Live Oak coach Jon Michael Porras talks to his players after the Acorns wrapped up their stay at last weekend's full-contact Competitive Edge Football Camp at Cal State Monterey Bay.
Live Oak's Billy Van Aken finds a running lane during a scrimmage against North Monterey County on Saturday at the Competitive Edge Football Camp at Cal State Monterey Bay.
A wise old saying states that successful harvests happen each day of every year - and that same adage applies to championship seasons.
This parallel is the underlying theme of noncontact summer workouts; the light at the end of a tunnel filled with tedious walk-throughs, wind sprints, bench presses and whistles.
"It's a grind," Live Oak football coach Jon Michael Porras said flatly. "We're learning a lot about ourselves right now. Everything you do in summer factors into how you do in the season. The guys are working hard, but they want to start hitting and getting after it in pads."
Players and coaches agree there is no substitute for full-contact, rough-and-tumble scrimmaging - hence the beauty of Live Oak's trip to last weekend's Competitive Edge Football Camp at chilly Cal State Monterey Bay. It was there the Acorns popped pads and traded helmet paint for the first time since their CIF-Central Coast Section championship loss to Archbishop Riordan on Dec. 1. For three days, Live Oak tested its strength, agility and style of play against six other teams from the South Valley, including North Monterey County, Berean Christian, Alameda, San Mateo, Palma and Alisal. They competed in tug-o-wars, skills relays, passing drills and scrimmages, all done in full padding.
"I live for seeing this," said camp director Mike Carrozzo. "The kids are getting better and they're showing great sportsmanship.
"The drudge is from December until June ... after that, this is what you live for as a player and coach. They get all wide-eyed when they see the pads."
It was a team-building exercise that can't be emulated - part of the reason why Porras is sending his team to another Competitive Edge session near the end of July. Carrozzo said enrollment for each of Competitive Edge's six camps filled up 10 months ago.
"Three days at this camp is equal to about a week's worth of practice," said Porras, who's entering his second year as Live Oak's head coach. "You get a big advantage in practicing here. The guys are learning how Live Oak football works on the field."
Just as important, the Acorns learned about other teams. They saw the same offensive schemes used by Blossom Valley Athletic League foes, including the spread and single wing. Live Oak also got its hands dirty defending the fly offense, the same attack used by cross-town rival Sobrato. The Morgan Hill teams meet in the first game of the season Sept. 5.
"We got a feel on what's going to happen," said Live Oak senior linebacker James Wallace. "We got to see different formations and actually see how things work on the field. That's going to help us a lot."
For some Acorns, it was their first taste of action at the varsity level.
"This was my first camp," said first-year wideout Dominic Leach. "It's a lot different with pads. "You get a lot more fired up for this."
Players kept their emotion in check. They shook hands and slapped shoulder pads in between plays and kneeled shoulder to shoulder for after-practice meetings. The San Mateo players even taught their pregame haka dance to Alameda.
"The amount of respect the guys show for each other here is unbelievable," added Carrozzo, who's coach at Leland. "They'll be looking for each other's box scores in the newspapers or online during the season. They'll remember this experience."
Progress comes in learning from mistakes. Although perfection is the preferred quality of labor, Competitive Edge coaches, such as Porras, took comfort in watching their players adjust and react.
"Our first few sessions were poor," Porras said. "The last one was excellent and, right now, excellent is seeing assignments made.
"The offense started to click for us during that last session. They were taking 10 steps forward and 15 steps back; 10 steps forward and 20 yards back, then 30 steps forward. The backs are hitting the holes and following their blocks, and the line is making progress. Each position is still up in the air. We're far from set."
Live Oak made strides Saturday during a scrimmage with San Mateo. On the ground, the Acorns excelled on both sides of the ball, getting scoring runs from Billy Van Aken and Jeff Blean and big stops at the line of scrimmage, but struggled defending the deep pass.
San Mateo scored on three consecutive plays.
"This is the time and place to make mistakes," Carrozzo said. "Mistakes here don't mean losses, not like in September."
The camp ended with the renowned King of the Field competition, a nonstop tournament which pits teams against one another for four downs on a 20-yard field. A team scored by making a defensive stop or advancing the ball past the end of the field.
"It's a bit of a rock concert," Carrozzo said. "If your offense scores, you stay. If you get stuffed, whatever team was on defense switches to offense. You have to earn the right to play offense."
Live Oak drew North Monterey County in its first matchup and came close to scoring a defensive victory. The Condors broke through on fourth-and-long, though, with a deep pass down the sideline.
"We've got to work on defending that," Porras said. "Right now, when teams pass against us, we're in trouble."
The Acorns battled San Mateo before bowing out to eventual King of the Field champion Palma.
Live Oak still came away with first- and second-place accolades in the linemen-exclusive tug-o-war competition, plus Big Camp Stud honors for Blean and Wallace.
"It was a great time," Leach said. "The guys that couldn't make it missed out. We don't get to hit again for three weeks. We're already looking forward to the next camp."
Scott Adams Scott Adams covers Morgan Hill sports for South Valley Newspapers. Send him an email or call him at 779-4106.
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