The stands were still filled. The atmosphere was still electric.
Morgan Hill was still dark, save for a plot of grass measuring 120
yards by 53.3 yards. You can still hear the crowd. The city
championship game that had been moved some would say audaciously by
the home team, Sobrato, turned out to be just as riveting and
memorable as the previous four played between the Bulldogs and Live
Oak. And what an El Toro Bowl it was. There was Jake Sanchez’s
interception return for a score, Trevor Bearden’s 269 total yards
and two touchdowns, that Hail Mary before the half, a
fourth-quarter rally, great sportsmanship and no serious injuries.
It was enough to make you forget what day it was
The stands were still filled. The atmosphere was still electric. Morgan Hill was still dark, save for a plot of grass measuring 120 yards by 53.3 yards. You can still hear the crowd.
The city championship game that had been moved some would say audaciously by the home team, Sobrato, turned out to be just as riveting and memorable as the previous four played between the Bulldogs and Live Oak.
And what an El Toro Bowl it was. There was Jake Sanchez’s interception return for a score, Trevor Bearden’s record 269 total yards and two touchdowns, that Hail Mary before the half, a fourth-quarter rally, great sportsmanship and no serious injuries.
It was enough to make you forget what day it was.
That should have been enough for those who criticized Sobrato coach Nick Borello for spearheading the move to say, “My bad.” It’s not like he made the decision on a whim. Or to rankle Live Oak, which still would have made some sense. Borello did his homework.
Had the game been played Friday, it would have counted as a school event by rule, and Sobrato would have had to bus its team across town.
Estimated charge: $500.
“What sense does that make?” Borello said. “No one in education or high school athletics has that kind of money to be wasting.”
Since the game was scheduled on a Saturday, same as Sobrato’s other four home games, the Bulldogs drove themselves.
The almighty dollar wasn’t everything, though. Borello had Live Oak’s best interest in mind, too. The company Sobrato books its game officials through advised Borello and his staff to schedule as many Thursday and Saturday games as possible this season, since the company is stretched thin on Fridays.
“We’ve had some bad reffing in the past,” Borello said. “We want to get good refs.”
Education also played into this. Borello admitted his junior varsity players’ grades dropped in past seasons, partly because players had to leave class early on Fridays for games.
“For five games, they get to stay the whole period,” Borello said. “Not that they were very happy about it.”
Also consider the scouting benefits for both teams. The byes this week give them back-to-back Friday nights off to fully prep for their first league opponents. Live Oak hosts Leland on Sept 30, while the Bulldogs welcome Westmont on Oct. 1.
Football aside, I think playing the El Toro Bowl on Saturday can make a great tradition even better for Morgan Hill, a chance to make it an all-day event with perhaps a youth sports exposition in the morning, a pregame lunch for both varsity teams and the frosh/soph and JV games in the early afternoon. Think of the state fair and the annual Texas-Oklahoma college football game but smaller.
The Morgan Hill Youth Sports Alliance sees great possibilities.
“This is something we would want to get involved in, absolutely,” MHYSA president Jeff Dixon said Friday. “We’ve never spoken about it, but it’d be a great opportunity for us and the city.”
As the home team next year, Live Oak will put its two cents in when the 2012 schedules are announced in winter.
Here’s hoping the Acorns think big.
