Hollister football outlast Capuchino in first round of playoffs

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Plays by special teams, defense and offense led Hollister High football to victory over Capuchino High from San Bruno in the first round of the Central Coast Section Division III playoffs. 

Running backs Myles Statua and Cole Seymour led the offense, combining for four touchdowns on route to a 44-40 win.

“Our kids played tough,” coach Bryan Smith said. Hollister was coming off a 5-game losing streak.

Statua seemingly put the game away on a 10-yard touchdown run with 1:58 remaining, giving Hollister a 44-34 point-lead.

However, the Mustangs put together three big plays on a 92-yard drive to stay in the game, as they had done all day. The drive gave them an opportunity to try an onside kick, but the Balers successfully recovered the ball with 35 seconds left in the game. 

Hollister got its biggest lead, 31-20, at the beginning of the third quarter, thanks to a 52-yard drive. Fullback Nate Alves set up the drive with a 30-yard run, and four plays later, quarterback Cruz Raquet connected with wide receiver Mohammad Farhat for a 25-yard touchdown.

Racquet finished the game with two passing touchdowns, 133 passing yards, and 19 rushing yards. 

The Mustangs answered with back-to-back touchdown drives to take a 31-34 lead with 9 minutes left in the fourth quarter. It was the only time the Balers were behind in the score. 

“We fought through the adversity and came up with a W,” Seymour said. 

In the shootout-style game, both offenses appeared unstoppable with each team only punting once. Capuchino combined for 498 yards and Hollister for 377 yards. The Baler offense also came up with successful plays facing third downs, and needing seven or more yards to extend four drives, all culminating in touchdowns. 

“Everything on offense was pretty good today,” Statua said. 

Though the Baler defense struggled to keep the Mustangs out of the endzone, it did come up with two turnovers in the first half.

The first was an interception by Savion Loza on the second play of the game. Loza caught the ball on Capuchino’s 45-yard line and returned it 11 yards to set up short field position for their offense. Hollister took a 7-0 lead seven plays later on a 6-yard run by Statua. 

Statua finished the game with three touchdowns, 68 rushing yards on 13 carries. Seymour led the team with 74 yards on 14 carries. 

The second turnover was a fumble by the Mustangs on a hand off near Hollister’s 10-yard line. Linebacker Tripp Felice jumped on the ball to end Capuchino’s scoring threat with 48 seconds left in the first half. 

“The defense did all they could to give us the ball back and try to score and we executed every time they gave it back,” Seymour said. 

Hollister’s special teams also impacted the game by blocking an extra point attempt and stopping the Mustangs on two two-point conversion attempts. 

“The difference in the game,” Smith said. “Four points.”

Hollister is scheduled to play at Carmel in the semifinal round of playoffs on Nov. 22. Carmel is coming off a 56-46 win over San Mateo. 

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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