The Hollister boys soccer team had a middling pre-season but began to jell in the early stages of the league campaign. On the back half of the Gabilan round robin, the Balers started out on a roll but fell just short of a playoff berth.
Hollister came through during the first week of do-or-die action from Feb. 2-6. The Balers went 2-0-1 in three dead-even contests, and they rose to second place.
However, a defeat to Alisal on Feb. 12 was the dagger and they slid to fourth, with the 4-5-3 league record and a sub-.500 non-league record keeping them out of the post-season.
“We need to get two wins this week,” said coach Greg Bloom, after the Balers opened the three-game gauntlet on Feb. 2 with a dramatic 2-1 victory against a feisty North Salinas team on the road.
All three games that week were hard-fought thrillers and the Balers came through. The win over the Vikings came via a late goal, in an emotional and physical battle royal.
“It was personal,” said Hollister striker Anthony Torres, who scored both goals. “They were talking a lot when we played them last time. It was a very important game. They’re all must-wins.”
On Feb. 4, Hollister rallied to tie red-hot Monterey 1-1, the crucial equalizer coming on a late score by Diego Hernandez. The Balers closed the week with a Friday contest versus Greenfield and knocked off the Bruins 2-1.
The performance launched Hollister up into second place. The subsequent week brought a defeat to ultra-powerful Everett Alvarez and the hard-fought tough loss to Alisal.
The Balers fell back in the standings with the two losses. The sub-.500 league mark and uneven pre-season record kept Hollister out of the postseason, as Central Coast Section rules require a team must have a .500 mark in either league or non-league play to qualify for the playoffs.
Everett Alvarez, with 48 straight wins over two years, ran away with the Pacific Coast Athletic League, Gabilan Division race. The Eagles were 12-0 in league and 20-0 overall. In the battle behind them, Monterey prevailed, finishing 6-4-2.
Alisal nabbed third at 6-5-1. Hollister finished 4-5-3 and North Salinas came in at 5-6-1. Greenfield settled back to 3-7-2 and Palma was distant, struggling home at 1-10-1.
The Central Coast Section playoff rules hurt Hollister. They beat North Salinas 2-0 and 2-1 but the Vikings claimed the No. 4 and final playoff spot due to a non-league mark over .500.
Hollister’s success in 2025-26 came from front to back. Or perhaps it started at the back. Juan Luna was stellar in goal all year.
“He has been tough in the critical moments. He is quick and brave and he knows when to come out of the net to make a play,” coach Bloom said.
Nomar Delgado provided experience and strength on the back line. Jonathan Lozano and Kevin Melchor Gomez supported the defense. In the middle, Hernandez was a two-way force, Aspen Park provided a huge boost after missing time due to injury, and Julian Morales and Edgar Canales Landeros were major contributors.
Up front, the talent included Daniel Partrea, Torres and Noe Aldana. That trio began finishing plays at a constantly improving rate, a key part of the Balers’ shift upward mid-season. Team depth came from Eric Lozano, Luis Aguilar, Jonathan Castrejon and Christopher Puga Guerrero.
The trio of games in the first crucial week began on a cool, clear night at North Salinas.
Both teams entered the action with a chip on their shoulder, as trash talking and physical play marked the earlier hookup, a 2-0 Baler win back on Jan. 9.
A back-and-forth first half turned Baler red-and-white just before the halftime break. Aldana passed forward to Torres, who raced forward with a Viking on each side of him.
“I beat the two defenders,” Torres said. “The keeper hesitated. I took a touch and put it over him.”
Hollister led 1-0. But a debatable hand-ball call in the box helped the Vikings in the first minute of the second half. Ronaldo Aguilar took the penalty kick and drilled it in the left side of the net for the equalizer.
Both sides fought fiercely to get a valuable win. Late in the game, in the 71st minute, Hernandez made a herculean effort to set the Balers up for the victory.
“Diego took on three defenders,” Torres said. “He got it into the box.”
A North Salinas player fouled Hernandez in a last-ditch effort to hinder a good shot. That resulted in a Baler penalty kick. Torres stepped up to the ball.
“Penalties are my specialty,” Torres said. “I stayed calm. I know what I’m going to do and I slotted it.”
He drilled it into the low right side for a goal and a 2-1 lead. The Vikings came back with fury but Hollister held them off for the crucial win.
“We really needed that win,” Partrea said.
The Toreadores came into town two days later, riding a three-game win streak. Luna sparkled again and Hernandez came through with a monumental close-in goal in the final minutes to even the score at 1-1.
Knocking off Greenfield on Feb. 6 closed the week happily. It had been a long road for the Balers since the early-season struggles.
“We started off the season pretty shaky,” coach Bloom said. “Day by day, we’ve made progress. We had some ties that should have been wins. Now, we are finishing opportunities better.”
Torres, Delgado and others evaluated the season similarly.
“It’s been mostly a mental thing,” Delgado said. “We started clicking better.”
A loss on Feb. 10 against powerhouse Everett Alvarez was not surprising. However, falling to Alisal on Feb. 12 was a crusher. The Balers will move forward, taking hope from the improvements during the year, progress from underclassmen and a resolve to again compete in the fierce Gabilan Division.
