The Acorns and Bulldogs meet in boys play, and the Sobrato girls
face Pioneer. The winner of both games at Willow Glen High advances
to CCS
SAN JOSE — The Blossom Valley Athletic League Tournament schedule is set, and the opening round features two pivotal matchups between local teams Thursday at Willow Glen High.
The boys teams from Live Oak and Sobrato will meet at 4:45 p.m. with the winner clinching a top-four finish in the Mount Hamilton Division — and an invite to the Central Coast Section playoffs. The victor also gets to tackle top-seeded Leland at 2:45 p.m. Friday at Live Oak High, site of the semifinal, consolation and championship games.
After an up-and-down 2-3 finish in league play, the Acorns could use a big win.
“The goal right now is to give it everything we can,” Live Oak boys coach Mack Haines said Wednesday. “The odds are stacked against us if we play Leland. They’re a very good team with few weaknesses. It’s a great test for either team before CCS.”
Sobrato coach Paul Harris said his Bulldogs need to avoid being intimidated. They were trumped 22-5 by the Acorns during the regular season.
“We’ve played very hard teams at this level this year,” said Harris, whose boys team placed fifth in the Mount Hamilton. “When it comes to Live Oak, they kind of get nervous. They’re don’t really play their best.”
Sobrato’s girls team has an equally crucial match at 1 p.m. versus Pioneer, the third-place finisher in the Mount Hamilton. The Santa Teresa Division champion Lady Bulldogs are out to fulfill their season-long goal of becoming the first Sobrato water polo team to make CCS.
A win Thursday will do that.
“The girls are pretty excited,” Harris said. “They’ve accomplished every goal they set this year so far. I think we have a good chance of winning.”
The Lady Acorns, fresh off of dropping a hard-fought division title game to Leland, open tournament play at 4 p.m. Friday in their home pool against the Sobrato-Pioneer winner.
Live Oak has all but secured a place in CCS, but can’t look ahead to a possible rematch with Leland. That’s the likely billing for Saturday’s 2:30 p.m. girls championship game.
“It’s difficult for them not to look ahead because they always want to beat Leland,” Haines said. “The cliche is true, though. You have to play every game before you get there. I hope (Live Oak vs. Leland) occurs. It could be a fantastic game.”
The Chargers prevailed 12-9 against the Acorns last week, when the Mount Hamilton juggernauts played for first place outright. The loss hardly deterred Live Oak’s confidence.
“I don’t like to put the cart before the horse, but if they play as good as they can, they know they can beat Leland,” Lady Acorns coach Lynn Gautschi said Wednesday. “The fact they were that close … they have enough mental backing to know they are capable of winning this tournament and going far in CCS.”
The boys title match is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Saturday after the boys and girls consolation finals at 1 and 4, respectively.
NOTE: To download the complete BVAL Tournament schedule, visit www.bval.org/forms/Water_Polo_Playoffs_2009.pdf.
