suit up for FBS football programs
When asked if he’s ever had two former players suit up for big-time college football programs at the same time, San Benito head coach Chris Cameron couldn’t recall a single instance.
Until now, of course.
This year, Wade Jacobson for Washington State and Brett Leonard for Hawaii — San Benito High graduates of 2008 and 2006, respectively — competed for starting offensive line positions at their respective schools during the off-season months.
Both even found spots on the O-line as starters, although Leonard’s season took a different twist. After being named the No. 1 left guard for the 2010 season, Leonard suffered an injury to his left knee during an August practice.
He still played in three games this season for the Warriors, and was listed as the No. 2 left guard during the Hawaii Bowl on Dec. 24.
Jacobson, meanwhile, managed to stay relatively healthy for the Cougars, and started every game but one for the Pullman, Wash., school at left guard.
Both are expected to return for their senior seasons.
Honorable Mention:
The San Benito High baseball team wins its fifth straight Tri-County Athletic League title; the San Benito girls basketball team falls to North Salinas in the CCS playoffs; After 10 seasons, John Lango was fired as head coach of the Gavilan College football program; Junior Davila earns both TCAL and CCS titles in wrestling; Anzar High student Jacob Wilkinson wins his division at the Big Sur Marathon; Hollister National falls short of qualifying to the Western Regional; The Hollister Junior League All-Stars fall short of the NorCal crown; The Watsonville Aggies, which included several players from Hollister, play in the Senior Babe Ruth World Series; Frank Cembellin is inducted into the International Babe Ruth League Hall of Fame; Brothers Travis and Nathan Winn compete at the Junior World Golf Championships; Don Castro is inducted into the American Motorcyclist Association’s Hall of Fame.
