No. 2 seed Acorns take on No. 7 seed Bulldogs in first ever El
Toro Bowl MORGAN HILL Two strong football programs will have the
chance to show their talent and hard work tonight during a historic
game in which the Live Oak Acorns and the Sobrato Bulldogs come
together for the first time ever in the first round of the Central
Coast Section Medium School Division championship playoffs.
No. 2 seed Acorns take on No. 7 seed Bulldogs in first ever
El Toro Bowl
MORGAN HILL
Two strong football programs will have the chance to show their talent and hard work tonight during a historic game in which the Live Oak Acorns and the Sobrato Bulldogs come together for the first time ever in the first round of the Central Coast Section Medium School Division championship playoffs.
The teams are among eight in the section that emerged from a pool of 24 teams to be able to compete in the 2007-08 CCS playoffs which begin with tonight’s El Toro Bowl.
The name “El Toro Bowl” comes from the iconic mountain that defines the landscape of Morgan Hill, and lies almost directly between Live Oak and Sobrato.
Both school’s web sites are encouraging students not to wear clothing that could “incite violence” or anything demeaning or degrading to the other team, per board of education policy. School officials encouraged positive displays of school spirit.
CCS rules prohibit noisemakers, face and body paint, and any posters that have not been pre-approved and posted by the host school. Purses and bags will be searched at the entrance gate.
For Live Oak junior Jeff Roberts, 16, who will lead the Acorns at the quarterback position, the historic game is about reaching the Acorn’s goal of emerging victorious from the first round and practicing on Thanksgiving day.
“This is the game that will get us to our goal,” Roberts said. “We all bring our own stones to every game and we try to build a stone wall, and that’s what we’ll do Friday.”
Tonight’s football game has become the most anticipated event of the year for the nearly 3,000 students that attend the schools, their parents and the community football program supporters.
Up to 7,000 fans are expected to gather under the Friday night lights at Live Oak High School’s Richert Field, 1505 E. Main Ave., and the schools are pulling out all the stops to appease the large amount of supporters.
Commemorative T-shirts are being sold through the Live Oak Athletic Boosters, and extra bleacher seating is being installed at both ends of the field to hold the anticipated over-capacity crowd. The Sobrato Athletic Boosters are hosing a tailgate party from 4-5:30 p.m. today at Sobrato, and will be bussing the party-goers to and from Live Oak.
The historic match-up could not have been more timely for the community as the class of 2008 at Sobrato represents the first class of seniors who have been at the school for four years, since it opened in 2004. And the Acorns are hungry to re-establish their postseason dominance.
While Live Oak missed out on the playoffs by a point in the seeding process last year, they made the playoffs in the previous three years.
However, Live Oak hasn’t won a CCS game since 1999, and senior safety Kyle Hennings, 17, would like to change that with a win tonight.
“We know Sobrato’s going to come out strong, but this is, for sure, our last home game, so we’re going to leave everything on the field,” Hennings said.
For Hennings, the most important aspect of tonight’s game is simply playing hard.
“They’ve proven they’re a good team so we can’t look past them,” he said. “And with all the hype surrounding, it’s going to be a fight.”
Roberts became starting quarterback halfway through the season after proving his versatility and ability to run the ball from behind center.
The move from running back pushed then starting senior quarterback Tim O’Rourke, 17, over to wide-receiver, where he has since found his niche.
In last week’s game against Lincoln High School, O’Rourke had seven catches for 188 yards and two touchdowns.
Sobrato also boasts two battle-tested quarterbacks in juniors Steven Sorce and Erick Levell, and is equally prepared for the game.
The high schools have faced each other on the basketball court, the volleyball court, the hockey field, and in the pool, but never in the playoffs. And never in football.
Sobrato’s senior outside linebacker, offensive guard, and team captain Victor Gillespie said the game is everything his team’s been working towards for four years.
“A win would set up our program really nicely,” Gillespie said. “People will see that we have the best program, and it would give us a chance to get some more good players from the local talent pool like the Morgan Hill Raiders.”
Senior linebacker Adrian Alcantara, 17, is getting antsy to take the field for what could be his last game as a Bulldog.
“It seems like we’ve waited for so long, especially the last three or four days,” Alcantara said. “We’re just trying to keep our composure and stay focused because there’s been a lot of hype.”
Senior defensive tackle, guard, and team captain Michael Mira views the game as only the first round of CCS for the Bulldogs.
“It’s really not so much of us versus Live Oak,” Mira said. “I want to play like it’s just another big league game. We’ve been preparing just like normal, but practice is much more elevated, and everyone is really taking it to another level.
“Our senior core is already really close, but this has brought us together in a more strategic way,” Mira said.
Proving what his team mate had just said, Alcantara built upon Mira’s sentiment.
“In the locker room, in the meetings, and in practice, everyone is there and wants to be there,” Alcantara said. “Basically, it’s go hard or go home, and I don’t want my last game to be a loss against Live Oak.”
Live Oak head coach Jon Michael Porras, who is also a teacher at Live Oak, said he is taking Friday off from work because he will be too excited to teach.
Ten years ago, in Live Oak legend Norm Dow’s final season as head coach of the Acorns, Porras was starting receiver on a top-ranked Acorn squad.
“I learned a lot from him,” Porras said, referring to Dow. “And I’m trying to continue what he did for this program.”
In 18 seasons, Dow successfully coached the Live Oak football program to four CCS championships and 10 league championships. He also served as the ASB director for eight years.
Dow said a Live Oak/Sobrato game should be a staple for the Morgan Hill community.
“I think it’s going to be a great thing for the community,” Dow said. “I think they should, at least, play a pre-season game every year.”
Dow recalled some big playoff games at Live Oak, including games against Palma, St. Francis, and Hollister, but said tonight’s game is something extra special.
“A playoff game is a playoff game regardless of who you’re playing, but in a way this game is double the excitement,” Dow said. “It does add a little considering they are cross-town rivals, so for bragging rights it makes the game even bigger.”
