SAN BENITO — The San Benito Greyhounds began their quest for an eighth consecutive playoff appearance Monday.
Of all the things coach Dan Gomez has seen through the first week, the biggest positive has simply been having football back as normal as it’s been since 2019.
“It’s been really exciting to be back,” Gomez said. “You can tell that getting into a normal routine of playing football has really given them the energy that it takes to get good at this game. They’re enjoying the camaraderie with their teammates and getting instructed by the coaches and looking forward to the season.
“I’d like to thank our superintendent, Dr. Nate Carman, for the things he’s done for our school and taking care of our kids, and really believing in the staff and the things we’re doing moving forward in these challenging times,” he added. “I commend all the superintendents around the Valley, and I wish them all a good year.”
The Greyhounds elected to hold spring football this year, which pushed their start date back one week from programs that didn’t. With the spring and summer workouts, Gomez feels the players were able to get a jump on learning, and the coaches have had more time to evaluate and “know where to put the pieces to the puzzle.”
San Benito will have many pieces to find this season with only five starters returning. But having a young group hasn’t been a challenge because of the tradition and expectations that the Greyhounds’ program consistently has. The competition for starting roles will be plentiful and welcomed by the ’Hounds.
“From the time they’re in middle school to their senior year, they understand what the expectations are within the program,” Gomez said. “They may be young, but they know where they play and they know how they’re expected to play. … We enjoy watching the kids compete, and they understand that everything they get in our program is earned.”
While many programs have been a bit concerned with lower-than-usual turnout, Gomez said San Benito’s numbers have been good. He credited his coaching staff and, again, the tradition of football success in the community for steady participation even during challenging times.
“We’re good, and I think it’s a tribute to the coaches over the summertime. They spent a lot of hours calling kids, keeping track of kids, and going out and finding kids within our school district to get them to play ball for the first time or get them back,” Gomez said. “I think with that being done, when the time came for the first day of practice, we had good participation because the coaches really worked the phones diligently, making sure our current athletes are being taken care of and checking on their well-being.”
