In 2024, Pajaro Valley senior Benito Lara-Alvarez was primarily on the defensive side of the ball for the Grizzlies.
Prior to the start of this season, he jumped on the opportunity to add more on his plate as the team’s newest starting running back.
“I’ve always wanted to play running back,” he said. “But now that I was starting, it was something I just had to show for myself. What I could do out on the field.”
Not only did Lara-Alvarez meet whatever expectations he set for himself, he exceeded them.
The powerful Grizzly ball carrier set a school record with 1,381 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns in nine games played. On defense, he recorded three forced fumbles, six sacks and had an average of eight tackles per game as the team’s middle linebacker.
Lara-Alvarez was awarded the Pacific Coast Athletic League Santa Lucia Division’s Most Valuable Player by coaches within the division for his masterful performance during the 2025 fall campaign.
“Getting the MVP, that’s a big accomplishment,” said Lara-Alvarez, who was reflecting back to his days of youth football. “When I was little, playing football was kind of my thing. To have an MVP at this school, that’s amazing…I’m just proud, and I’m embracing it.”
Lara-Alvarez’s biggest motivation: to be better than his older brother Ivan Lara, who had bragging rights for being a member of the first-ever Pajaro Valley team to beat cross-town rival Watsonville for the Belgard Kup in 2013.
But now the younger sibling might have the upper hand after being named the Santa Lucia Division’s top player for the 2025 season.
“People tried to figure out how to stop him but he had such a valid stiff arm that was able to just shake tacklers,” Pajaro Valley head coach Casey Neligh said. “Offensively, he was the guy that you were basing your defensive scouting report on. And then defensively, he was the guy that you were trying to run away from. That’s why he’s the MVP of the league, he did it on both levels.”
Lara-Alvarez mentioned it all began with his teammates on those long summer days, building a positive attitude while striving to have the best fall campaign the school has ever seen.
“Benny found his voice in the summer in the weight room,” Neligh said. “Guys saw his work ethic, he was able to hold guys accountable. What made Benny special was that guys didn’t want to let him down. He was just a natural leader.”
Pajaro Valley finished with a winning record for the first time in the program’s history, going 5-1 in Santa Lucia Division play and owing a 6-4 overall record.
“Then also being the first to get the MVP award here [at Pajaro Valley], I did not know that, but that sounds just amazing,” Lara-Alvarez said.
Like all confident players, Lara-Alvarez believed he was pretty good on the gridiron, yet he knew there would always be someone else trying to outperform the rest of the pack.
“When I first heard I didn’t believe it,” said Lara-Alvarez on receiving the award. “But now I believe it. And looking back at the film, I think I really did deserve it. I’d like to thank my teammates, too.”
Lara-Alvarez along with offensive linemen Mario Ramirez and Eddie Estrada each earned All-PCAL First Team Offense honors. Estrada also earned all-league first team defense honors alongside fellow lineman Fernando Ramirez
Pajaro Valley quarterback Landin Manzi, tight end Brandon Llamas Gonzalez, lineman Jose Ferandez-Ramirez and special teams player Uriel Murrio-Salcedo earned All-PCAL Second Team Offense honors.
On defense, Murillo-Salcedo along with linebacker Joaquin Hidalgo and defensive back Isaias Villasana each earned all-league second team honors, while Markus Flores was named to the Richard Chamberlin All Sportsmanship Team.
Pacific Coast Athletic League 2025 all-league teams
Santa Lucia Division
Individual Awards
Most Valuable Player: Benito Lara-Alvarez, Pajaro Valley
Offensive Player of the Year: Nevin Ristic, Santa Cruz
Defensive Player of the Year: Jeremiah Laui, Seaside
First Team Offense
Neven Ristic (QB), Santa Cruz
Benny Lara-Alvarez (RB), Pajaro Valley
Josiah Escort (RB), Seaside
Elias Leao (RB), Rancho San Juan
Soji Agbelekale (WR), Santa Cruz
Titus Calvera (WR), Marina
Rocco Marini (WR), Santa Cruz
Luis Cabada (TE), Gonzales
Billy Hessler (OL), Santa Cruz
Mario Ramirez (OL), Pajaro Valley
Eddie Estrada (OL), Pajaro Valley
Andrew Quinones (OL), Marina
Domonic Bonilla (OL), Seaside
Issac Solorio (OL), Rancho San Juan
First Team Defense
Jeremiah Laui (DL), Seaside
Eddie Estrada (DL), Pajaro Valley
Axel Chicas Torres (DL), Rancho San Juan
Elijah Bennet (DL), Marina
Fernando Ramirez (DL) Pajaro Valley
Juan Ceballos (LB), Seaside
Elias Leao (LB), Rancho San Juan
Cody Holmes (LB), Harbor
Cole Pearl (LB), Santa Cruz
Soji Agbelekale (DB), Santa Cruz
Jorge Uribe (DB), Gonzales
Levi Torres (DB), Rancho San Juan
Malik Wooden (DB), Harbor
Kaden Steele (DB), Santa Cruz
Second Team Offense
Landin Manzi (QB), Pajaro Valley
Angelo Meyer (RB), Santa Cruz
Adrian Mendoza Torres (RB), Pajaro Valley
Hudson Coffey (RB), Harbor
Jorge Uribe (WR), Gonzales
Malik Wooden (WR), Harbor
Brodie Hale (WR), Santa Cruz
Brandon Llamas Gonzales (TE), Pajaro Valley
Nick Mantua (OL), Santa Cruz
Kyle Alanzo (OL), Rancho San Juan
Jose Fernandez-Ramirez (OL), Pajaro Valley
Nathaniel Bell (OL), Seaside
Hugo Izaak Soto (OL), Gonzales
Morgan Mims (OL), Harbor
Uriel Murillo-Salcedo (ST), Pajaro Valley
Second Team Offense
Joshua Mariscal (DL), Gonzales
Uriel Murillo- Salcedo (DL), Pajaro Valley
Alfredo Alfaro Rojas (DL), Santa Cruz
Matthew Griffin (DL), Harbor
Nathaniel Bell (DL), Seaside
Ian Chamberlin (LB), Santa Cruz
Joaquin Hidalgo (LB), Pajaro Valley
Gabriel Prieto (LB), Gonzales
Aidan Lorsomram (LB), Seaside
Rocco Marini (DB), Santa Cruz
Aaron Hernandez (DB), Gonzales
Jaden Uribe (DB), Gonzales
Ariel Villalobos (DB), Seaside
Damian Ceja (DB), Rancho San Juan
Isaias Villasana (DB), Pajaro Valley
Richard Chamberlin All-Sportsmanship Team
Bryce Watson, Harbor
Maruicio Saravia, Marina
Jeffrey Schweitzer, Gonzales
Izzy Wormhoudt, Santa Cruz
Ariel Villalobos , Seaside
Markus Flores, Pajaro Valley
Ezra Escobedo, Rancho San Juan
Elgie Bellizio All-Sportsmanship team
Harbor
Mission Division-North
Individual Awards
Offensive Player of the Year: Vaughn Chomentowski (Sr.), Scotts Valley
Defensive Player of the Year: Jacob Hardin (Jr.), San Lorenzo Valley
Lineman of the Year: Vinny Noce (Sr.), Scotts Valley
First Team Offense
Evan Vessey (Jr.), Monte Vista Christian
Vaughn Chomentowski (Sr.), Scotts Valley
Justin Griffis (Jr.), SLV
Coy Jordan (Sr.), St. Francis
Boston Ashe (Sr.), MVC
Jacob Silva (Sr.), North Monterey County
Jacob Jimenez (Sr.), St. Francis
Jacob Wong (Sr.), MVC
Colin Wheatly (Sr.), Scotts Valley
Vinny Noce (Sr.), Scotts Valley
Olin Bates (Sr.), SLV
Evan Jordan (Jr.), SLV
Lisandro Pantoja (Sr.), Watsonville
Luis Marquez (Sr.), Watsonville
First Team Defense
Caleb Mendoza (Sr.), Scotts Valley
Olin Bates (Sr.), SLV
Tahj Ibrahim (Jr.), St. Francis
Anthony Landa (Sr.), Watsonville
Abraham Martinez (Sr.), Watsonville
Oak Silingas (Sr.), Scotts Valley
Vaughn Chomentowski (Sr.), Scotts Valley
Jacob Hardin (Jr.), SLV
Gabe Machado (Sr.), SLV
Isaias Gonzalez (Sr.), Watsonville
Isaac Currie (Sr.), Scotts Valley
Kenji Pane (Sr.), SLV
Coy Jordan (Sr.), St. Francis
Mathew Silva (Sr.), Watsonville
Second Team Offense
Caden Kilpatrick (Sr.), Scotts Valley
Jordan Ramirez (Jr.), MVC
Keon Barcinas-Hill (Jr.), St. Francis
Pablo Pineda (Jr.), NMC
Caleb Mendoza (Sr.), Scotts Valley
Mateo Hernandez (So.), SLV
Jacob Rocha (Sr.), St. Francis
Adan Sarabia-Aguilar (Jr.), St. Francis
Brody Barto (So.), Watsonville
Brijido Rodriguez (Sr.), Watsonville
DJ Ramos (Jr.), NMC
Second Team Defense
James Hanzlik (Fr.), MVC
Vinny Noce (Sr.), Scotts Valley
Gabe Attia (Jr.), SLV
Andrew Gafford (Sr.), SLV
Mykhailo Bronevystskyy (Sr.), MVC
Reece Walker (So.), MVC
Gabe Raya (Jr.), NMC
Leo Cruz (Sr.), NMC
Josiah Carranza (Jr.), NMC
Jesse Fulkerson (So.), SLV
Jaden Casey-Ganeshalingam (Sr.), St. Francis
Mark Flores (Jr.), Watsonville
Johnny Finney (Jr.), MVC
EJ Mellin (Sr.), NMC
Zane Siechen (Sr.), Scotts Valley
Landon Pifer (Jr.), SLV
Vince Tovar (Jr.), St. Francis
Richard Chamberlin All-Sportsmanship Team
Owen Bingham (Sr.), MVC
Vic Padilla (Sr.), NMC
Josh Mata (Sr.), SLV
Colin Murphy (Sr.), Scotts Valley
Paise Gitcho (Sr.), St. Francis
Brijido Rodriguez (Sr.), Watsonville
Elgie Bellizio All-Sportsmanship team
SLV
Gabilan Division
Individual Awards
Most Valuable Player: Eli Dukes (Jr.), Palma
Offensive Player of the Year: Sam Whelan (Sr.), Soquel
Defensive Player of the Year: Django Daillak (Sr.), Soquel
First Team Offense
Sam Whelan (Sr.), Soquel
Michael Andrade (So.), Salinas
Jayden Duarte (Sr.), Alisal
Ethan Bonilla (Sr.), Monterey
Eli Dukes (Jr.), Palma
Hudson Summerrill (Sr.), Soquel
Matt Maxon (Sr.), Carmel
Jordy Quezada (Sr.), Hollister
Hovan Lusk (So.), Salinas
Job Barroso (Sr.), Palma
Kaden Colon (Jr.), Palma
Tyler Kilby (Sr.), Soquel
Kingston Padilla (Jr.), Soquel
Myles Jackson (Jr.) Salinas
First Team Defense
Tripp Felice (Sr.), Hollister
Wyatt Nichols (Sr.), Soquel
Adrian Lopez-Kai’s (Sr.), Soquel
Maverick Muse (Jr.), Soquel
Wyatt Deverick (Jr.), Palma
Jake Escalante (Sr.), Soquel
Kai Vaughn (Sr.), Monterey
Miles Urquides (Sr.), Salinas
Skyler Brown (Sr.), Carmel
Django Daillak (Sr.), Soquel
Jackson Sillaci-Jensen (Sr.), Salinas
Kit Tuatolo (Sr.), Monterey
Noe Gonzalez (Sr.), Hollister
Estaban Chaidez (Jr.), Palma
Second Team Offense
Cruz Raquet (Sr.), Hollister
Hector Politron (Sr.), Alisal
Gavin McDonald (Sr.), Aptos
Scott Catesi (Sr.), Aptos
David Garcia (Sr.), Palma
Jonathan Perez (Sr.), Salinas
Cash Moran (Sr.), Soquel
Chase Amaral (Jr.), Palma
Dean Briant (So.), Carmel
Robert Beverly (Sr.), Carmel
Nick Martinez (Sr.), Hollister
Jorge Martinez (Sr.), Alisal
John Barrett (Jr.), Alisal
Josiah Castaneda (Jr.), Palma
Second Team Defense
Ayden Lopez (Sr.), Palma
Joe Viarengo (Sr.), Palma
Von Robinson (Sr.), Salinas
Quentin Dominguez (So.), Salinas
Nathan Orozco (So.), North Salinas
Ricardo Luna (Sr.), Monterey
Matt Maxon (Sr.), Carmel
Ben Candaleria (Jr.), Hollister
Ryan Balma (Jr.), Salinas
Hugo Valencia (Sr.), North Salinas
Julian Dominguez (Sr.), Alisal
Christain Ramos (Sr.), Alisal
Noah Velasquez (Jr.), Palma
David Spencer (So.), Carmel
Richard Chamberlin All-Sportsmanship Team
Gus Tapia, Alisal
Gavin McDonald, Aptos
Kanan Seeklander, Carmel
Gabriel Moreno, Hollister
Israel Johnson, Monterey
Julian Gabriel, North Salinas
Bernie Phillips, Palma
Kyle Healy, Salinas
Brandon Isidro, Soquel
Elgie Bellizio Sportsmanship team
Alisal
