By Nathan Mixter and Damon Poeter Staff Writers Morgan Hill
– The last thing on the minds of Sobrato players and coaches
this past week has been their first ever varsity football game
Saturday at Cupertino High School. What would usually be a festive
event will be overshadowed by the failing health of head coach Jeff
Patterson’s mother.
By Nathan Mixter and Damon Poeter
Staff Writers
Morgan Hill – The last thing on the minds of Sobrato players and coaches this past week has been their first ever varsity football game Saturday at Cupertino High School.
What would usually be a festive event will be overshadowed by the failing health of head coach Jeff Patterson’s mother.
Even though Patterson had to leave practice early to be at his mother’s side all week, he was there each day, even if only for a short time to make sure his team was on the right track for such a historic event. He said he plans on attending the game Saturday.
“We still have a job to do,” Patterson said. “My mom wants me to be there. The kids are still focused.”
In Patterson’s absence, defensive coordinator Joe Bagley has been leading practice.
“We had a very good week of practice,” Bagley said. “I feel like we are prepared for the game. The kids are rallying around Jeff’s mother. They are a little nervous playing their first varsity game, but they have a lot of confidence going into the game. We’re optimistic. We want to win.”
In Sobrato’s first year of existence last season, the school fielded a frosh/soph team, and this year the Bulldogs will play a varsity schedule without any seniors. The game was originally scheduled for Saturday, then was moved to Friday, and now it is back to Saturday at 7:30pm.
“They’re a good team,” Patterson said of the Pioneers. “We’ve just got to play hard all four quarters. We have to run the ball and block like crazy.”
The Bulldogs will have to find a way to guard a pair of tall Cupertino receivers – Travis Scibetta, 6-4, and David Warren, 6-5. Warren also backs up quarterback Yuekai Yu.
The Pioneers were 2-8 last season.
“No game is easy,” said second-year Cupertino head coach Al Diaz. “They had a successful year as a JV team last year. I have total respect for Sobrato, regardless of how new they are. I know they like to run the fly and the 3-5-3, but other than that we’re going in blind.”
Sobrato will depend on sophomore running back Steven Gutierrez, wideout Alejandro Blanco and junior quarterback Matt Kellett on offense, while defensive back Erik Woodruff and linebackers Juvenal Rodriguez, Adrian Alcantara and Itzcally Valencia anchor the defense. Several Bulldogs play both ways due to the team’s small roster.
“The most important thing, win or lose, is we want to come out with the attitude of laying everything out on the field,” Bagley said.
Live Oak at Alvarez
Two teams. Going in two very different directions.
At least that’s what it looks like after Live Oak and Alvarez played their first games. Of course, one game is just one game and doesn’t always tell you much.
Live Oak won big and Alvarez lost big in their opening week matchups last week, but the two teams may be more closely matched than the figures would suggest.
“As soon as you start comparing scores, it is a detriment to the whole program,” said first-year Live Oak head coach Rick Booth. “I’ve been coaching too long to have kids think that way.”
Saturday’s game will be hosted by Alvarez High at 8pm at the Salinas Sports Complex – more famously known as “The Pit.”
The Acorns (1-0) are coming off a 35-10 victory against Silver Creek last week, while the Eagles (0-1) suffered a 23-0 loss at Hill.
Live Oak rushed for more than 300 yards against the Raiders, with senior running back Justin Muhn gathering more than two-thirds of that total. Muhn added three touchdowns to top off his performance.
“He’s a good kid and runs hard. He is a natural,” Booth said. “But we also had good runs by Kevin Abbott and by our quarterbacks.”
Booth got his first victory as a varsity coach out of the way early. But he shrugs that milestone off.
“A lot of friends e-mailed me, and people congratulated me,” Booth said. “But I’ve coached here so long, winning games is expected at Live Oak High School. What we’ve been working on the past couple years culminated last year under (former Acorn head coach and current offensive coordinator) Glen Webb. We had a good year, but not a really great year. We are just trying to build on that.”
While Alvarez surrendered 23 points last week, Booth is quick to point out, only one Hill score was on offense. The Eagles suffered most of their pain on special teams, mismanagement of field position and just the unpredictability of the bouncing ball. Alvarez gave up one touchdown on an interception return for a touchdown after a ball bounced off a receiver’s shoulder and was caught in the air, another on a kickoff return and still more points on a safety.
“They’re a very physical, strong team,” Booth said. “We have to play on top of our game to beat them. I’m sure their team pride was hurt, and they will come out sky high.”
Gavilan at Marin
Gavilan’s Coast Conference rival DeAnza beat College of Marin handily last Saturday, running up a 48-0 score on the Bay Valley Conference squad.
The Rams aren’t looking past the Mariners, but Gavilan certainly ought to pick up its game against College of Marin after last Saturday’s disappointing 25-22 season-opening loss to West Valley.
Rams head coach John Lango reports that his team has had several excellent practices in the week after that letdown. He and his staff have named two offensive captains, sophomore fullback Nick Fortino and sophomore wide receiver Shane Butcher, joining defensive captains Bradley Niles, a sophomore linebacker, and Mike Lango, a second-year noseguard.
“We struggled against West Valley,” Lango said Thursday about the Rams’ penalty and turnover-filled opener. “It kind of burst our bubble, because we were expecting to go strong out of the gates.
“But today was a great practice, we really progressed. We just have to compete and play our game.”
Lango, looking at three games against tough opponents in the weeks following College of Marin, said the Rams plan to use Saturday’s game in Kentfield to work on their running game.
“Our quarterback (Matt Virus) struggled a bit (against West Valley), so because the next three games will be extremely tough, we want to establish a ground game against Marin,” Lango said.
The Mariners are a program in transition, with Karl Finley in only his second year as head coach after replacing Tim Adams. Recruiting and rebuilding has been tough for once-strong Marin.
“I talked to (Finley), they’re working hard, but they’re struggling,” Lango said.
The Rams are healthy going into Saturday’s game, with just freshman right tackle Clayton Johnson out with an elbow injury and sophomore right guard Ty Doty out with the flu.
