Live Oak spotted Evergreen Valley the first 16 points of the game Friday and needed to stage a comeback to clinch the team’s first league title in 17 years.
Trevor Bearden ran for 300 yards and four touchdowns as the Acorns survived against the Cougars to win 35-26.
“I’d rather not have to do that anymore,” said coach Mike Gemo. “I’d rather come out set the tone in the first half. We can’t play football like that anymore and expect to get away with it.”
The Acorns completed a perfect Santa Teresa schedule to solidify their first outright title since 1996.
“I’m just happy for the school and the kids and the rest of the coaching staff,” Gemo said. “It has more to do with them than it does for me.”
In the win, quarterback Erik Ornduff had 90 yards on four of nine passing with a touchdown. Running back Paul Lomanto also had 62 yards on eight carries.
“He’s the future of Live Oak running backs. He looked great,” Lomanto said.
Now Live oak will await the CCS seedings to see who it will face to start the playoffs. The Acorns will likely face Pacific Grove, the No. 2 team from the MTAL after it lost to Carmel Friday night, 40-35.
Both teams are 9-1 overall.
Live Oak had to sweat it out against the 1-9 Evergreen Valley Cougars, who scored on their first three possessions. It also had to battle its own mistakes.
The Acorns muffed a punt, had a pass intercepted in the endzone and 12 penalties, including six personal fouls.
“I think it’s just we don’t come focused,” Bearden said. “We don’t come warmed up, we warm up in the first quarter. Our mind set, we’re just goofing around too much before the game. Other than that, we still got the win, so I’ll take it.”
Live Oak was also burned by the big play.
On the first play from scrimmage, Xzavier Wilkins went 65 yards nearly untouched for a quick 7-0 lead.
Wilkins had 75 yards on the ground with a touchdown and threw for another.
“I give all the credit to those kids and that coaching staff. They played a helluva game for their last game this year and it was awesome to watch,” Gemo said.
After a Live Oak three-and-out, the Cougars made it 10-0 when Wilson Borden kicked a 41-yard field goal.
The Acorns looked to cut into the lead on the ensuing drive, driving to the Evergreen Valley 11 when quarterback Erik Ornduff was intercepted in the endzone.
That set up one of the weirdest chains of events of the year.
Evergreen lost four yards on a run from its 20, followed by a 10 yard quarterback scramble on second down. Live Oak was called for a late hit, which brought the ball to the Evergreen 41 and should have been a first down.
After two plays that netted no yards, the officials declared it was fourth down, even though it should have been third and 10, a point even the Live Oak coaches mildly argued.
On the ensuring punt, the ball bounced off a Live Oak receiver and the Cougars recovered. After the muffed punt that should never have happened, Evergreen Valley went 25-yards on two plays capped with quarterback Troy Verango going 15 yards for a 16-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.
“We just weren’t focused getting off the bus again like we talked about every week. We’ve got to find out what that is to make it click,” Gemo said.
From that point, Live Oak out scored the Cougars 35-10.
“We can’t play like that in the playoffs if we expect a chance. We can’t come out flat like that like we’ve been doing every game,” Bearden said. “We’ve got to pick that up. Other than that, it’s great to get a league title.”
Bearden started things off with two touchdown runs in the span of 4:34. He had runs of 52 yards and 11 yards to pull Live Oak to 16-14.
Meanwhile, the defense stood tall, forcing punts on both of Evergreen Valley’s possessions in the quarter.
In the third, the Cougars padded the score thanks to Wilkins throwing a 22-yard pass to Michael Haddis for a 23-14 lead.
But Bearden had an answer, going 76 yards on the first play from scrimmage, breaking three tackles that would have stopped him for a loss or at the line of scrimmage.
Live Oak behind by two, the defense stood tall again, giving the ball back to the offense that split time between Bearden and Lomanto setting up a 36-yard touchdown pass from Ornduff to Brandon Sorce for Live Oak’s first lead of the game at 28-23.
Evergreen’s finals score came to open the fourth quarter when Borden booted a 48-yard field goal.
But Bearden put the game at a nine-point margin when he ran 19 yards to cap a 70-yard drive for the final margin.
Kyle Quadros and Cole Griffin each had interceptions to keep the lead preserved and sent Live Oak home league champs.
Next it’s on to the playoffs.
“I’m very excited. It’s a once in a life time opportunity and not many people are going to get it. So it’s a really big deal for me and the team.
The teams Live Oak will face from here on out will be better competition, and Live Oak knows it will have to come out swinging.
“We’ve got to come to practice everyday and be ready,” Gemo said. “We’ve got the step up our game.”
