LO boys soccer two wins from securing at least a share of first
place
MORGAN HILL — Fa Saulala returned from an ankle injury suffered three weeks ago to score a career-best 25 points Tuesday in Live Oak’s 54-52 win over Yerba Buena.
Saulala had been out of action since Jan. 14, when the freshman post rolled her ankle in the first half of another close victory — 51-50 — over the Aztec Warriors. She went the distance this time at Live Oak Gym, helping her team come from behind in the fourth quarter after Yerba Buena rallied from a 35-25 halftime deficit.
“Having Fa back definitely helped us,” Acorns coach Jeff Perkins said Thursday. “The kids made it happen, and it wasn’t just the ones who scored. We slowed them down with good defense.”
The Aztec Warriors were trying to earn their first West Valley Division win.
Jacey Turay, who is part of a senior class that will be honored before the Acorns’ final game Feb. 18 against visiting Hill, made three shots from beyond the arc on the way to 16 points. Danielle Dukes, another senior post, added nine points for Live Oak (4-15 overall, 2-9 league).
Kitty Kha scored 19 points, Karen Cruda had 16, and Bianca Manto 12 to lead Yerba Buena (0-17, 0-10).
Evergreen Valley 60, Sobrato 49
The Lady Bulldogs won the second half Tuesday, but the visiting Cougars did enough damage in the first to preserve their one-game lead atop the Mount Hamilton Division.
Playing in one of their last games in the Sobrato Main Gym, seniors Shealyn Kunze and Katie Nicca scored 12 and eight points, respectively, for Sobrato (3-18, 0-11). Nicca, a 5-foot-9 forward who’s had to run the point recently because of injuries, recorded her first 3-pointer.
Saida Sampson matched Nicca with eight points, and freshman Alyssa Firato led the Bulldogs with 13.
Inanna Eshoo and Jennifer Le provided 11 points for Evergreen Valley (14-7, 10-1).
Sobrato hosts Prospect at 7 p.m. Thursday and will end the season at home Feb. 18 against Westmont.
BOYS SOCCER
Live Oak 3, Evergreen Valley 0
The Acorns are two wins away from clinching a piece of the West Valley title, but they didn’t look willing to share Tuesday against the Cougars (2-7-7, 2-3-5).
Ben Hartl, Alejandro Diaz and Dylan Frechette scored goals as Live Oak remained undefeated in league play with three matches left. The Acorns (7-2-7, 7-0-3) will play their final home game at 3:15 p.m. Thursday against Independence before facing Silver Creek and Santa Teresa, who are second and third in the division.
Should they qualify, the Acorns will be battle ready for the Central Coast Section playoffs.
Sobrato 3, Piedmont Hills 2
Jovani Franco, Miles Mammen and Austin Jackson scored Tuesday as the visiting Bulldogs held off Piedmont Hills in Santa Teresa play.
The Pirates (1-11, 1-8) scored both their goals in the second half.
Cesar Arellano had two assists for Sobrato (5-4-6, 4-3-3), which snapped a two-game winless streak.
The Bulldogs will play three straight home games starting at 3:15 p.m. Thursday against Westmont. Next week, they will host Lick and Hill on Monday and Tuesday before wrapping up the season Thursday at Lick.
