Page One

Tell Pinole Valley we’re coming for them!” 

Berkeley High’s war cry for the 2002 season has finally come to fruition after the Yellowjackets stomped Richmond High, 61-0, on Friday night to set up a meeting of Alameda-Contra Costa Athletic League undefeateds. 

Berkeley (7-0 overall, 4-0 ACCAL) gained 409 yards to the Oilers’ 58 and didn’t allow Richmond past midfield in their most dominating win of the season. Five different Yellowjackets scored touchdowns, including three each from senior Sean Young and sophomore Antoine Cokes, while quarterback Dessalines Gant threw three touchdowns in the rout. 

There’s little question the Berkeley players were looking past Richmond toward the matchup with Pinole Valley High, and it’s tough to blame them. The Oilers came into Friday’s game winless at 0-6 and without their starting quarterback and running back, leaving them with even less firepower than usual. The result was predictable: lots of runs up the middle and punts and very little resistance on defense.  

Berkeley scored on its third and seventh plays from scrimmage and averaged more than 10 yards per rush. The lightning-fast Young scored the first two times he touched the ball, while Cokes found the end zone on his first three runs. Berkeley led 42-0 at halftime and only a running clock in the second half kept the score from getting even more out of hand. 

“We expected to dominate them because they’re Richmond,” said Cokes, who finished with a game-high 81 rushing yards on just four carries. “We knew they weren’t very good.” 

The most encouraging sign for Berkeley was the play of Gant, who threw five interceptions in last week’s overtime win over Hercules High. The senior put up his most impressive performance yet against Richmond, completing 7-of-12 passes for 149 yards and no interceptions, numbers that could have been better if not for three drops by his receivers. For a player without much game experience (Gant has started just four games for Berkeley), a good outing just before a showdown for the league title was crucial. 

“Dez played very well tonight,” Berkeley offensive coordinator Clarence Johnson said. “He played under control, but he was aggressive and not afraid to make mistakes. The best thing we have is our speed, and he used it tonight.” 

Gant was cautious after the game, aware that he hasn’t faced a defense like Pinole Valley’s. 

“We’ll see how I do next week,” he said. “That will be what decides whether I’m good enough. But if I can play like I did tonight, we’ll do well.” 

While the Yellowjackets were understandably jubilant after their domination of Richmond, their next game was all anyone wanted to talk about. Berkeley hasn’t beaten Pinole Valley in six years, and the Spartans won last year’s game and the ACCAL title with a second-half comeback. 

“Pinole Valley is a really good team, and it’s a big matchup,” head coach Matt Bissell said. “We’ve been looking forward to it since they knocked us out of the playoffs last year.” 

“We’re ready for Pinole Valley, physically and mentally,” said Robert Hunter-Ford, who caught Berkeley’s second touchdown and recorded a sack. “I guarantee we’ll stop them this year.” 

Berkeley defensive coordinator Ron Moore, an emotional coach who has been repeating the Jackets’ mantra of “Tell Pinole Valley we’re coming for them!” all season long, expects a defensive battle, and he thinks his players are ready for just such an occasion. 

“I feel confidence in my defense against anybody,” Moore said. “As long as I have my core players, we can face anybody.” 

The Berkeley-Pinole Valley game will be at Pinole Valley High School at 7 p.m. on Friday.