LO opens TCAL play with solid win over Vikings
The suddenly resurgent Live Oak High football team keeps on rolling, extending its winning streak to six straight games with Friday night’s 35-19 victory over visiting North Salinas in their Tri-County Athletic League opener on Homecoming night.
While the Acorns made a few mistakes that cost the team, the Live Oak boys didn’t let the errors bog them down.
On defense, the Acorns held the Vikings’ leading rusher, senior Andrew Quinones, to just 40 yards, and North Salinas to just 77 total yards on the ground.
And, Live Oak sacked Viking quarterback Orlando Johnson eight times on the night, costing North Salinas nearly 50 yards.
On offense, the Acorns were nearly unstoppable. On the rare occasion that North Salinas forced a fourth down, Live Oak was not done even then. The Acorns were two for three on fourth-down attempts.
Live Oak drew first blood, scoring on their second drive following a fumble recovery by defensive lineman A.J. Avellar.
With 3:31 to play in the first, sophomore running back Kevin Abbott ran for 41 yards and the touchdown. Live Oak missed the PAT and went up 6-0.
Abbott scored again with 25 seconds to play in the second quarter running for one yard and the score, putting Live Oak up 21-13.
Also having a good night was junior running back Dustin Muhn who scored two touchdowns of his own.
The first came with 1:22 to play in the third quarter, scoring from 14 yards out and extending the Acorn lead 28-13. His second came with 1:14 to play in the game when he ran for 39 yards and the touchdown, Live Oak’s final score.
Live Oak’s final scorer was senior Doug Porras who caught a 33-yard pass seven seconds into the second quarter, giving Live Oak its second touchdown of the night.
The Vikings’ first score in the first quarter came following two of the Acorn’s biggest mistakes.
First, North Salinas was forced to punt. But when the Acorns fumbled the ball on the 48-yard line, the Vikings got new life.
Then, it seemed as though the Acorns forgot to cover junior wide receiver Joshua Proctor, who caught a pass and ran for the 48 yards and the touchdown.
Acorn head coach Glen Webb said it wasn’t so much a defensive break down as it was trickery on the part of the Vikings.
“They were talking to (Proctor) on the sidelines,” Webb said. “The refs didn’t see it and they found him anyway to score.”
North Salinas reared its head one more time in the fourth quarter following a five-and-a-half minute drive for six more points, cutting the lead to 28-19.
Webb said North Salinas’ never-say-die attitude, fueling the late rally, should be a lesson to Live Oak’s players.
“I think it will serve as a wake up call to the kids,” he said.
Webb said the Acorns’ next few games will be like a steep staircase, as they begin playing the better teams in the TCAL.
Their next opponent is Salinas in Salinas on Friday night at 7:30pm.
The Cowboys are 2-4, but Webb is quick to point out the four losses came against good teams, including Mitty and Palma, which beat the Cowboys 28-14 last week.
“(Salinas’) record is misleading,” Webb said. “(The Cowboys) are among the top contenders in the league.”
Salinas’s biggest threat comes from running back Tim Bothke, who has more than 400 yards this season.
Webb also noted his defense needs to contain the passing game of Salinas, mainly the option.
“(Salinas has) become rather proficient with the dive, keep and the pitch,” Webb said.
Webb said Salinas also plays a solid defense and makes few mistakes.
