The Live Oak club rugby team placed second in the season-ending
Pacific Coast Invitational last weekend
SAN JOSE — The club rugby team from Live Oak High School concluded its season last weekend with the team’s annual awards banquet Friday and a second-place finish in the bronze division of the Pacific Coast Invitational Tournament at San Jose State University. It was the Acorns’ best showing since 2006, when they won the gold division.
During the weekend, Alex Muhn set a new team record for scoring with 232 points, breaking the previous mark (227) set by his brother, Dustin Muhn, in 2006.
Live Oak collected two wins in the fifth Annual Pacific Coast Invite, blanking Sierra Foothills Rugby Club of Penryn 20-0 in the first round and rallying past Lancers Rugby Club of Cordova, 12-10, in the second.
Against Sierra, Muhn led the Acorns with two tries, and Mitch Marcum scored one. Nick Ferguson added a penalty kick, and Joe Guidry a conversion.
Live Oak scored a dozen consecutive points to beat Lancers. After trailing 10-0, the Acorns got on the board with a try by Muhn and a conversion by Guidry. John Reichert added the go-ahead try near the end of regulation, securing a well-earned victory that catapulted Live Oak into Sunday’s division championship game against a select/all-star team from Marin County’s Redwood Empire Conference.
The finale turned into a 39-0 white washing of the Acorns. While Live Oak played exceptionally in the scrums and line outs, it had no answer for Redwood Empire’s outside speed. The Acorns were continually flanked with players out wide.
The following players were honored by their teammates Friday: Muhn, Most Valuable Back; Reichert, Most Valuable Forward; Andrew Pitzer, Rookie of the Year; Daniel Johnson and Eric Webb, Most Improved; and Mason Lammers, Most Inspirational. Muhn also received recognition as a team captain, along with Lammers, and joined Reichert and Ferguson as decorated four-year players.
NOTE: Dustin Muhn, a two-time All-American at California, will be in the lineup this weekend when Cal defends its national title at the Collegiate Final Four, held at Stanford’s Steuber Stadium. Cal will play Army at 7 p.m. Friday after San Diego State meets 2008 national runner-up Brigham Young at 5.
