Fregoso goal holds up

Nothing beats being in the right place at the right time.

With the wind to their backs in the first half, the Lions' offensive pressure was too much to handle for league-rival Rio Vista and an early goal would be enough in a 1-0 win in the first round of the Northern Section Div. II playoffs on Thursday.

Live Oak's Alex Rendon took control of wild ball pushed by the wind along the Rams' sidelines and booted a low-trajectory shot on goal.

Rio Vista goalkeeper Manuel Uribe appeared to have it.

But the ball ricochet off his hands and rolled in front of an in-stride Luis Fregoso, who cleaned it up and scored in the 35th minute.

"I just happened to be there to rebound it," Fregoso said. "From there I knew that as long as we played defense, we would be OK."

That defense didn't allow Rio Vista to take a single shot on goal in the first half.

"I thought we a did a good job of controlling possession in the first half," said Live Oak coach Mike Owen. "They're big and physical, so we were trying to keep our passes low to not let them have that advantage. And I think we did a good job of that."

The game soon became a series of soccer's version of the Hail Mary, when Live Oak figured out that the wind was an ally. Fregoso and Rene Cuellar controlled the middle of the field and advanced when necessary.

That became a familiar look as the two continually chased down long balls into the box sent by defenders and teammates along the line.

Even corner kicks were cut short of being on goal due to the wind.

Many more shots sailed over Rio Vista's crossbar.

However, Uribe kept Rio Vista in the game. He made several saves and defended a dozen balls in the first half alone.

And while the opportunities eventually presented themselves for the Rams with the wind to their backs in the second half, they still couldn't muster up as many solid chances to score as Live Oak put together in the first half.

Finally, in the 82nd minute, Rio Vista's Eric Rodriguez blasted a ball deep into the box, but Live Oak's back line, which saw little action in the first half, eventually cleared it out.

That was the Rams' best try all game.

"Overall, I think we played well today, but I think we're going to have to play better to beat Gridley," Owen said. "They're a strong team."

No. 3 Live Oak will play at No. 2 Gridley, which had a bye, on Tuesday.

Live Oak lost its last three regular-season games before the playoffs, while Gridley is riding a 42 home-win streak.

"With the guys we have on this team, if we play our best, I think we can play with any team," Owen added. "But we must minimize our mistakes and not let them get any easy opportunities."

Contact sports reporter Bryan DeMain at 749-4796 or bdemain@appealdemocrat.com.