Acorns’ playoff foe runs a quick-strike attack that could cause
problems today
MORGAN HILL — Jon Michael Porras was smiling.
It is the third week in November, and his boys are back at work, basking in the warmth of postseason football. Thanksgiving is next Thursday.
“One more win ’till our goal,” the coach of the Live Oak Acorns said before Tuesday’s practice at Richert Field. “It feels pretty good.”
A month ago, life did not feel good for Live Oak football. The Acorns were frustrated, mocked and appeared on the brink of collapse at 1-4. Their one victory came against winless Lincoln, which will likely be demoted from the Mount Hamilton Division for 2010.
“It got to the point where we had to just stay positive; do whatever it takes to turn things around,” outside linebacker T.J. Ornduff said.
Live Oak’s in-season rise from cellar to the Central Coast Section playoffs is not a mystery tale but an ode to mental strength.
As the Acorns (4-6 overall) prepared for today’s Division III first-round game at Terra Nova their coffee-black, aspirin-and-ice toughness was revealed following warm-up drills Tuesday.
“First-team defense, let’s go,” Porras announced at about 4 p.m. Nearly every player not involved with the scout offense gave a shout.
If they ever tell the story of the 2009 Acorns, let them say Live Oak won games like the New York Giants in 1986. The Acorns feature one of their most dominating, well-rounded defenses; a group that surrendered 18.6 points a game in league play this season and gave Mount Hamilton coaches — and ballcarriers — headaches.
“I’m very impressed with their defense,” Pioneer coach Mark Krail said after his offense took 80 snaps and turned the ball over four times in beating Live Oak 29-14 on Oct. 2. “No team has taken the ball away from us like that.”
Leigh coach Shawn Thomas said the Acorns “just came after us” following his team’s 28-14 loss Oct. 30 at Richert. Live Oak had four sacks in that game; one led to a fumble recovery deep in the Acorns’ territory. The next week against Leland, Live Oak tallied three sacks, two takeaways, a safety and turned the Chargers away scoreless after four plays inside the Acorns’ 5-yard line.
“They play with fire; with tenacity,” Leland coach Mike Carrozzo said of Live Oak’s D. “You take what you can against them.”
That the Acorns have struggled for offensive consistency all season only magnifies the work of their defense. Porras and his staff estimated their team could have won at least two more games if it did a better job protecting the ball.
“Defense helps us a lot. They give the ball right back,” senior quarterback/cornerback Dylan Frechette said. “They give us opportunities to put more points on the board.”
The Mean Green has totaled an imposing 19 takeaways this season. Three of those were crucial in Live Oak’s most emblematic win this season, a 9-7 triumph over Oak Grove in Week 5.
“That’s when things turned around,” senior middle linebacker Mark Weber said.
“There’s been a few games where we haven’t pulled our weight. If we make any mistake, it’s huge to us. We watch the film the next day until we fix it.”
If there is mystery to the Acorns, it’s how they have performed so well with only four returning starters on defense: Poulsen, Weber, Michael Singleton and Justin Santos. The offseason additions of juniors Cody Van Aken and Ornduff, who transferred from Woodland and Valley Christian, respectively, have been huge. At rover, Van Aken has been a hard-hitting complement to ball-hawk junior safety Ryan Hennings. Ornduff has only shored up an already menacing linebacker corps that was, arguably, the best in the Mount Hamilton this year.
“We have some great athletes there; a lot of size and speed,” Porras said.
Covered with grass stains, bruises and eyeblack, Ornduff, Singleton and Weber are difficult to recognize after home games.
“We take a lot of pride in what we do,” said Singleton, a 205-pound senior who leads the team in tackles (135) at inside linebacker. “Our goal every game is to not give up any points.”
Defensive coordinator Erin Cockrell called his unit “probably the most talented” he has seen in his seven years at Live Oak. But the real secret behind the defense’s success is cohesion.
“Their ability to play well together is what makes them great,” he said.
Cockrell prefers keeping his first-team intact, whereas most teams rotate four to seven defenders.
“They play together and practice together so much. They know what to expect from each other, and I know what to expect from them,” he said. “We got lucky having great kids that can bond and fit in well together.”
They will have to be at their best today, starting at 7 p.m. in what could be a rainy Tigers Stadium. Top-seeded Terra Nova (7-3), champions of the Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division, employs the same spread offense that Live Oak saw in losses to Piedmont Hills and Gilroy.
“You have to go into every game with the menality you can stop whatever offense,” Weber said. “We have that this week.”
Priority No. 1 is stopping the pass. Terra Nova has a dual-threat quarterback who is comparable to Joshua McCain of Piedmont Hills.
“He’s not as fast, but he throws a better ball,” Porras said.
If their defense rises to its biggest test, and their offense moves the ball as efficiently as it has in spurts this fall, the No. 8 Acorns are confident they can pull off the largest of upsets.
What better way to celebrate Thanksgiving?
