League play opens Friday night in the BVAL, as Live Oak hosts Mt. Pleasant in a 7 pm kickoff in Morgan Hill. Live Oak (3-0) appears ready for Santa Teresa "B" Division play after rolling through the non-league portion of its schedule without suffering a defeat. Mt. Pleasant (1-2), meanwhile, has struggled at times in the preseason.
Both teams had a week off in preparation for the beginning of league play.
"A week off was fun, but it's time to get serious and focus on winning league," Live Oak coach Mike Gemo said.
The Acorns opened their season with a pair of wins over Gilroy teams, 35-21 over Gilroy and 20-7 over Christopher. Live Oak followed those wins up with an emotional 23-20, come-from-behind victory over Sobrato that has given the team confidence in its quest to get back to the BVAL Mount Hamilton "A" Division.
"We're making sure we play at an 'A' league level," Live Oak defensive tackle Nick Rizzo said.
Even though the Acorns did not play a game last week, they feel the bye week was productive.
“We have focused on what we have to do and watched film,” said freshman center Anthony Ditta. “We need to work on our offense against defense.”
Live Oak has featured a balanced offense led by senior QB Taylor Turnipseed (31-of-57 passes, 517 yards, 8 TDs) and junior running back Trevor Bearden (56 carries, 325 yards). The Acorns have turned the ball over just five times so far this season.
“We’re staying focused and minimizing mistakes,” said Live Oak safety Matthew Bergantz.
Mt. Pleasant, on the other hand, has struggled in the preseason, defeating just Yerba Buena in between losses to Santa Teresa (41-6) and Evergreen Valley (6-0). The Cardinals will look to get their running game going against the Acorns, led by senior running back Josh Mesina (31 carries, 280 yards, 2 TDs).
