Small School but XXL Talent

Sam Benner downplays the notion, saying that it only occasionally plays tricks with his mind.

But after twice being an All-Ventura County selection by The Times and receiving a scholarship from Stanford, Benner still wonders if he gets the proper respect.

Or if that recognition is not tainted because he played at St. Bonaventure High, a small school.

Over the years, the 6-foot-5, 250-pound tackle and defensive end heard the barbs of those wearing letterman’s jackets of other schools.

Doubts have always swirled around him. Could he have gotten those awards if he played in the Marmonte League or the Channel League? Would he have gotten the scholarship? Is he tough enough to play with the bigger boys?

“I went to a couple of Buena and Ventura games, and I definitely thought that,” Benner said. “I kind of looked at my size and stature and thought, ‘I could probably do pretty good out there.’

“You have your doubts, but doubts are what make you work hard.”

Benner, a senior who had 12 sacks last fall and opened gaping holes on the offensive line for the Seraphs, who reached the quarterfinals of the Division IX playoffs, will finally get the chance to slam the door on those doubts tonight.

Benner will play for the West in the Ventura County all-star football game. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m. at Ventura High’s Larrabee Stadium.

“I know there’s been stuff like that voiced, not directly at me,” he said. “But people already have their ideas about ‘Little St. Bonaventure.’

“I see these guys in town a lot. And whenever I do, they always get their shots in. But only jokingly. They’re never serious.”

Four years ago, when it was time to pick a high school, Benner could have chosen Buena or Ventura.

But, like most of his friends at Sacred Heart, a Catholic middle school, Benner chose St. Bonaventure, the sixth smallest among the 21 schools in Ventura County.

How small was that? Four of five smaller schools--Cornerstone Christian, Ojai Valley, Thacher and Villanova Prep--don’t have football programs.

Benner’s parents only briefly considered sending him to a public school, some of which have an enrollment four times the size of St. Bonaventure’s approximately 550 students.

“At that time, I wasn’t thinking I was going to get a scholarship,” said Benner, who was introduced to football in the eighth grade, when he played one year of Pop Warner.

Benner didn’t know how to play the game, but, like a true Stanford recruit, he proved to be a fast learner and won a starting position on the offensive line.

He arrived at St. Bonaventure at 6-feet, 180 pounds, and Coach Jon Mack’s eyes were as big as saucers the first time he saw Benner in pads.

Still learning and tentative on the field, Benner was promoted to the varsity as a sophomore.

“The first practice he asked me to send him to JV, because he thought he was going to be second string,” Mack said. “I said, ‘Sam, you’re going to play on TV one day. You’re not going to play JV.’ ”

Benner, in fact, became a starter, and he will never forget his first varsity game.

“I could hear my heart beating in my helmet,” he said. “I had nerves, but I was ready to go.”

Mack knew Benner was special. With a 3.3 grade-point average, he was smart. Size has never been a concern.

“He’s gotten huge in the last six months, and he’s just beginning to grow,” Mack said. “I can’t wait to see him next Christmas.”

But what separates Benner from most high school giants is his athletic ability, which includes quick feet and coordination.

“Sam’s the kind of guy, you give him an implement, he can play the sport,” Mack said.

“You give him a paddle and he can play ping pong.”

Stanford, Northwestern, UCLA, California and Colorado State soon launched a recruiting war after Benner was timed at 4.9 in the 40-yard dash last year in a workout for Southern California recruits.

“I don’t think he has anything to prove,” Mack said.

But St. Bonaventure and West teammate Topi Sanchez knows differently. As a player, he always feels the urge to impress his peers. So does Benner.

“[Benner] gets the chance to hang with the big boys,” said Sanchez, who rushed for 1,943 yards and 28 touchdowns last fall, running behind Benner. “You can imagine what people must think: small school; he’s a big fish in a small pond. . . .

“I think he wants to prove that he deserved the scholarship and the awards. He’s proving it in practice. He’s at a higher caliber than I’ve seen before.”

All-star teammate and county rushing leader Ronney Jenkins, who set a national record by rushing for 619 yards in his final game at Hueneme, became a Benner believer after a recent scrimmage.

“I’m not going to down my line, but he’s a lot bigger, a lot stronger and a lot faster than anybody we had,” Jenkins said. “There really is no comparison.”

Benner, the only player in the region signed by Stanford, was one of seven players from Ventura County to receive Division I scholarships.

Four of the seven are linemen: Benner, Charles Bungert of Camarillo (Utah), Elliot Silvers of Agoura (Washington) and Blane Saipaia of Channel Islands (Colorado State).

Saipaia, 6-3, 275 pounds and bound for Colorado State, said he never had doubts about Benner, and Stanford won’t regret signing him.

“Everybody knows Sam,” Saipaia said. “He’s a monster. Everybody’s afraid to run his way. He’ll be good at Stanford.”

With a shortage of defensive linemen at Stanford, Benner has been told he could get a lot of playing time this fall.

“I’m more nervous about that [than the all-star game],” he said. “It took a lot of hard work and dedication to get where I am. After four years, I’ve got to establish myself again. That’s going to take a lot of mental dedication.

“But [the all-star game] finally gives me a chance to prove I can cut it. And I’d hate losing. I don’t want to lose my last high school football game.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Ventura County All-Star Football Game

* When: Tonight.

* Time: 7:30.

* Site: Ventura High 2155 East Main St., Ventura.

* Admission: Adults $6, children under 12 $4.

* Directions: Take the 101 Freeway to Seaward Avenue. Go north to Main Street. Take a left on Main. Park in lot next to the football field.

* ALL-STAR LINEUP: C15