MONTEREY, CA — Just when it seemed destined the Monterey High football team’s undefeated season was going to end, the Toreadores had an answer.
Down one point to San Benito with only one timeout and 35.7 seconds remaining, the Monterey offense took the field at its own 24-yard line.
Behind the powerful right arm and quick feet of junior quarterback Carter Aldrete the Toreadores turned what appeared as almost sure defeat into sheer bedlam as Aldrete led Monterey 76 yards on five plays. He capped the drive with a game-winning 35-yard touchdown pass to Matthew Wright with 7.2 seconds left, to the delight of its raucous home crowd.
The pivotal play gave the hosts a 21-15 win in this key MBL-Gabilan game.
“In my head I knew we were in it the whole time,” Aldrete said about the game-winning drive. “I never lost hope for one second. I knew that with my squad we were getting in the end zone no matter what. We called the right plays and just executed and came up big.”
The crowd went silent before the referee signaled touchdown on Wright’s catch as the ball was batted but somehow Wright was able to haul in the 35-yard score.
“We work on high ball drills in practice,” Wright said. “The DB made a great play on the ball and knocked it out of my hands but I regained focus and got the ball and it was right in between my legs. It was a crazy play but I came down with it — I’m happy.”
San Benito handed Monterey its first deficit since the season opener with a late touchdown. Down 14-13, the Haybalers opted to go for the two-point conversion and converted on an Andrew Sotelo halfback option pass to Chris Blake, giving San Benito a 15-14 lead with 35.7 left in the game. Monterey hadn't trailed since being down 7-6 to Half Moon Bay in the first quarter of the opening game of the season.
“Players on both sides are going to remember this one for a long time,” Monterey coach Tom Newton said. “That just goes (to) the intestinal fortitude for those boys in green. All credit in the world to Hollister because honestly I feel they deserved it every bit that we did if not more. They gave use their best shot and I’m really happy that we came out on top.”
Aldrete — who threw for 157 yards and two touchdowns on 11-of-24 passing along with adding 74 yards rushing on 12 carries and a two-yard touchdown — was nearly flawless on that final drive.
He completed 3-of-4 pass attempts for 53 yards, scrambled for a 21-yard run and his only incompletion came when he spiked the ball to stop the clock.
“We just keep fighting,” Aldrete said. “(This) group of athletes are hard-headed and we don’t like to lose and we’re not going to give up until the last second.”
In the first half, San Benito (3-3, 0-2) held the Toreadores to their lowest point total (7) and yards gained (95) as the game went into halftime tied 7-7.
After a scoreless third quarter, Monterey — at the time — had its best drive of the game going 84 yards on 13 plays, capped by an Aldrete two-yard touchdown run giving the ‘Dores a 14-7 lead with 8:54 left in the game.
It seemed Monterey had the game in hand before all the late game heroics. Ryan Reynolds forced the first turnover of the game when he intercepted San Benito quarterback R.J. Clark with just over five minutes to go in the game.
San Benito forced a three-and-out and Bryan Noble blocked Aldrete’s punt and set up the Haybalers with prime field position at Monterey’s 12-yard line.
Two plays later, San Benito scored on a 10-yard touchdown pass from Clark to Andrew Sotelo. After the two-point conversion, the Haybalers put themselves in prime position for the win, but Monterey took care of that with its magical drive to remain unbeaten.
“They put together a 76-yard drive in 28 seconds -- hats off to them,” said San Benito coach Chris Cameron. “Our kids played hard and we played defense pretty well. (Monterey) is a good football team. We had a great game plan. We came out here and played them tough.”
Clark threw for 75 yards with a touchdown and interception on 6-of-13 passing and added a 13-yard rushing touchdown in the loss.
The schedule doesn’t get any easier for San Benito as it visits Salinas next week for a date with Alvarez (5-1, 1-1) Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Monterey's Tyler Stornetta ran for a game-high 78 yards on seven carries while leading rusher Akili Jones was held to 31 yards on 11 carries.
Michael Armstead had a game-high 57 yards on five catches and Reynolds added four for 56 yards, including a 20-yard touchdown reception to go with his interception on defense.
“It was fun,” Reynolds said. “It was crazy at first -- everyone was down on themselves after they scored and then when we started driving down the field (and) everyone started getting hyped. Then after the touchdown happened our whole bench flew down the sideline to celebrate.”
Monterey (6-0, 2-0) will look to ride its wave of unbeaten momentum into The Pit next Friday when it visits Salinas (3-3, 2-0) a very difficult place to play.
“I love playing at The Pit,” Reynolds said. “It’s exciting -- the atmosphere is great. It’s like playing in a college stadium.”
