The play is called 20 rocket. It’s a simple inside run in which the tailback takes a hand-off and follows his two fullbacks through a gap created by the center and right guard. Out of their newly integrated power-I set, the Live Oak Acorns ran it for the first time in pads Tuesday during a full-contact camp with Sobrato at Richert Field, and in doing so, offered a glimpse of how they plan to move the football in 2011
The play is called 20 rocket. It’s a simple inside run in which the tailback takes a hand-off and follows his two fullbacks through a gap created by the center and right guard.
Out of their newly integrated power-I set, the Live Oak Acorns ran it for the first time in pads Tuesday during a full-contact camp with Sobrato at Richert Field, and in doing so, offered a glimpse of how they plan to move the football in 2011.
“I’m pretty new to the offense, but I like it a lot,” said senior left tackle Derek Satterlee, a converted defensive lineman. “What I see is it’s little by little. We’re not going to make plays that go eight seconds, you know? We’re going to take little plays, five-second plays, and we’re going to keep going; run down that clock and just score. We’re going to go out and hit people — hard.”
With the way running backs Trevor Bearden, Joey Rodriguez and Matt Dariano were gliding through gaps created by their veteran offensive linemen Tuesday, the Acorns may grind out a few eight-second plays this season after all.
Twenty rocket’s inaugural flight went well, with Bearden exploding up the middle to the sound of oos and ahs, as did most of Live Oak’s other run plays. There were back-to-back 7- to 8-yard powers by Rodriguez, a few short dives by Dariano and several counters in which Bearden was a stiff-arm or high step away from breaking loose.
“That guy’s going to make some plays,” Dariano said with raised eyebrows of Bearden, his sophomore counterpart.
Three of Live Oak’s 15 plays were for a loss or no gain, a tribute to the blocking of center Dominic Holmes, guards Andrew Daggett (left) and Jonathan Molina (right), right tackles Tyler Geer and Kailo Wilson, and Satterlee. All six weigh at least 245 pounds.
“We’ve got a good offensive line, good size up front,” Mike Gemo said when asked what he has learned in his first two months as Live Oak’s coach. “If we can push some people up front, we’ll run effectively behind them. We’ve got a good … three guys that can get in there and make plays.”
The power-I formation allows Gemo to use any one of them on any given play. The three-back set — although much more rudimentary than the veer attack Live Oak used under former coach Jon Michael Porras — ensures steady gains with extra blocking.
“It’s easy for us to learn,” said Holmes, a 260-pound senior. “We were pretty successful with it today. We came out with the right attitude and made things happen against a good team that’s been to a few camps.”
Live Oak will still use various split- and single-back formations to mix in its passing and traditional option plays. Neither team went beyond their basic sets during the two-day camp, which was like a combined practice.
Live Oak originally planned to have several San Jose schools in attendance. When they dropped out, Sobrato jumped at the chance to get in some free full-contact practice with another team.
“I like coach (Nick Borello) and his staff,” Gemo said. “They’ve got a good thing going on over there. Both schools are just trying to get better and get some quality practice in.”
It was good, clean fun for both sides.
“It’s been great,” Sobrato fullback/linebacker Tyler Lerma said. “It’s better than going shirts and skins with the same guys every day. A lot of us know each other from Pop Warner. It’s cool getting to hit each other a little early.”
Coaches reminded players the Live Oak-Sobrato football rivalry starts and ends Sept. 17 in the El Toro Bowl.
“This is all about the Morgan Hill kids and getting them better at football,” Sobrato associate head coach Albert King said.
At the end of Tuesday’s inside-run drill, Sobrato’s defense walked slowly to the sideline, visibly drained from trying to stop a three-back attack that rivaled their own of Obi Mbonu, Drew Glines and Derrick Taylor.
Live Oak’s offense looked ready to keep playing.
“If we block like that during games,” Gemo said to his front five, “we’ll have a thousand-yard rusher in no time.”
Maybe a couple.
