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Hollister High’s football team defeated host Monterey High 27-14 on Oct. 17, snapping a three-game losing streak.
No stranger to late-game drama after falling short to Carmel in the last minute in its previous game, the Balers emerged victorious against the Toreadores as the defense made the game-changing play in the closing moments.
With about three minutes left to play and the game tied at 14-14, Hollister had Monterey pinned at its own 1-yard line.
With the Monterey quarterback scrambling in the endzone, a Baler defender dragged him down, forcing him to throw the ball in an attempt to avoid the safety, but the errant pass was caught by senior outside linebacker Jayden Hunter in the endzone for the go-ahead score.
Hollister scored again with a four-yard run as the game clock expired for the final ,margin of victory.
Baler senior quarterback Cruz Raquet and junior quarterback Eli Lovejoy both contributed touchdowns. While Racquet accounted for 132 yards of the Balers’ 177 passing yards in the win, Lovejoy opened the scoring with an 18-yard pass to senior wide receiver Jacob Jackson in the first quarter, staking Hollister to a 7-0 lead.
Senior Jordan Quezada led the Baler receivers with 10 catches for 131 yards and a touchdown, followed by Jackson with three catches for 39 yards and a touchdown.
On the ground, Hollister had four players rush for more than 20 yards. Lovejoy led with 37 yards on three attempts followed by junior Cole Seymour with 34 yards on 10 carries.
Monterey tied the game in the second quarter with a 5-yard rushing touchdown with just over two minutes left in the half, and the ‘Dores took a 14-7 lead with less than two minutes left in the third quarter on a 5-yard scoring pass.
While Hollister has had trouble in the last frame this season, it turned it around against Monterey, scoring 20 points.
Racquet found Quezada for a 49-yard score to tie the game six seconds into the fourth quarter.
The Baler defense forced four turnovers, including two interceptions and two fumbles, and limited Monterey to 77 passing yards and 84 yards on the ground.
Hollister improves its record to 2-5 overall and 2-3 in league. The Balers will travel to play undefeated Soquel High on Oct. 24 at 6 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.
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