After 24 games without a victory, the Live Oak High football
program was in need of a break heading into a new season. It got
one, kind of.
After 24 games without a victory, the Live Oak High football program was in need of a break heading into a new season.
It got one, kind of.
When the Acorns host their season-opener on Friday night at 7:30pm at Richert Field in Morgan Hill, they will face a very young Alvarez (Salinas) team that one local newspaper ranked at the bottom of the Monterey Bay League, and below Live Oak in overall area rankings.
The Eagles, who start just three seniors and a sophomore quarterback, lost nearly its entire starting lineup from last season when they rebounded from an 0-4 start to challenge for the MBL title late in the season in Coach Ben Herning’s first season with the program.
(Locals may remember Herning from his time as an assistant coach with Live Oak in 1998 and 2000.)
“It’s a good week to end streaks,” Live Oak Coach Glen Webb said.
Not that Webb is taking the Eagles lightly. Webb, who won’t likely be taking anyone lightly for awhile, said Alvarez looked very good in a scrimmage against North Salinas last week.
“They play a wide-open game, they spread the field with sweeps, reverses and option passes,” Webb said. “We’re going to have to execute our ball-control offense and keep them in their half of the field.”
Senior David Iseman will guide the Acorn attack, which features senior Doug Porras and speedy junior Dustin Muhn at running back working behind a big offensive line. Iseman also has a solid receiving corp, including seniors Adam Reza and Shaun Standridge.
The Live Oak defense is led by senior safeties Cody Welch and Andrew Cummins, along with senior linebacker Michael Marquez and defensive lineman Sam Martinez.
The Acorns are coming off a Labor Day weekend of rest, except for a practice on Monday.
Meanwhile, the Alvarez Eagles are paced by senior running back Tony Avalos, senior offensive tackle Lance Deufala and senior outside linebacker Alex Lindsay, the only three senior starters, according to Herning.
But Herning said he’s enthused by the ability of sophomore QB Adrian Estrada, whom he said could be the best quarterback in school history, and sophomore running back Curtis Shell, who won the MBL’s 100 and 200 titles in track.
Herning said his young team is fired-up to prove they’re not as bad as the Salinas-are media has made them out to be.
“My kids are not happy (about the rankings),” Herning said. “They’re talented and they can play. We know Live Oak is going to be improved but we’re a good team, too. I think we’re goling to be better than last year. I like Live Oak and I know they’re going to end their losing streak this year. I hope they do great in weeks 2-10. But not this week.”
Meanwhile, the Sobrato High frosh-soph football team will also play its season-opener this week when it travels to Scotts Valley for a 5pm game on Thursday.
