Benicia High’s varsity football team has no margin for error when it celebrates Senior Night on Thursday against the Vanden Vikings at Drolette Stadium.
It’s the first Thursday game in four years for the Panthers, who desperately need a victory to keep their playoff hopes alive. Only the top two teams from the Solano County Athletic Conference get automatic bids to the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs, and at 4-4 overall and 2-1 in the SCAC, Benicia can’t afford another setback.
“Every night is Senior Night or Homecoming or a playoff game at this point,” said Benicia head coach Craig Holden. “We need to come out and play every night because every game is important.”
Benicia still has a shot at a league championship, a No. 1 seed in the playoffs and a first-round postseason home game. But to do that, the Panthers must win Thursday and next week’s regular-season finale at American Canyon.
The first step is getting past the Vikings (5-3, 2-1 SCAC), who are coming off a 35-0 victory over Vallejo. Vanden beat Bethel by eight points three weeks ago and got hammered by first-place American Canyon, 44-12.
Vanden senior quarterback Jadon Brisendine has struggled at times this season, throwing seven interceptions with only four touchdown passes. Junior running back Isaiah Hamilton (jersey No. 3) is the team’s workhorse, rushing 156 times for 853 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Benicia’s defense had a terrible time on third and fourth down in last week’s 34-27 loss at Bethel. To beat Vanden, the Panther defense must contain Hamilton, limit big plays and create turnovers.
“They balance it out pretty good,” Holden said of the Vikings. “They have a very good running back and a senior quarterback. But we think our defense can play with them and get them off the field. We just need to be better on third down.
“We’re right on the cusp. We obviously didn’t play our best ball last week and we were still only a drive away from tying it up or going for the lead. We’re ready to show that last week wasn’t the team we like to be and we’ll give a better show against Vanden.”
Senior Night festivities will take place between the varsity and JV game.
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