Christopher High coach Tim Pierleoni knew Live Oak was going to be a tough opponent. Christopher had heard about Acorn running back Trevor Bearden and knew it was in for a struggle.
It turned out Pierleoni was correct, as the Acorns eased to a 20-7 victory.
Christopher got off to a good start, though, going ahead 7-0 on Tyson Hill's early, 64-yard defensive touchdown.
As a relatively new high school, Friday was the third time Christopher has gone up against Live Oak. Before Friday, the short series between the schools stood at 1-1.
After losing to Christopher last season, the Acorns wanted payback.
“The kids are hungry and looking to get a little revenge,” said Live Oak head coach Mike Gemo.
Live Oak certainly made sure they didn’t go home empty-handed. In the second quarter alone, they scored three touchdowns, highlighted by Taylor Turnispeed's touchdown pass to Brandon Duran. The Acorns led by 13 at the half and that's the way the score remained.
“We’re playing really good football right now," Live Oak defender Matthew Bergantz said. "We’re all coming together and leaving it all out on the field every Friday night. I’m just happy to be a part of this team and I’m thankful to be out here with all my friends and making memories.”
On the other side, the mood was more somber, with Pierleoni lamenting some muffed punts.
“We turned the ball over way too much," Pierleoni said. "You can’t turn the ball over like that. The fumbles on the punts hurt us. Their best play was their punt. They kept getting it and we kept fumbling it. You are going to lose football games if you play like that.”
Christopher (0-2) now hits the road to Pacific Grove. As for Live Oak, its next opponent will be against cross- town rival Sobrato in the teams' annual rivarly showdown.
“We played a great game," Live Oak's Nick Rizzo said. "We showed we’re not the biggest size but we can make up for it by playing together with heart. The win felt great knowing that we’re starting off 2-0. We got a big week ahead of us this week, probably the biggest week. It’s time for the El Toro Bowl!”
