It ain’t easy being big. Just ask Dominic Holmes.
The second-year starting center/nose guard will be the biggest
player wearing a Live Oak High School uniform this season. Yes, his
6-foot-3, 295-pound frame will come in handy when opening up lanes
for sophomore tailback Trevor Bearden, or protecting junior
quarterback Taylor Turnipseed. But it also comes with great
expectations.
It ain’t easy being big. Just ask Dominic Holmes.
The second-year starting center/nose guard will be the biggest player wearing a Live Oak High School uniform this season. Yes, his 6-foot-3, 295-pound frame will come in handy when opening up lanes for sophomore tailback Trevor Bearden, or protecting junior quarterback Taylor Turnipseed. But it also comes with great expectations.
“As a big guy, you’ve got to push yourself a little harder because the guy across from me will be doing the same,” Holmes said. “It’s cool, though. I like being the bigger guy and handling the pressure.”
As the most experienced group of players for first-year coach Mike Gemo, Holmes and his mates on the offensive and defensive lines will be depended upon to carry the weight for Live Oak this fall. The Acorns are replacing all five skill-position starters on offense, including 1,000-yard rusher Cody Van Aken, the 2010 Mount Hamilton Division Running Back of the Year. Live Oak is also breaking in three linebackers and a completely new secondary.
Hope springs eternal, though, in the trenches. All five starting offensive linemen – (from left to right) Derek Satterlee, Andrew Daggett, Holmes, Jonathan Molina, Tyler Geer – saw ample playing time last season. And the Acorns can rotate four returning starters on the defensive line in Holmes, Satterlee, Molina and Geer, plus up-and-coming junior Josue Lopez.
“The linemen’s experience is going to be huge,” said Gemo, who kept Live Oak’s three-five-three defense but scrapped its veer in favor or a more dynamic offense with pro-style passing and power running. “They’re big, and they move people around. And once they do that, we’ll be able to offset some of the inexperience of our younger skill guys.”
It’s not all gloom and doom outside the lines. Live Oak has a capable replacement for Van Aken in the 6-foot, 185-pound Bearden, whose bruising style was on display in last year’s 42-28 first-round Central Coast Section Division III playoff loss to Monterey.
“He’s fast. He’s smart. He works hard – he even blocks well,” said senior Matt Dariano, a linebacker and one of the team’s many ball carriers. “He does his job every play.”
Turnipseed appeared on his way to a bright career after managing his offense well in the Green and White Game two weeks ago. The 5-foot-11, 180-pound righty gained respect from peers.
“He’s improved a lot,” second-team all-league wideout/linebacker Austin Carvalho said. “He puts the ball where it needs to go, and we make it work.”
Carvalho, once Turnipseed’s main competition under center, will hold down the top receiver spot opposite the speedy Jerardo Caro and utilityman Joey Rodriguez.
If there was ever a starter to return on defense, it is 6-foot-1, 230-pound inside linebacker Nikki Weber, whose level-headed intensity and knack for blowing up plays was sorely missed for most of 2010. Weber developed five hematomas in his right leg during an Oct. 8 victory over Pioneer and sat the remaining six games. He still had the team’s fifth-most tackles with 44.
Weber, who will also split time at tight end with newcomers Ben Muno, Kevin Butterworth and Kyle Quadros, is optimistic about his senior year.
“We don’t have much experience defensively, but we’re looking good,” he said. “We’re solid up front, and our DBs are pretty solid.”
Those include Bearden at safety and promising newcomers Hunter Sutton and Caro at the cornerback spots.
Though mostly young, Live Oak’s defense should be just as strong as in past years – but it all starts up front.
“Our linebackers and DBs can’t do their job if we don’t do ours on the line,” said Satterlee, one of the team’s athletic and emotional leaders. “It’s a lot of pressure, but it’s that pressure that makes us want to succeed.”
Outlook:
Mike Gemo wants more than anything to guide the Acorns to a third straight Central Coast Section playoff appearance in his first year as coach. Advancing out of the Mount Hamilton Division, however, appears tougher than ever. Seven of the eight members made the playoffs in 2010, with Piedmont Hills and Willow Glen winning the Division I and Division II titles. And don’t forget Oak Grove.
Who to watch:
Nikki Weber (senior, LB/TE) had the fifth-most tackles (44) on the team in 2010 despite missing six games. Austin Carvalho (senior, LB/WR) had four sacks, an interception and a fumble recovery. Derek Satterlee (senior, OL/DL) and Jonathan Molina (senior, OL/LB) played in all 11 games. Trevor Bearden (sophomore, RB/DB) averaged 4.3 yards a carry in his only game. Andrew Daggett (senior, OL/LB) is one of the team’s best linemen and a key addition at linebacker.