‘Balers find myriad of ways to look at loss; pass defense and
big plays among top concerns
Hollister – Close. So close. But in the end, not close enough.
The San Benito football team was on the doorstep of recording a statement win over Bellarmine in Hollister Friday night. The ‘Balers even had their hands, literally, on a near-certain victory. But when the lights went out at Andy Hardin Stadium, San Benito came up just short, falling 21-17 to suffer its first loss of the season.
Look at the opponent and how the ‘Balers (3-1) controlled the game for long stretches, and you see plenty of positives: a much cleaner offensive game, a defense that allowed only one score, and a team that assembled a fourth-quarter rally to put a West Catholic Athletic League foe on the verge of defeat.
On the flip side, look at the many ways San Benito should have won this game, and you see why the team is still very much a work in progress: allowing its opponent to score both a special teams and a defensive touchdown, seeing a penalty negate a long gain and undo a likely scoring drive, and exhibiting holes in pass defense that were exploited at the worst possible time.
The encouraging signs for the ‘Balers were many, and quite a few were on the offensive side of the ball. Back-to-back scoring drives of 79 and 84 yards to start the game addressed the team’s need to create lengthy drives that finish with putting points on the board. “We sustained drives,” said San Benito head coach Chris Cameron, who highlighted the linemen staying on their blocks as a key. “We were able to get into a rhythm.”
Quarterback Ronnie Fhurong completed five passes in a row on those drives, making the Bells respect the ‘Balers’ passing attack as well as the team’s traditionally strong running offense. Six of Fhurong’s 10 completions on the night went for at least 10 yards, and five different receivers registered receptions. “We’re getting the connection between the receivers and Ronnie real good,” said WR Ricky Sanchez, whose 20-yard touchdown reception gave the ‘Balers the early lead.
The team’s defense again played well enough to lead the ‘Balers to a win. San Benito kept the Bellarmine offense scoreless until the fourth quarter and allowed the Bells (2-2) just 38 yards rushing on 24 carries. LB Nate Mendoza and CB Zach Canez both deflected Bellarmine QB Jordan Vargas’ fourth-down pass late in the fourth quarter, but Bells WR Kevin Gonzales still made a sensational catch to keep his team’s hopes alive.
Above all, Cameron was pleased that his team went head-to-head with a “bigger, faster opponent,” and more than held its own. “We physically beat ’em. We took the game to them,” the head coach said. “It tells me we can play with good football teams, playoff potential football teams. … I like how we came out and played ’em, but I didn’t like the outcome of the game.”
And that outcome came largely because the ‘Balers made two big mistakes, and the Bells scored touchdowns off both of them.
First was the blocked punt late in the second quarter that Bellarmine fell on in San Benito’s end zone for a touchdown, pulling the Bells to within 10-7. “We’re supposed to just take the safety, but we didn’t. We tried to kick the ball,” Cameron said. “We’ve had three kicks blocked in the last three weeks. We definitely need to get better there. It’s going to cost us. It cost us the other night.”
And the other was Fhurong’s pass that Gonzales intercepted and returned 67 yards for a touchdown and a 14-10 Bellarmine lead with 10:30 left to play.
“We got beat on two big plays. … You take away one of the two plays that hurt us most and we win,” related Cameron, adding that he hoped that his team has finally learned just how much even the smallest of errors can impact a game. “It happened. They saw it happen. They’ve seen the results.”
And despite allowing just one score to the Bells, ‘Balers defensive coordinator Tod Thatcher said his unit left a lot to be desired in its performance. “I thought it was our poorest showing of the season,” he said. “They had only seven (points), but they probably shouldn’t have had any.”
Thatcher and Cameron both noted the team’s poor pass coverage, including blown assignments and errors in coverages and checks, as the ‘Balers’ worst to date. Vargas, the Bellarmine quarterback, completed 11-of-16 passes for 190 yards, and Gonzales finished with eight catches for 155 yards.
“To me, it was just a series of blown assignments,” Thatcher said. “Am I ultra critical? Yes. Do I have high expectations? Yes. Am I going to lower our standards? Never.”
And that attitude, indicative of ‘Baler football on the whole, is how even a close loss to a respected program – the team’s first defeat of the season at that – raises eyebrows. Like it or not, six CCS title-game appearances in seven years sets the bar very high.
PLAY OF THE GAME
The miracle catch by Bellarmine WR Kevin Gonzales late in the fourth quarter. With the ‘Balers protecting a 17-14 lead at the 4:14 mark of the fourth quarter, San Benito forced the Bells into a desperate, fourth-and-four situation on their own 44-yard line. Bellarmine QB Jordan Vargas dropped back and passed to Gonzales near the right sideline. ‘Baler defenders Nate Mendoza and Zach Canez both leaped and deflected the ball, but Gonzales nevertheless adjusted to secure the catch, keeping Bellarmine alive with an 11-yard gain. “I was just following the flow of the ball,” Gonzales said. “Catch this, and we’re still in it.” Sure enough, the first down breathed new life into Bellarmine, and Vargas connected with Gonzales for the game-winning touchdown one play later.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Bellarmine senior Kevin Gonzales. The two-way player who is also a track star left his imprint on the game on both sides of the ball. First, he picked off San Benito QB Ronnie Fhurong and raced 67 yards untouched for a touchdown that gave Bellarmine its first lead at 14-10 with 10:30 remaining. Then, after the ‘Balers retook the lead and had the Bells on the ropes with a budding defensive stand, Gonzales hauled in QB Jordan Vargas’ fourth-down pass despite heavy coverage. Vargas then found his star wideout down the middle for a 26-yard gain, and finally looked to him again in the end zone. Even with San Benito’s Zach Canez draped over him, Gonzales turned first left, and then right to corral the game-winning 19-yard touchdown pass with 3:13 left. He finished with eight receptions for 155 yards.
DRIVE OF THE GAME
San Benito’s first possession. After struggling to sustain drives in the early season, the ‘Balers came out a determined bunch, methodically moving down the field to eventually score on QB Ronnie Fhurong’s 20-yard touchdown pass to WR Ricky Sanchez. The 11-play drive, which ate up 4 minutes and 35 seconds, featured runs by three different players and catches by two, getting many components of the unit involved quickly. “We wanted to come out and set the pace,” Sanchez said, “(and) end up with the score.” Mission accomplished.
STAT OF THE GAME
38 rushing yards. The ‘Balers held Bellarmine to 38 rushing yards on 24 carries, for an average of 1.58 per run. Even though the Bells eventually put together enough of an aerial assault to pull off the win, it didn’t take any of luster off San Benito winning the battle of the trenches. The ‘Baler defensive front’s showing was impressive by any standard, but especially against a West Catholic Athletic League power.
QUOTE OF THE GAME
Bellarmine senior Kevin Gonzales: “Man, I’m still shocked we won this game.”
