Santa Rosa
– In a first-round Nor Cal Tier B playoff game April 21,
Cardinal Newman upended Live Oak 27-17 at Comstock Middle
School.
Santa Rosa – In a first-round Nor Cal Tier B playoff game April 21, Cardinal Newman upended Live Oak 27-17 at Comstock Middle School.
The Cardinals came out fast and scored an early try against the Acorns after a disciplined, multi-phase attack. The home team added a second try at the 15-minute mark before Live Oak found its game.
Down 10-0, Live Oak went on the attack. A hard-charging run by Victor Kalata got the Acorns going and put Cardinal Newman under heavy pressure inside its defensive 10-meter line. After several phases, Live Oak had an overlap wide right and Nick Ferguson touched down for a try. The conversion was made by Will Sparling and the score was 10-7.
On the ensuing kickoff, Live Oak misplayed the ball and was under pressure inside its own 10-meter line. The Cardinals found a gap and touched down for their third try. The conversion was good and the score was 17-7.
Live Oak mounted one more attack before halftime. Kalata touched down for an apparent try. But the referee ruled that the ball was held up in goal by Cardinal Newman, and the half ended with Live Oak trailing 17-7.
The second half opened with the Acorns dictating pace. An unconverted try by Sparling closed the gap to 17-12. Live Oak continued to pressure Cardinal Newman, and Kalata touched down for another apparent try that would have tied the score. But for the second time, the referee ruled the ball was held up in goal by CN.
Live Oak won the ensuing 5-meter scrum but the Cardinals were able to hold the line. After an Acorn turnover, they used a huge clearing kick to relieve pressure.
Cardinal Newman added two more tries, catching Live Oak with quick counter attacks to extend its lead to 27-12. With the game clock running down, Live Oak’s Sparling was awarded a penalty try when he was intentionally fouled without the ball. The conversion was low and the game ended.
Live Oak’s next competition is at Stanford University for the third annual Pacific Coast Invitational Tournament on May 12 and 13. Live Oak won last year’s PCIT Gold Division Title with a 29-12 victory over East Palo Alto. Game times have yet to be determined.
