The Live Oak rugby team rose to the challenge of a must-win game
last Friday against Bellarmine College Preparatory but could not
rise up and finish late in the second half
MORGAN HILL
The Live Oak rugby team rose to the challenge of a must-win game last Friday against Bellarmine College Preparatory but could not rise up and finish late in the second half.
The Acorns trimmed a six-point deficit to 18-17 with 10 minutes left at the Outdoor Sports Center and relentlessly attacked in the final three minutes with Bellarmine ahead by five. The Bells prevailed with stout defense, though, for a 21-17 victory that denied Live Oak a spot in the Skyhawk Conference playoffs.
The Acorns opened the scoring with a try by senior wing Anthony Sacci, who connected with freshman scrum half Cookie Alvarez on a blind-side move from a scrum. Sacci caught a quick pass, juked a defender and sprinted the remaining 50 meters untouched to give Live Oak the lead, 5-0, — the conversion was no good — at the 12 minute mark.
Bellarmine rallied ahead, 8-5, in the next 10 minutes with an penalty kick and an unconverted try. Live Oak answered when sophomore wing Austin David intercepted a loose pass and raced 70 meters for a try, with Andrew Pitzer adding a conversion.
The Bells tacked on another penalty kick before halftime, cutting the Acorns’ lead to 12-11.
Both sides battled back and forth after the intermission. Bellarmine scored an unconverted try to hold the largest lead of the game at 18-12.
With the Bells defense scrambling, Live Oak’s forwards surged ahead with the ball, allowing senior flanker George Croft to squeeze through and touch down a try with 10 minutes left. After failing the conversion, the Acorns trailed by one and did not score again.
The playoff-bound Bells extended their lead with a penalty kick.
