When Nick Lomanto gets the ball, his mindset is simple.
“I run for my life,” he said.
That type of attitude goes a long way in explaining the Live Oak High junior’s fast start this season. The Acorns are 3-0 entering Friday night’s showdown against Pioneer (3-0) in the Blossom Valley Athletic League Mount Hamilton Division opener for both teams. The 5-foot-9, 155-pound Lomanto is one of the key reasons why Live Oak has league championship aspirations this season.
Lomanto’s versatility—he plays running back, cornerback and safety—make him a true game-changer. Offensively, Lomanto has been electrifying while producing highlight-reel material. His 83-yard touchdown run against Christopher showcased all of his immense abilities: vision, speed and explosiveness.
“That was the first play of the game for me, and what was going on in my head was I had to make an impact right there and then,” he said. “My coaches were waiting to put me in because they knew something like that was going to happen. Right when I got the ball, I saw the hole, bounced it outside and saw an open field. I turned on the jets and went for it.”
Lomanto had career-high marks of 20 carries for 182 yards against Christopher, a breakout game for a potential star in the making. Despite constantly going up against taller and heavier players, Lomanto rarely goes backward. That’s because upon first contact Lomanto gets low and drives through with his legs and core to gain yards after the initial would-be tackle.
“I just explode with my legs to keep up with the bigger guys,” he said. “A lot of it comes down to heart and having the motivation and confidence in yourself that you’re going to win that battle.”
Lomanto has shown plenty of heart all season, most notably in the Christopher game. Lomanto got his named called early and often, barreling his way forward for gains as he collided with several defenders.
“I was sore for about a week after the Christopher game,” he said. “Right after every game I have the normal bumps and bruises, and the next morning I can barely get out of bed sometimes. But you just have to push through it.”
To combat the effects of the pounding his body takes after a game, Lomanto tries to take an ice bath on Saturday’s. If Lomanto can’t get one in, he’ll at the very minimum take an ice pack and put it on wherever he’s most sore. Saturday’s are not usually easy for Lomanto or his teammates, as they run four miles as part of the usual morning practice.
The Live Oak players have been watching film on Pioneer, which no doubt has targeted No. 4—Lomanto’s jersey number—as one of the players to contain. Pioneer will also focus on Acorns quarterback Jonathan Singleton, who is having his best season yet. The Mustangs haven’t been challenged yet this season, rolling off three wins in impressive fashion. It’ll be interesting to see if their defense can slow down Live Oak’s offense, which has been humming at times like a well-oiled machine.
“It’s going to be a good one for sure,” Lomanto said. “Whoever comes out on top will set the tone for league and establish themselves as the top dog for everyone to look out for.”
Despite the early-season success, Lomanto knows he has to stay humble to keep on improving and not take the game for granted. After all, he knows better than anyone what it’s like to have football taken away. As a junior varsity player last year, Lomanto had his season cut short after suffering a broken collarbone in the fifth game of the season. Like most players, Lomanto went through a depressing period after having his season cut short.
“I was obviously in a depression stage because of that injury,” he said. “I knew after that I had to work even harder in the off-season to get my strength up.”
And that’s exactly what Lomanto did. With the help of the Live Oak coaching staff—which set up an off-season strength-training program for the players—and his personal trainer, A.J. Rangel from Pro Sport in San Jose, Lomanto became stronger than ever. Injuries can happen to anyone, of course, but Lomanto is confident he’s less likely to suffer a serious injury than before.
In the week leading up to the team’s opener against Alisal, Lomanto felt nervous, as he had flashbacks to the injury. But once the game started, Lomanto got in sync and contributed on both sides of the ball.
“I have to stay humble and keep on doing the things I’ve been doing,” he said. “I have to keep the right mindset to know all of my hard work will pay off.”
In addition to spending countless hours strength-training in the off-season, Lomanto also took part in several 7-on-7 passing camps throughout the Bay Area and beyond.
“I was able to work on my hands, speed, cuts and overall skills,” he said.
Even though nothing beats the feeling of scoring a touchdown, Lomanto takes equal satisfaction in playing defense. Whether it’s at cornerback or safety, Lomanto relishes the challenge of going 1-on-1 with a receiver and shutting them down.
“I love covering wide receivers 1-on-1 and doing all I can to cover them,” he said. “If I can break up a pass, you feel like you’re the man in charge. It’s a great feeling.”
The youngest of four children, Lomanto looked up to all of his siblings, especially his brother, Paul, who also had a standout career at Live Oak as a running back and linebacker.
“Him being a star made me want to be like him and then better than him,” Nick said. “He’s always been an inspiration for me since I started playing at 5 years old.”
All of Lomanto’s siblings graduated from Live Oak High and their parents, Paul and Michelle, are high school sweethearts. Lomanto’s dad was a part of the school’s 1980 and 1981 teams that won Central Coast Section championships—the first two section titles in school history. Lomanto credits his family, teammates and coaches for helping him develop into a dynamic playmaker.
And yet it’s Lomanto’s mindset that has taken him to another level. During the off-season, Lomanto was maniacal in the gym, particularly when it came to leg day. Knowing he can only put so much weight on his frame, Lomanto built up his lower body knowing it would help him win the 1-on-1 battles with would-be tacklers. Whenever Lomanto gets in his stance, he scans the defense and envisions his run.
“I try to scope out where everyone is and where the play is going,” he said. “I try to find openings and where I think the defense’s weakness is.”
More often than not, Lomanto has found them.
