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Hollister High School’s flag football team started its season with a home victory over Notre Dame of San Jose on Aug. 31 before dropping its Pacific Coast Athletic League opener to Monterey the next day.
The Balers beat the Regents 20-0 at Andy Hardin Stadium before falling 20-14 to Monterey in overtime on Sept. 1.
“It’s a great start,” Baler varsity head coach Jose Perez said after the victory. “Just for us to come out here and make a statement like the girls did, we’re excited for the season.”
Against Notre Dame, the Balers got on the scoreboard three minutes into the second quarter when junior receiver Eliote “Skip” Sparling scored a rushing touchdown, running up the middle from the 1-yard line.
Junior quarterback Isabelle “Mitchie” Rodriguez attempted to send the ball toward Aleah Ruiz for the extra point, but the ball slipped past Ruiz’s hands.
Later in the second quarter, Rodriguez threw to junior receiver Ixiim DeLuna for the Balers’ second touchdown of the evening.
Rodriguez and Ruiz successfully connected on the extra point, putting the Balers up 13-0 going into halftime.
Rodriguez completed 15 of 22 passes for 135 yards. She said the key to the Balers’ victory was their resilience against the opposition and the 13 mph winds.
“We still played through it and we still had one goal in mind,” Rodriguez said. “We’ve worked really hard ever since summer, so to see all that hard work pay off, it’s a really good feeling.”
In the third quarter, Rodriguez threw down the middle of the field from the 20-yard line to DeLuna, who fell into the end zone for the Balers’ third touchdown of the game.
Sparling scored the extra point, putting the Balers up 20-0.
DeLuna, who finished with 40 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns, said she and Rodriguez have a connection and that the quarterback can find her “through anywhere.”
Perez said he wants the team to work on moving forward from mistakes made on individual plays and focusing on winning the next play.
“We’re going to use this game as momentum and a stepping stone,” Perez said.
A day later, the Balers opened league play against the Toreadors.
Sparling scored the Balers’ first touchdown seven minutes into the first quarter off a pass from Rodriguez.
A safety in the second quarter gave the Balers two points, putting them up 8-0.
Across both games, Sparling logged 50 receiving yards, two receiving touchdowns and nine tackles.
“It felt pretty good, I really enjoy the long passes, it’s my favorite to catch long passes and run towards a touchdown,” Sparling said.
The Toreadors responded with a pick-six, intercepting a pass from Hollister junior quarterback Zoey Galvez. The team went for a successful two-point conversion, evening the score at 8-8 going into halftime.
The third quarter was tense, as both teams received multiple unsportsmanlike conduct penalties and personal fouls. Senior safety and captain Marilyn Rubio intercepted a pass from the Toreadors and was on track for a 40-yard touchdown before being bulldozed by the opposing team’s quarterback, drawing a personal foul penalty. After the whistle, an upset Rubio aggressively threw the ball at the back of the Regent’s quarterback, leading to a verbal argument between both teams.
“I blacked out. I saw the ball and I was like, ‘I’m going to go for it,’ and I went for it,” Rubio said. “It was definitely a great experience.”
Following the turnover, junior receiver and captain Aleah Ruiz scored a second touchdown for the Balers, putting the team up 14-8.
However, the Toreadors scored their second touchdown on the opening drive of the fourth quarter, bringing the score to 14-14.
The game went into overtime, when the Toreadors began with possession and scored a touchdown on the first of their four downs.
The game ended at 20-14 when Rodriguez threw an interception on the Balers’ second down.
“Overall, I think my team did really well, we’re all communicating defensively,” Rubio said. “Offensively, we do have things to bring up but that’s what practice is here for. We fix our mistakes at practice and we come back 10 times stronger.”
The Balers travel to Carmel High School on Sept. 7 to take on the Padres at 4 p.m.
BenitoLink thanks our underwriter, Hollister Rotary, for helping expand the sports coverage around San Benito County. Rotary is a nonprofit organization that conducts humanitarian projects, encourages high ethical standards, and works toward world understanding. All editorial decisions are made by BenitoLink.
The BenitoLink Internship Program is a paid, skill-building program that prepares local youth for a professional career. This program is supported by Monterey Peninsula Foundation AT&T Golf Tour and Taylor Farms.
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