PREP FOOTBALL IS BACK
Salinas High earns win as high school football resumes
"It’s a great bonding experience, I think. It was pretty fun. We know each other well, we know how each other plays because I’ve watched him and he watched me." — Jeff Schaffer
SALINAS >> Although many things made Tuesday’s game feel different thanks to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, high school football returned to Monterey County with the host Salinas High Cowboys holding off the Alvarez High Eagles en route to a 21-6 victory.
Perhaps the most obvious difference Tuesday was when the game took place. Rather than playing under the Friday night lights in the fall, the rivals faced off during the middle of the week on a mild spring afternoon. Rather than welcoming the community into The Pit, each player received two tickets to give to their parents or guardians. The spectators were asked which school they were with as they walked onto the Salinas High campus and were screened for COVID-19 symptoms before entering.
Senior Salinas High running back Jeff Schaffer, who exploded for 128 yards and two touchdowns in the victory, said it felt like a blessing to return to the field but it did have an odd feel.
“Before the game, there was only one captain and usually we have two, three or four,” he said. “We couldn’t shake hands. Not using the locker room was a bit of a bummer because it gave you a bit more time before the game. One of the things that bummed me out the most was not seeing the band out there.”
The teams used the two end zones and the areas behind them as locker rooms during halftime. While the band wasn’t present to welcome the Cowboys onto the field and get the crowd moving, both squads had their cheerleaders there to pull for them.
As a senior, Schaffer didn’t know if he would get a chance to play again for Salinas High before graduating after the fall came and passed without high school sports in California and COVID-19 cases spiked in the winter.
“I was worried that I was never going to suit up again,” he said. “It was really bumming me out until last month when we got told we were going to play some games.”
Salinas coach Steve Zenk said it was a good life lesson for his players to not give up on something that’s important to them while continuing to persevere. Despite a 16-month layoff between games, the Cowboys kept in shape and kept in touch with each other in hopes they would be able to get on the field again.
“It was awesome to see kids being kids and playing (football again),” Zenk said.
Salinas senior safety Aaron Hansen said he could feel the energy when he got back on the field.
“There was a lot of stuff that was different about it but I feel like once we got on the field the game felt the same to me,” he said.
Like the last meeting between the two teams when the Eagles nearly spoiled the Cowboys’ perfect 2019 league season, Alvarez competed well Tuesday. After Schaffer broke free for a 50yard touchdown to start the game, Alvarez running back Andre Wallace answered with a 78-yard run to set up Dylan Uto, who punched it in from two yards out. Wallace finished with 154 yards on the ground. It wasn’t until the third quarter that the Cowboys started to pull away before Schaffer ran for another touchdown in the fourth to put the game out of reach.
The Salinas defense locked down as the game progressed and managed to slow down the Alvarez ground game. Isaiah Duarte and Isaac Rodriguez had interceptions for the Cowboys. For Alvarez, Nathan Escalera ran for 79 yards and Abel Vasquez completed four of his seven passes.
Besides Schaffer getting one last chance to suit up in the abbreviated spring football season, it was also special because he got to line up next to his little brother, sophomore quarterback Adam Schaffer.
“It’s a great bonding experience, I think,” Jeff Schaffer said. “It was pretty fun. We know each other well, we know how each other plays because I’ve watched him and he watched me.”
Replacing Carl Richardson, the all-time and single-season leader in passing yards and touchdowns for Salinas High who moved on to Northwestern University, Adam Schaffer showed poise throughout the game and threw a touchdown pass to Anthony Lacovara in the third quarter to give the Cowboys a comfortable lead after they led by one point for the bulk of the game.
Schaffer’s parents were on hand to see their sons work together to push the Cowboys to a 1-0 record.
“They were really excited just to see us get to play again because they saw first-hand just how bummed out we were that we weren’t going to get to play (in the fall),” Jeff Schaffer said. “They were excited and very proud of us.”
While there were plenty of empty stands because of the crowd limitations at Salinas High, including the student section that was mostly empty outside of gym bags in the area that served as a de facto locker room, the parents and guardians on hand were ecstatic to see their kids playing again. Large cardboard photos of the faces of fans who didn’t get to attend filled the Salinas High cheering section and acted as a social distancing tool.
Debbie Hidalgo was on hand to cheer on her son, Salinas High senior Jesse Hidalgo. She said she was happy Jesse would get a chance to suit up this season and get out into the fresh air rather than staring at a computer screen during distance learning.
“It’s an energy jolt for everybody,” she said. “There’s a little bit of hope coming up.”
Both teams will face a quick turnaround with games on Saturday. Alvarez will host Rancho San Juan at 11 a.m. Salinas faces host Alisal on Saturday at 11 a.m.
Across town on Tuesday, Alisal held off North Salinas for a 21-14 victory. Christian Campos ran in a touchdown for the Trojans and Benny Chuca connected with Connor Barrett for a touchdown pass in the season-opening win.