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Raymond Pinkston’s never been one to walk away from a challenge. That explains why he couldn’t wait to get back to the West Coast after a year of playing football in Detroit. 

“Talent-wise, we’re superior in all aspects of the game,” Pinkston said of California high school football players. “The anticipation I had before this season was unbearable.” 

Pinkston, 17, returned to Berkeley this summer and quickly filled the quarterback vacancy left by Mohammed Nitoto, who transferred to McClymonds. The 5-foot-11, 198-pound Pinkston quarterbacked the ’Jackets’ junior varsity team as a freshman before transferring to Albany High during his sophomore season and then to Detroit’s Loyola High last year. 

Even though the senior quarterback already knew several ’Jackets players from his freshman days, neither Pinkston nor his teammates knew exactly what to expect from Berkeley’s new offensive coordinator. 

This season the ’Jackets introduced an entirely new varsity coaching staff. And with the new coaches came a new and complex offense for Pinkston to run. 

“At first we didn’t really have any communication on offense,” Pinkston said. “Everybody was getting used to the system while learning about how each other played.” 

It’s taken a while for Berkeley to find its offensive rhythm. The ’Jackets scored just 12 points in their first three games this season. In the next four, the offense began clicking. Berkeley scored 32 points against El Cerrito, 48 versus Alameda and tallied 34 and 47, respectively, as it shut out Emery and Encinal.  

Individually, Pinkston caught fire in Berkeley’s four-game winning streak. Against El Cerrito he completed 8-of-13 passes for 206 yards and three touchdowns. He tossed another three TDs against Alameda and fell just shy of 200 yards passing. Early in the next game against Emery, however, Pinkston injured his ankle and left the game after the first series. With Pinkston out, Berkeley relied heavily on its running game and didn’t complete a single pass during the rout of Emery. 

“We don’t throw as much as other teams,” said Matt Bissell, Berkeley’s head coach. “But when we do, we’re pretty effective and that’s attributed to Raymond.” 

After another solid performance against Encinal, Pinkston has completed nearly half of his passes this season for 793 yards and nine touchdowns while throwing just three interceptions. 

“He’s been incredible,” said Clarence Johnson, Berkeley offensive coordinator. “We feel extremely confident in him in games and he’s just gotten better and better.” 

Johnson, who has coached football for 15 years, said Pinkston is one of the few quarterbacks he’s coached who hasn’t had to have his throwing motion adjusted. Pinkston said he owes that to Cal camps he participated in as a younger player. It’s his footwork, Johnson added, that the coaches are working on improving. 

Pinkston said he lifts weights and adheres to a training program suited more for a running back than a quarterback. As a result, his upper body is stronger than a lot of play callers he competes against. That’s something that interests recruiters, including San Jose State and Eastern Michigan. Pinkston said he’s planning to attend college and wants to pursue a career in either physical therapy or law. As for football, he’ll lean towards whichever is “the biggest conference looking” at him. 

In addition to leading the offense on the football field, Pinkston also plays baseball and as a was named all-league for basketball in Detroit. When he’s not competing athletically, Pinkston plays bass for a jazz ensemble at Berkeley High. 

Although Berkeley’s offense continues to execute a little better each game, Pinkston and Berkeley coaches said that still more time is needed to iron out all the wrinkles. 

“We’re running a brand new system and it’s a situation where it will take time for players to settle into it,” Bissell said. “Usually it takes a couple years.” 

As Pinkston gains more experience, he’s becoming better at reading defenses and staying calm in pressure situations.  

“He’s letting things come to him as opposed to trying to do too much,” Bissell said. 

Before the season started, Berkeley looked deep into its schedule and immediately recognized that the match-up against Pinole Valley this week could determine its post-season prospects. Heading into the game undefeated, the ’Jackets are betting that their offense will deliver while their defense continues to stifle opponents. 

“Obviously we knew going into the season that if we wanted to go to the playoffs, the road went through Pinole,” Bissell said. 

The crucial contest might have arrived at the perfect time, just as Pinkston and the rest of Berkeley’s offense begins firing on all cylinders. 

“I believe that whoever makes the least mistakes will win,” Pinkston said. “We match them man for man. They’re a couple years ahead of us in their program, but I think we’ll be able to compete.”