Live Oak loses in the final minute Last year, the Live Oak
football team came from behind in dramatic fashion to beat Salinas
High School 14-10. This year the roles were reversed, only without
one team being called for multiple unsportsmanlike conduct
penalties and later a player attacking the referee.
Last year, the Live Oak football team came from behind in dramatic fashion to beat Salinas High School 14-10.
This year the roles were reversed, only without one team being called for multiple unsportsmanlike conduct penalties and later a player attacking the referee.
The Acorns blew a 14-3 third quarter lead losing to the Cowboys in the final minute of play by a field goal 21-24.
“We play in one of the most physical leagues,” said head coach Rick Booth. “The war of attrition is huge in this league. (Salinas) lost their starting center, but they still came out strong.”
Live Oak’s defense played solid through the first three quarters, only allowing two field goals by the visiting team during their homecoming game.
But in the fourth quarter, the Cowboys got back on their horse, outscoring the Acorns 18-7 to knock the mushroom city team out of a three-way tie for first place in the Tri-county Athletic League.
“I don’t know what happened,” said defensive back Josh Smith. “In the first half we stopped them, the defense did great. But the second half we shut down. It’s difficult to lose like this. I would have preferred to lose 43-0 than (a loss) this close and intense, especially during Homecoming.”
The Acorns started off well enough during their first series driving for 80 yards with quarterback Ryan Bennett going the final two yards for the score and a 7-0 lead.
From there the defense took over.
The Cowboys were only able to put together one successful drive in the half that ended with a 37-yard field goal in the second quarter.
In the same quarter, Bennett was intercepted by Ruben Alejandro, but Smith returned the favor with an interception of his own on Salinas’ ensuing drive.
But Live Oak was unable to capitalize on the opportunity, though they tried. Twice, the Acorns could have added a second touchdown of the first half except penalties forced the ball back.
Later, Live Oak was forced to punt.
Fortune seemed to smile on the Acorns in the third quarter when Salinas couldn’t hang on to the ball during the kickoff and Live Oak recovered it on the Cowboy 37.
Two plays later, Kevin Abbott ran the ball 34 yards to the end zone and the 14-3 lead.
Just like in the first half, the Cowboys put together a strong drive that got inside the 20-yard-line of Live Oak, but were forced to settle for a field goal.
Then the fourth quarter came crashing down around Live Oak.
It started in the third quarter when, with less than two minutes remaining, Cowboys’ Mark Laughton caught a 40-yard pass that came close to being a touchdown were it not for Nathan Goldie who corralled him.
The Cowboys scored seven plays later and a two-point conversion knotted the score at 14-14.
Abbott got his second touchdown of the night on Live Oak’s next play from scrimmage when he ran 75 yards. After the extra-point, the Acorns led by a touchdown at 21-14.
But Salinas wasn’t done.
The Cowboys answered one score with another by driving 77 yards in less than four minutes, capped off with a five-yard run by Santiago Erazo.
Mistakes on offense for the second time in the game swung the score when a handoff was fumbled and the Cowboys recovered.
At first it appeared the Acorn defense would hold off the charging Cowboys.
Salinas was faced with second and 23 following a fumbled handoff, Seth McGowan made a diving grab just inches off the ground and landed just past the first down marker.
Live Oak kept Salinas out of the end zone, but not off the scoreboard. With 50 seconds to play in the game, Chris Pinto split the uprights from 39 yards out, giving Salinas the 24-21 win.
The Acorns will travel to Salinas Friday to take on Palma, who handed Gilroy a 35-17 loss Friday night. Live Oak has 1-1 record in TCAL, 3-4 overall.
