Live Oak’s football season was a topsy-turvy ride for the
players and coaches as they adjusted to a new league, dealt with
injuries and were awarded second chances.
Morgan Hill – Live Oak’s football season was a topsy-turvy ride for the players and coaches as they adjusted to a new league, dealt with injuries and were awarded second chances.
This was the first season that the Acorns have competed in the Blossom Valley Athletic League, moving over from the Tri County Athletic League.
Coach Rick Booth said the biggest difference between the two leagues was how each team runs is offense.
“The league itself is very good from top to bottom,” Booth said. “It is very good and very athletic. They throw the ball more than in the south section.”
Booth said that the lesson his team needs to take from this season is that it is going to have to work harder physically if it is going to compete against the likes of Oak Grove and the other opponents in the Mount Hamilton Division.
“We need to get in the weight room and get bigger, faster, stronger,” Booth said.
Live Oak finished the season 5-5 overall and 2-5 in Mount Hamilton Division play. The Acorns nearly qualified for a post-season berth, thanks to forfeits.
A 22-21 loss to Saratoga in the Acorns’ first game was erased. But when Branham was forced to drop a game, hopes of stealing a sixth win were dashed when the league ruled that no one benefited from the forfeit.
Booth said looking back on the season, there were two games where the team went in two different directions.
First, he said in the game against Branham, the Acorns couldn’t close out the game.
Leading 21-13 at halftime, the offense was shut out in the second half and gave up 15 points in the fourth quarter to lose.
In contrast, Booth said in the game against Pioneer, which the Acorns won 15-14, the defense found a way keep the Mustangs off the scoreboard.
“The loss was something that we didn’t finish,” Booth said. “We had the lead and allowed them come back on us. I feel the defense didn’t finish the game. (I’ll remember) Pioneer because we did finish. I knew we could not stop the offense, but we knew how stop the offense to an extent.”
During the season, there have been a few players who have grown, Booth said.
The Acorns dealt with a series of injuries that forced players to step up into roles they didn’t have at the start of the season, including quarterback Timothy O’Rourke.
“Timmy grew the most in his position,” Booth said. “He started when Chris (Nicholls) got hurt. Then he got hurt and we couldn’t run option because of his wrist.”
Live Oak will be saying good-bye to 20 seniors, including Kevin Abbott, who rushed for 1,330 yards this season, bringing his career total to more than 3,000 yards.
“You can’t replace a Kevin Abbott just like you can’t replace a Dustin Muhn,” Booth said referring to last year’s stand-out running back.
For next season, Booth said the team is going to need to work hard and possibly take some lumps in the process. He also said he is encouraged with the potential number of returning players.
“We have a number of juniors who started this year all season,” Booth said. “It took them until midway through the season to figure out how hard they had to play and how much time they really needed to put in the weight room to continue through the season. We still have to show them this is how hard they have to play. They have to be hit in mouth a few times, and I don’t mean that figuratively.”
Booth added that he hopes the team will use the lessons learned this season for next year.
“I think the kids know how to win and know how to push each other. I hope they do,” Booth said.
