Playing in the Tri-County Athletic League B Division a year ago, the San Benito boys water polo team believed they were undervalued and undeservedly placed in a lower-tier league. After finishing with a 12-2 record inside the TCAL, and clinching the league championship with a goal in the closing seconds over Palma, the Balers won’t be underappreciated in 2012 when their season starts on Aug. 30 at Soquel.
With eight returning players – including last year’s league Most Valuable Player Jake Garcia – San Benito looks to do more of the same against tougher league opponents.
“We have a lot of experience,” San Benito head coach Aaron Gautney said. “I’m expecting us to do well. I would like to be in the top of the league if possible, but it’s going to be the first time most of these guys are playing against really good teams. It’ll be a new experience for them and for me coaching.”
In the newly-formed Monterey Bay League, San Benito will face regional-powers Santa Cruz, Carmel, Monterey, Aptos and Soquel.
“I think that they are going to have to master the mental part of the game more than physical,” Gautney said. “They have the experience but it’s going to be how they respond to the tougher teams.”
With the more difficult opponents, San Benito is putting more of an emphasis on its defense, Gautney said.
“I want them to be really strong on defense this year.” he said. “We’ve been spending a lot of time on defensive strategy this year.”
San Benito will replace team captain Tyler Reuther on the defensive end with returnee Albert Rodriguez, who was groomed for the position a year ago.
“We are going to need strong defense,” Rodriguez said. “Our offense is decent so we need to play good defense. I play one of the toughest positions on the team. You take a lot of punishment but you also dish out a lot of punishment.”
On offense, they will rely on Garcia to continue his offensive onslaught from last year.
“I think we are going to do really well this year,” he said. “We were a strong team last year and we all improved a lot over the summer. We practiced all summer and I know our skills have improved. Our skill set is much broader than it was last year.”
GIRLS WATER POLO
After finishing in third place in the TCAL’s upper division a year ago, the girls water polo team expects to continue winning despite some major changes inside the pool.
The Balers will bring back only five returnees from a year ago, including league-leader in goals, assists and steals in Caitlin Schafer. Rachel Estep, who played part-time in goal, also returns for San Benito, which enters the season with only three seniors.
“I graduated almost everybody but Caitlin and Rachel,” San Benito head coach Hayley Vandercook said. “I don’t have much experience coming back but they are good leaders and they are the captains. They are doing a good job teaching the rest of the girls.”
San Benito, looking to repeat its strong finish from a year ago, will enter the season with youth, speed and a lot of unchallenged talent.
“The key is going to be speed,” Vandercook said. “We have a fast team. Hopefully, we will be the fastest team in the league. We will see once we play.”
The captains, though, are excited to see what’s to come in their senior years.
“I’m actually really excited for this year,” Schafer said. “I know we lost both our Hannahs (Hannah Smith and Hannah Blake) and our goalie. This year we have a lot of young people and they have a lot of natural talent. I think we have a lot of potential.”
She continued: “I see us doing really well. As time goes on, we will get more experience and only get better. And Hayley can be a threat in future years as well. I’m looking forward to it.”
So far, Estep and Schafer are trying to help the younger players build their skills, Estep said. The pair wants to build the team’s communication entering the season.
“I’m just hoping for us to all work as a team,” Estep said. “I know individually, we all have really good skills but if we can combine those skills and be really good as a team, that would be great. Right now, I’m helping the newer kids learn and helping prepare the JV for next year when Caitlin, myself are gone. That’s going to be really important.”
With such youth, the team wants to build it chemistry, Estep said.
“The teams at CCS are really good and they play really well as a team,” she said. “That’s why I’m so focused on getting to know each other in the pool and out of the pool.”
