I’ve mentioned in previous columns the excellent sportsmanship shown by the Live Oak Acorns and Sobrato Bulldogs when the two teams face each other. Some believe eventually the Acorn and Bulldog matches will become a heated cross-town rivalry.
However, since I’ve been covering sports here in Morgan Hill, the two athletic programs have not only shown terrific sportsmanship, but they have also displayed a willingness to help each other. Especially, it seems, this spring.
Whether it’s because of the unprecedented rainfall or because Live Oak and Sobrato coaches and student-athletes know each other so well, the two programs seem to have nothing but love for each other.
According to Peninsula Sports Management, about 400 baseball and softball games have been rained out in Monterey, San Benito, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties combined this season. I think this has created some of the spirit of sportsmanship between the Acorn and Bulldog sports programs because the coaches and athletes are just so happy to actually get in a full game or meet.
For example, about two weeks ago the Live Oak and Sobrato softball teams faced each other for the first time on one of the few sunny days we’ve had this spring. The Acorns opened up an early 15-0 lead on the Bulldogs before Sobrato had even had its first at-bat in the game. Instead of running up the score and having the game mercy ruled after five innings, Live Oak’s coaches sent runners early on steals to get automatic outs and had their players advancing only one base on extra-base hits so the game could be played in full.
I thought this was a great show of sportsmanship by the Acorns, which allowed the young Lady Bulldogs to get in a full game and work on their skills in a game situation.
Similarly, the Lady Bulldogs showed their own good sportsmanship by playing hard the entire game, despite being so far behind. They didn’t get angry at each other, or the Acorns. They played their game the best they could. Following the game, Live Oak coach Barry McDonnell and Acorns credited the Bulldogs with playing with spirit.
On that same afternoon, the Acorn and Bulldog track and field teams competed against each other in a Tri-County Athletic League dual meet. Spirits and sportsmanship were also high on the track. Both Live Oak coach Dean Raymond and Sobrato coach Dennis Martin had nothing but wonderful things to say about each other’s athletes and programs.
The same can be said for both schools swimming programs. Many of the older swimmers on Sobrato’s team are well-known to the Live Oak athletes and coaches. So is Sobrato head coach Lynn Gautschi, whose daughter Ronni swims and plays water polo for the Acorns. In fact, Acorns’ coach Mack Haines said that during the meet, Lynn Gautschi accidentally yelled out “Live Oak” a few times. Before Sobrato, Lynn Gautschi led the Acorns for 17 years and said that one of the reasons she took the coaching job at Sobrato was because she wanted there to be a good rapport between the two programs.
“Eventually as we build the program at Sobrato, we will be able to challenge them competitively. But it will always have the sportsmanship and friendship,” Gautschi said.
Maybe I’m so impressed by this show of sportsmanship between Live Oak and Sobrato because previously I’ve seen a lot of unsportsmanlike conduct between rival schools in Oakland, where I previously covered high school sports, and in Petaluma, where I grew up.
Regardless, the friendly Live Oak/Sobrato rivalry has been a breath of fresh air and promotes healthy competition.
