Sobrato football head coach Joel Rueda, a Bulldog alum, remembers the date well. The last time his school beat city rival Live Oak: Sept. 25, 2009.
“Having not won that game in 15 years, it’s a pretty big deal,” Rueda said. “It’s weighed heavily on our guys.”
The weight is off their shoulders, as Sobrato edged Live Oak 20-14 on Sept. 6. The Acorns jumped ahead 14-0 on two short-field first-quarter touchdowns. But Sobrato fought back.
Brayden Hughes passed to Ryan Haskins for a touchdown before halftime to narrow the deficit. Davian Refugio returned an interception for a touchdown in the third quarter to tie the score at 14.
In the final exciting quarter before a roaring crowd of about 5,000 fans from both teams, the two rivals battled back and forth.
Midway through the period, Bulldog defensive back Parker Orr picked off a pass and returned the interception 85 yards for the decisive score. A missed extra point left the tally at 20-14 and gave hope to the Acorns for a response.
Live Oak fought fiercely but Sobrato held the fort for the historic win.
“Congratulations to Coach Rueda and his staff on a well-played game,” Live Oak coach Mike Gemo said. “Our defense played great. We will continue to work on offense so we are better going into league play.”
On the following weekend, Live Oak toughened itself against powerhouse Los Gatos, losing 35-6 to fall to 0-3 for the season. Sobrato traveled to Castroville and edged North Monterey County 7-6 to improve to 3-0 for the campaign.
“Live Oak is an ‘A League’ team,” Rueda said. “We showed we could hang around. Last year, we got ahead and had a lead but they won. This is another part of the puzzle. We have buy-in to what we are doing. Everyone bought into our game plan. We did bend but we did not break. Our defense played outstanding.”
In the El Toro Bowl, Sobrato’s Hughes completed 3-of-8 passes for 20 yards and the one score. Luke Anderson rushed eight times for 39 yards. On the defense, Rayan Daneshvar had 18 tackles and Jonathan Cruz had 14 tackles. Anderson had three sacks. Refugio had the 26-yard interception return and Orr’s touchdown came on an 85-yard return.
Luke Newell led Live Oak with 12-of-24 passing for 114 yards. Gage Jones rushed 17 times for 57 yards. Anthony Rocha carried the ball 14 times for 40 yards and one touchdown. Newell ran it in for the other touchdown.
“The defense was on the field the whole third quarter,” Rueda said. “We had one drive, just a three-and-out. The big turning point came from Davian Refugio with his pick six. He jumped an out route and took it about 30 yards for a touchdown.”
Midway through the fourth quarter, Orr made the big play that will stand forever in the Bulldogs’ annals.
“He intercepted on a crossing route,” Rueda said. “Then he zig-zagged back and forth. It was like an 85-yard return for a touchdown.”
With about six minutes left, Live Oak had time to reply. The next drive was stopped and they punted. Sobrato got the ball back and tried to milk the clock but the Acorns stopped them from getting a first down.
“There was about a minute and 20 seconds left,” Rueda said. “Our punter really boomed it and put them on a long field. Live Oak ran a hurry-up offense but our defense stood strong.”
The clock expired and the Sobrato team and fans exploded. Cheering, hugging and congratulations.
“It was so cool,” Rueda said. “I looked at our sidelines and was so proud. Everyone was so happy. The parents, the students, the cheerleaders.”
A tough pill to swallow for Live Oak, but a game with moments to make the entire community proud. A large crowd, local student-athletes on both sides battling, thrills and twists and turns.
“Everyone from the community was there,” Rueda said. “It was Morgan Hill football on display. I love this town.”
