Whenever things got tough athletically—especially in football—Live Oak High’s Cole Davis would think of all of his family members, friends and teammates who have supported him over the years. Sure, Davis’ passion for the sport is extraordinary; however, his primary motivation and drive came from wanting to make all of his loved ones proud.
Not only did Davis have a standout season on the gridiron, but he excelled on the track as well, helping Live Oak’s 4×100 relay team to a fifth-place overall finish in the Blossom Valley Athletic League Finals on May 10. For his efforts and performances, Davis was named the school’s Male Athlete of the Year.
“I was super grateful when I found out about it because I didn’t know I was going to get it,” said Davis, who graduates from Live Oak on Friday. “It was nice to know everything I’ve done has paid off. I’m just thankful for all the support, whether it was my linemen, the coaches who trusted me with the ball and put me in a position to succeed, and all of the friends and family who came to the events. I couldn’t have done it without them. it was truly a blessing to have all of their support.”
Davis made all of his supporters proud every time he stepped on the field, with his shining moment coming in the No. 5 seed Acorns’ 28-21 win over No. 4 seed Sacred Heart Cathedral in the opening round of last year’s Central Coast Section Division III playoffs at historic Kezar Stadium in San Francisco.
Davis rushed for 245 yards and two touchdowns on 31 carries and also had two interceptions in the victory.
“That whole game was my highlight (of the season),” he said. “We were underdogs going into Kezar Stadium, and playing that game on that day was something out of a movie. It was a super muddy field, which made for an even greater playing experience.”
As superb as Davis was offensively—he could always be counted upon for 100-plus yards rushing and 150-plus all-purpose yards for a given game—Davis had an equally huge impact on the defensive side of the ball. Davis played multiple positions, including free safety, cornerback and outside linebacker.
“I played wherever the team needed me,” he said. “I’m all for learning new positions and being able to contribute to the team.”
The 5-foot-11, 175-pound Davis decided to compete on the track and field team for his senior season after not having tried out for the squad in his first three years of high school.
“It was senior year and I wanted to stay in shape and be out and running,” he said.
Davis competed in the 100-meter dash, 4×100 relay and long jump. He placed ninth in the 100 in the BVAL Finals and helped the 4×100 relay squad to the fifth best overall time in 44.93 seconds, a huge personal-record (PR) for the team of Davis, Kolton McCrossen, Greg Sperry and Christian Guary.
“That was great because we came together as a team,” he said. “The 4×100 all throughout the season was never a true team until the end of the season. We had lost people to grades or couldn’t find someone to stick around, but at the end, people came together and perfected one last good run.”
Davis said his mom, Kathleen, has been his ultimate role model for sacrificing much of her time for her family. Davis has six siblings, including a brother, stepbrother, two sisters and two stepsisters. Kathleen got remarried a little over two years ago, and Davis described it “as a great ride.”
“My stepfather is a super great guy and always goes out of his way to make sure all of the siblings are cared for and thought about,” Davis said.
Live Oak football coach and athletic director Mike Gemo saw firsthand what made Davis so successful.
The Live Oak coaches voted for the Male and Female Athlete of the Year—Emmy Goble will be featured in a article next week—making the award particularly special for Davis.
“I knew I had gotten the MVP of the football team, but didn’t know about the athlete of the year,” he said. “It was a very splendid surprise, and I was nothing but smiles.”
Davis plans on playing football at Cabrillo College, with the hopes of playing at a four-year school afterward. Davis started playing the sport in the sixth grade for the Morgan Hill Raiders, and remembers he was never the biggest boy on the field but always one of the fastest. In high school, it was more of the same, as Davis used his speed and agility to make plays all over the field.
Now he’s ready for the next phase of his life.
“I know it’s going to be a big challenge (playing for a community college), but I’m ready for it,” he said. “I love football and can’t really live without it at this point in my life right now. I want to use my talent to try to get me through college because I have a big family and would like to save as much money as possible for the siblings once it’s time for them to go to college.”
Live Oak athletic director and football coach Mike Gemo said Davis’ work ethic and determination stood out.
“I remember how undersized he was coming in as a freshman, and how he worked his butt off to be the player that he became,” Gemo said. “He learned a lot about the running back position in his junior year and carried us to that first-round victory (over Sacred Heart Cathedral) this last season. It’s one of those performances I’ll never forget, how he took over that game in the second half. His line was blocking great for him, and he kept on hitting the hole and running hard. Cole did everything he could to make sure he was ready to play and not let his teammates down.”
