LIVE OAK, CA (MPG) - The Live Oak Boys’ and Girls’ soccer programs were supposed to begin Sac Valley League play last week, but both games were postponed due to the storm weather the area has been dealing with.

The Herald joined both teams last Thursday, January 12, for practice and it was evident all athletes and coaches were ready to get back and continue their season.

Both teams played an away game at Pleasant Valley in Chico on January 3, where the boys won 2-1 to improve to 7-0-2 on the season while the girls suffered their third loss of the season after an 8-0 defeat.

The Lions are off to another great start this season after they won the 2022 Northern Section CIF Division II championship and made it to the CIF NorCal Division V playoffs.

Lions assistant coach Jose Ramirez told the Herald the boys have picked up where they left off last season despite losing a third of their starting lineup from last year.

“The chemistry and brotherhood is there; they hold themselves to a high standard of play,” Ramirez said.

He added that he sees a chip on his team’s shoulder where they don’t want to be remembered as last year’s team. That couldn’t be any clearer when you talk to the athletes on the Lions.

Senior midfielder Joseph Hang expressed to the Herald that the hunger from last season has helped them be successful this season.

Hang exclaimed the fuel has come from outside people saying the Lions were a senior-heavy team last season; they wouldn’t be able to repeat or be as successful as last year.

“That has motivated us to prove people wrong that we can be better,” Hang said.

Hang added that the seniors have implemented a lot of fun around the program, but when it is time to be serious and focus, the entire team is locked in.

The Lions were scheduled to make up a game in the Battle of the Buttes Tournament final against Williams, but that was once again postponed due to the weather.

The Lady Lions’ three losses have come to teams that have at least six wins on the season and have a combined record 31-7-2. With impressive wins over cross-town rival Gridley, Hamilton and Las Plumas, head coach Jose Acosta mentioned some of the challenges he will be dealing with for the remainder of the season.

The first challenge that all soccer programs in the state will be dealing with is the obvious weather and the potential for more postponements. Acosta added on top of the postponements, the challenge of keeping his team motivated because practices are not the same intensity as games.

One of the biggest benefits Acosta has on his squad is most of it returned this season, as he mentioned to the Herald, he only lost one senior from last season.

Sophomore striker Johanna Petrone, who is the leading scorer on the Lady Lions this season so far with 31 goals, expressed to the Herald that although they have had a longer break in between games, the chemistry on the roster continues to get stronger.

“We have great chemistry and we’re all comfortable with one another,” said Petrone.

With both boys and girls teams having just a varsity team, they will both be traveling to away games with one another and playing back-to-back of one another.

Petrone said they will be supporting one another. Acosta added that coaching staff are close as well.

Junior center midfielder Maya Goodson said the close team chemistry matters because it built a lot of trust between one another as it translates to the field.

“Trust is everything,” Goodson said to the Herald. She added that the trust between everyone translates on the field whether it’s a verbal word or a look they give one another on the field to know what to do next.

Chemistry isn’t built only on the field; Off the field the girls spend a lot of time bonding with one another.

Junior midfielder Mckayla Holman said that one of the ways the team connected better was when Acosta took them to Pizza Factory, and they learned more about each other through conversations.

The teams were scheduled to host 1-5 Pierce on Tuesday and travel to 3-2 Winters on Thursday.