Jim Campi’s son was on the sidelines of Richert Field Friday
night as Live Oak and Sobrato battled in the first round of the
playoffs. But he wasn’t in shoulder pads.
MORGAN HILL
Jim Campi’s son was on the sidelines of Richert Field Friday night as Live Oak and Sobrato battled in the first round of the playoffs. But he wasn’t in shoulder pads.
“He’s totally into football,” said the elder Campi, squatted on a concrete block by the Live Oak bleachers to watch the game at the sold-out stadium. “He understands the rivalry … This might never happen again.”
If Live Oak and Sobrato meet each other in the playoffs again, say, in six years, Cole Campi might be in pads and not carrying a cooler. As Live Oak’s water boy, the 10-year-old had a pretty good view of the action on the field. His sister, a junior at the school, meanwhile, was among the thousands of students, parents and others mingling by the endzones.
Morgan Hill had been abuzz all week leading into Friday night’s match-up, but the crowds were surprisingly subdued for most of the game, save for brief explosions of cheers following touchdowns. Six Morgan Hill police officers on duty kept an eye on the crowds as they congregated amongst themselves and made small talk with fans.
“It’s been quiet from the law enforcement perspective,” said Morgan Hill police Cmdr. David Swing.
On the field, Sobrato kept it close in the first half, but Live Oak made the game a non-contest in the second half after several scores, en route to a 22-7 win. The El Toro bowl was about much more than points on the scoreboard, of course. As with any rivalry, the winner receives bragging rights and pride. That much was clear before the final score.
“Winning leads to bragging,” said Live Oak senior Edgar Hernandez. “You got to win before you brag and that’s what we did.”
Junior Jose Esparza put it in simpler terms.
“This is Live Oak town,” he said assuredly.
On the Sobrato side, junior Joseph Galli was surprised by how quiet the crowds were after a week of nonstop fanfare.
“I didn’t think there was going to be a quiet moment, to tell you the truth,” he said. “You got half the town on this side and half on the other.”
Allan and Cindy Swensen of San Martin, whose two daughters attend Sobrato, had dinner at a downtown restaurant before heading to the game.
“It wasn’t hard getting a seat,” Allan Swensen quipped. “Looks like everybody’s here. You can barely find a parking spot.”
