SEASON PREVIEW: Live Oak football

It should be easy for the Live Oak football team to forget last season. After finishing 1-9 – its only win coming via forfeit – it wouldn’t be surprising if the Acorns removed all lingering thoughts about the season.

But less than two weeks before the start of the new year, the 1-9 season hasn’t been forgotten. Instead, memories have morphed into motivation for the 2012. And to head coach Mike Gemo, that’s a good thing.

“They expect to win league this year,” he said. “The kids feel that we are going to win league and that’s what our goal is this year.”

Moved down into the ‘B’ Santa Teresa Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League, Live Oak is expecting a dramatic turnaround. In fact, quarterback Taylor Turnipseed, who missed parts of last year because of a broken collarbone, went a step further, calling for a perfect season.  

“We are working hard for the season,” he said. “We want to go 10-0. We want to win all the games. We’ve been hitting weights from the last week of last year to now. We’ve been working.”

That hard work is already revealing results, Gemo said. The Acorns are bigger, faster, stronger and are full of experienced players.  

“We have a lot of solid players who have had a lot of experience at the varsity level who battle day in and day out,” Gemo said. “It has really helped with making sure everyone is here every day and working hard in practice.”

At the center of the Acorn core is perhaps the best player on either side of the field when Live Oak enters action on Friday’s – Trevor Bearden.

The junior running back, who ran for 1,275 yards and eight touchdowns, enters the year with sky-high expectations for himself and his team.

“I’m a lot faster, a lot stronger,” Bearden said. “I’m heavier. I’m 20 pounds heavier than I was last year. So I want to double my yards and double my touchdowns. I want to double everything. I’m also playing a lot more defense, so I’m excited about that to.”

During Saturday’s Green and Gold scrimmage, Bearden was already in mid-season from, weaving between tacklers for three touchdown runs, including one on his second carry.

“He is the leader of the offense,” Gemo said. “He goes, we go. He, in my opinion, is one of the best players in the section. The kids know he can take it the distance anytime he touches the ball – they know it. (The offensive line) works hard to give him one little seam so he can break it. They want to help him because they want to see him play on Saturday (in college.)”

He continued: “He is pushing the other guys to reach his level. He is doing it and they have to follow him.”

Bearden’s ability to sticke for a knockout run at any moment opens the passing game and big-play potential through the air, Turnipseed said.

“With him (Bearden), we are just going to be giving it to him all day,” Turnipseed. “Then they are going to be looking at him so we will just throw it over the top. They won’t be ready for it.”

And Bearden’s play is starting to spread to the other 37 players on the varsity roster. Overall, through less than two weeks of practice, Live Oak already looks and feels better than they were a year ago, Bearden said.

“We feel a lot better right now,” Bearden said. “Compared to this time last year, we feel a lot stronger. Especially, since we went down a league. I feel we have a better chance in this league.”

Bearden looks at Sobrato’s success in the Santa Teresa Division in 2011 as proof of brighter things to come.

“We are basically switching (divisions),” Bearden said. “They (Sobrato) are going to face some big teams and we will be down a level, but there will be competition. We feel a lot more comfortable in this league. We look good. We are feeling good.”

And if Saturday is any indication, the offense, thanks to an improved offensive line, could be dynamic in conjunction with Turnipseed and Bearden. During Saturday’s scrimmage, the offense dominated at times behind its two offensive stars.

“It gives everyone confidence that we can do something and bring the team together,” Turnipseed said.

The scrimmage showed a lot of things the team is capable of, Gemo said.

“I like what we did in the first part of thing,” he said. “The QB threw the ball well. We had some decent blocking. They did well when they went against each other.”

He continued: “It was nice to see other people step up besides Trevor. Other people stepped up besides our running back and it was nice to see that we have a second and third option.”

Regardless of what happens in the season, Gemo knows his team will play hard and surprise some teams.

“I expect we aren’t going to scare anybody when we get off the bus with our size and numbers, but I think these kids do not give up,” Gemo said. “They battle through everything. They are going to come and hit you in the mouth. We are going to play some smash-mouth football.”

• Who to watch

Kyle Quadros – LB, RB, OL – A team captain will anchor a young offensive line and linebacking group.

Trevor Bearden – RB, LB – Will be the offensive focal point for the Acorns after rushing for more than 1,200 yards as a sophomore.

Taylor Turnipseed – QB – Will enter the season as the starting quarterback for the second-consecutive season. Threw for 564 yards in seven games last year.

Mark Butterworth – FB, DL – Moving to fullback to help open holes for Bearden in the running game. Will play an important role on the defensive line.

Joey Rodriguez – WR, RB, LB – A senior captain will be the Acorns most important returning starter at wide receiver.