Friday night in Morgan Hill, the Live Oak football team started off a comeback season with an impressive 35-21 non-conference win over Gilroy. The win was significant for the Acorns, who haven't had much success lately against their neighbors from the south.
“We haven’t beat Gilroy in three years,” said Live Oak head coach Mike Gemo.
Senior quarterback Taylor Turnipseed led the way with four TD passes, including three second-half strikes to senior wide receiver Dominic Maciel.
The Acorns have experienced several losing seasons in succession, including last year's difficult 2011 campaign, which saw them finish 1-9, forcing them out of the BVAL Mount Hamilton "A" Division. The win over Gilroy represents a fresh start for the Acorns as they approach their first league game in the BVAL Santa Teresa "B" Division at the end of this month with two more non-league games against Christopher and Sobrato.
“It’s a great group out here this year. We have that ‘got your back’, mentality. I’m thankful to be able to play along with these guys every day," defensive lineman Nick Rizzo said. "The win tonight was a great relief to the team along with the staff because that feeling didn’t come too often last year. We’re happy with how we played tonight, but we still have things to work on.”
The Acorns were understandably ecstatic with the win.
"It was great to finally get out there and get a win," linebacker Matthew Bergantz said. "It’s been a while since our last victory, but we worked hard all spring and all summer and it paid off. It’s going to be a great year."
Junior running back Trevor Bearden staked Live Oak to a 14-7 first-half lead with a pair of touchdowns, including a 38-yard run midway through the second quarter that put the Acorns ahead to stay. Bearden also caught a 36-yard TD pass from Turnipseed late in the first quarter.
On the opposite side of the field, the Mustangs left the field with their pride still intact.
“We made some mistakes tonight, but we are moving forward to win next week’s game against Sobrato," Gilroy head coach Brian Boyd said.
Live Oak continues preparation for the upcoming BVAL-ST season when it pays a visit to Christopher next Friday night (7:30 pm). Next up for Gilroy is a Saturday night (6 pm) home game against another Morgan Hill foe, Sobrato, which defeated Gilroy's crosstown rival Christopher, 38-19.
