From the very first offensive play of the game, it was all scoring and action between the Mountain View football team and Live Oak.
The two teams combined for eight touchdowns and just one punt in the first half, trading the lead seven times to make it 28-26 at halftime for Live Oak, who eventually pulled away for a 49-32 away win in the non-league game.
Mountain View opened the scoring on its first offensive play with a touchdown pass downfield from quarterback Ishan Devarapalli to receiver Micah Perkins to make it 6-0. Live Oak quarterback Adrian Leal then found wide receiver Praise God Ofobuike for a 22-yard touchdown catch to take the lead, while the Spartans answered with a 17-yard touchdown run from running back Dom Kristof to make it 12-7 with three minutes left in the first quarter. Live Oak scored just a minute later, thanks to a touchdown catch from Tanner Holeman, but Mountain View added another touchdown with 25 seconds in the first quarter with a Kristof touchdown run to make it 20-14.
“We got back to the good, a good, balanced attack,” Mountain View head coach Rick Esparza said of the offense. “Dom Kristof ran the ball like he did during our first game, very well. Ishan Devarapalli threw the ball just like he did in our first game and the second game, very well. That’s what we are trying to be. We are trying to be very balanced in our approach, and I thought, at times, we run blocked well and passed blocked well.”
After the two teams exchanged touchdowns in the second quarter to make it 26-21 Mountain View, the visitors took the lead for good through an Ofobuike touchdown with 25 seconds left until halftime to make it 28-26. The Acorns took advantage of getting the ball first after halftime by scoring a touchdown run from running back Gage Jones, making it a two-possession game at 35-26 with eight minutes remaining in the third quarter.
Following a Mountain View turnover on downs, Leal quickly hit Ofobuike for a 72-yard touchdown catch to make it 42-26 Live Oak with 3:42 left in the third quarter. Mountain View made it 42-32 with a 74-yard touchdown run from Kristof on an end-around on fourth and five on the Mountain View 26-yard line, with Kristof accelerating past the Live Oak defense. Kristof finished with three touchdowns in the game thanks to a fast and physical running style, with the junior taking the bulk of the carries with running back Braden Greene out.
“He’s got great speed,” Esparza said of Kristof. “He plays running back like a linebacker. He’s not afraid to mix it up and run it in there.”
Undefeated Live Oak added another score on the following drive with an 8-yard touchdown run from Jones to make it 49-32 with nine minutes left in the fourth quarter and held Mountain View from scoring for the rest of the game. Live Oak outscored Mountain View 21-6 in the second half.
“They ended up pulling away, and kudos to them,” Esparza said. “We’re going to keep on getting better.”
Mountain View (1-3) will travel to play Menlo School Sept. 19 at 3:30 p.m., while Live Oak (3-0) will host Westmont Sept. 19 at 7 p.m.
