There are many great plays in sports during a year or over many years. Some are exciting, some are superb athletically, and some are crucial to a game’s outcome. Last fall, Live Oak football linebacker Zach Rocha made one of the best plays ever in this region and it filled all three criteria.
In the huge league title showdown between rivals Live Oak and Christopher last Nov. 3, the Acorns led 28-24 in the final minutes. The Cougars were in the red zone, close to a go-ahead
touchdown.
Christopher chose a fairly safe inside slant pass but Rocha made an amazing defensive play. He read the play, jumped the route and intercepted the pass right on the goal line. That saved the game for Live Oak, and they held on for the win.
“I got smacked but I held on,” Rocha said. “Their receiver ran a little slant. I saw the quarterback’s eyes and I was right there. To beat Christopher and to be league champs feels amazing.”
Rocha, a defensive force during a stellar four-year career at Live Oak, has graduated and is continuing in football at Cal Lutheran in Thousand Oaks in southern California.
Coincidentally, Rocha’s play was quite similar to one of the most famous plays in Super Bowl history. In the 2015 Super Bowl, Seattle trailed New England in the final minute but was close to a go-ahead touchdown.
Ironically, the score there was also 28-24. With 26 seconds left, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson fired a quick slant to wide receiver Ricardo Lockette, who initially looked open. New England’s Malcolm Butler read the play and cut in front for the interception that saved the Super Bowl for the Patriots.
“A lot of times your entire season comes down to one yard, one play,” New England assistant coach Brian Flores said.
Nearly identical to what Rocha did. One play that decided everything.
“Zach was a tough linebacker that brought speed and physicality to the defense,” Live Oak coach Mike Gemo said. “Zach’s interception in the end zone against Christopher to seal the victory and undefeated league championship will be a play that stands out to me forever. Great instinct play.”
Rocha, named Blossom Valley Athletic League, Mt. Hamilton Division “Linebacker of the year,” helped lead the team to a 32-10 overall record and four Central Coast Section playoff appearances during his seasons at Live Oak. The Acorns won the league in 2023 and were a tri-champion in 2022.
“My personal best memory was 100% beating Christopher at their home,” Rocha said. “The cherry on top was (the interception) in the end zone, kinda like Malcolm Butler in the Super Bowl. Running off the field with the ball in the air was an unreal feeling; it felt like a dream when it happened.”
Rocha also memorably recalled last year’s El Toro Bowl victory over Sobrato. The Bulldogs led early but Live Oak rallied for a 35-27 win.
“I’ve played linebacker all four years of high school,” Rocha said. “I played Mike backer, the main linebacker who calls the plays (with direction) from the coaches. I was honored to do that.
“My most favorite thing about linebacker was the fact that to be good, it didn’t just require skill, but taking time to study the other team. That ability to know where the ball is going before the play even happens made playing so much more fun. That’s how big plays happened. I think studying film was a big reason for my success on the field.”
Rocha began playing football in seventh grade with the Gilroy Browns, a Pop Warner team. He stated he loves the grind and hard work that football entails. To Rocha, it is truly blood, sweat and tears.
“Out of all the six years of playing football, three coaches stood out to me, and that was Coach (Mark) Dean, my Defensive Coordinator at Live Oak, Coach (Heath) Souza, my linebackers coach at Live Oak, and Coach (Mark) Alfono, my special teams coordinator at Live Oak,” Rocha said. “These three coaches not only gave me the confidence to be a good player but they made my experience with football so much better. I’m so thankful for each one of them.”
Now it’s time for college training camp and a new season. The Cal Lutheran Kingsmen open the year with a home game against Central of Iowa on September 14.
CLU head coach Anthony Lugo was a Kingsmen assistant coach during four straight Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles between 2009 and 2012. More recently, he was offensive coordinator for five years and he moved up to the head coach job in 2021.
“I was looking for a place that I could enjoy the scenery and play football while also getting a degree in something I like,” Rocha said. “Cal Lutheran was the perfect place for that. I love the fact that after class is done, I can hop in the car with some buddies and drive down to Malibu 25 minutes away.”
Playing football at this level enables one to focus on academics, while also continuing to compete in sports at a high level. It is not quite the NFL and the Super Bowl, but Rocha has that memory forever.
“I’ll be studying something that I’m passionate about—sports—as I’ll be majoring in Sports Management,” Rocha said. “And of course the football is what drew me here as well. Football has been a huge part of my life. This sport has given me the opportunity to forget all the noise that’s happening in my life and just let it all out. I love football.”
