Deep playoff run hinges on improved offense, consistent
defense
MORGAN HILL — The 2010 football season looks like it will be a special one for Live Oak High School. The proof is in coach Jon Michael Porras’ expectations.
Normally one to round out his team’s list of goals at No. 3: Playing on Thanksgiving, Porras has changed his preseason tune for the first time in four years as head coach.
“Right now, we don’t have any goals besides Gilroy next (Friday),” he said. “We’re trying our best not to let our guys look past that game or any other one.”
That’s because the Acorns have a legitimate chance to win all of them. There is no opponent on their schedule or in the wide-open Central Coast Section Division III they cannot beat.
Seeded eighth in the playoffs a year ago, Live Oak was less than a quarter away from knocking off No. 1 Terra Nova in the first round. The Acorns held a three-touchdown lead only to watch it evaporate into a 28-24 loss. It was painful, Porras admits, but a blessing in disguise for a team that returned five impact starters on offense and defense and developed a new batch of talent this offseason.
“These guys are super motivated,” Porras said emphatically. “They have a huge drive from what I’ve seen.
“They picked up right where they left off in spring. I’d say they’re about as confident now as they were by the end of last season.”
But not too confident. The players have taken Porras’ one-game-at-a-time approach a step further.
“We’re not even thinking that way; we’re going one practice, one snap at a time,” senior linebacker T.J. Ornduff said. “We don’t want to have a slow practice or a slow drill. We need to bring game speed every minute. That’s the only way we’re going to meet our potential, and we have a lot.”
For the first time since reaching the 2007 Medium School Division title game, the Acorns have a chance to make a deep playoff run.
They should field one of the top defenses in their section, with five starters back from a unit that carried the team down the stretch a year ago. The newly dubbed “Wolfpack” defense includes their den master and 2009 sack leader, Ornduff, strong-side linebacker Cody Van Aken, defensive lineman-turned linebacker Matt Zarubi, safety Ryan Hennings and cornerback Jacob Montoya, who will also kick.
The defensive line is all-new but solid. Senior Isaac Camarillo, the “rock” of the unit, will start both ways with juniors Jonathan Molina and Dominic Holmes (6-foot-3, 267 pounds). Derek Satterlee, a 6-foot, 230-pound junior, saw plenty of action a year ago. Senior Stephen Saade has tremendous speed.
Isaiah Campos, a heady junior, joins a deep linebacking corps.
“The whole defense is looking really good,” Zarubi said. “I miss being up front, but I definitely love linebacker. Our defense was full of leaders last year, and we know it’s important we have another great season.”
The rest of the defensive backfield features senior Kean Vaziry at strong safety and seniors Artie Valencia and Dominic Bejarano at cornerback.
“Artie is just a ball-hog, and Jacob is one of the most talented guys on the team,” Bejarano said.
After floundering for most of 2009, the offense began to find its stride in the last four games as Live Oak scored at least three touchdowns a night and cut down on turnovers.
The Acorns’ veer attack needs to produce more in 2010.
“They can carry more of a weight this year,” said Porras, who manages the offense. “It just depends on how hard they work.”
A spotlight has been on the battle between durable seniors David Pelz and Bejarano for the starting job under center. It wasn’t anywhere near settled going into this week.
“Since Dominic is starting at corner, it’s probably going to be David getting most of the reps at quarterback, but it’s still up in the air,” Porras said. “They’re so close. They both have things they need to work on.”
The winner inherits an offense with plenty of firepower. Pelz would very much like to retake the top spot after losing it midway through the 2009 season.
“I want to show how I’ve improved,” he said. “I’m comfortable in any situation now.”
The Acorns have arguably the best running back tandem in the Mount Hamilton Division with seniors Blair Zerr and Van Aken. Zerr is more of an uphill runner, Porras said, and Van Aken is a “slasher” type. Expect Mitch Marcum, a fullback-like junior, to get carries as well.
Live Oak is two deep at tight end with hulking seniors Kyle Villa and Nicholas Heidenreich.
The Acorns have a multitude of wideouts as well. The fleet-footed Montoya returns at Z-back, specializing in fly sweeps. The receivers are senior Taylor Howard and junior Austin Carvalho. Van Aken could also split wide.
There is ample pressure on Live Oak’s one unproven group: offensive line. The good news is center Camarillo played alongside most of his peers on the junior varsity squad two years ago. They include guards David Robertson, Ruben Magana and Molina, and tackles Danny Galli and Holmes.
“Chemistry is everything. They’ve got to trust each other, work together and want to get better,” said line coach Matt Acosta, who played guard on the 2007 LOHS team.
If they do that, 2010 could indeed be special.
“We want to compete for a league title. We expect to get a home playoff game,” Porras said. “Lastly, we want to turn in our gear the second week of December.”
