De La Salle caps unbeaten season
De La Salle completed an unbeaten season with a hard-fought 21-7 victory on the road over Clayton Valley Charter.
Zeke Berry opened the scoring Saturday night for De La Sale, catching a deep pass from Dorian Hale. With the ball in his possession, Berry twisted free from two defenders and kept going, the touchdown pass covering 59 yards. Clayton Valley blocked the extra-point attempt.
Mekhi Norfleet followed with a 4-yard touchdown run and Hale’s run across the goal line on the two-point try made it 14-0 late in the first quarter. A fourth-down stop near midfield set up Clayton Valley for its only score. The drive ended with Omari Taylor scoring from the 2 to cut De La Salle’s lead to 14-7.
Hale answered that score with a 4-yard run into the end zone just before halftime to make it 21-7.
De La Salle finished 6-0, its first unbeaten season since 2014 and 22nd overall, an ongoing state record, according to Cal-Hi Sports. Clayton Valley went 4-2. NO. 10 SAN RAMON VALLEY 28, MONTE VISTA 21 >> San Ramon Valley handed Danville rival Monte Vista its sixth loss this season, avenging a 2019 playoff defeat to the Mustangs and retaining the Jim Geldermann Perpetual Trophy. In this back-andforth game, Wolves junior quarterback Jack Quigley threw three touchdowns passes, two to senior JP Murphy and one to junior Caden Ridley.
NO. 2 PITTSBURG 47, ANTIOCH 8>> Pittsburg wrapped up its first undefeated season since 1964 with an easy victory in the 102nd Little Big Game. The Pirates (5-0) started quickly when Daytuawn Pearson took back the opening kickoff 88 yards for a touchdown. Pittsburg led 34-0 at halftime. “It was a good season for us,” said Pittsburg coach Vic Galli, whose uncle George Galli coached the ‘64 team. “It was like glorified spring ball, a nice little catapult into the fall season.” Pearson ran for 149 yards on 12 carries.
NO. 3 SERRA 34, NO. 19 ST. IGNATIUS 3 >> There was going to be no repeat of the upset that ended last season. In the first half, Serra’s defense made sure of it. And in the second, the Padres’ offense exploded to put away St. Ignatius (3-1). The Serra (5-0) defense forced six turnovers and senior linebacker Fynn Williams put a bow on the blowout with an interception and a 58-yard return for a touchdown.
NO. 4 VALLEY CHRISTIAN 16, NO. 14 ST. FRANCIS 13, OT >> Valley Christian won an overtime thriller on the road, highlighted by a fade route touchdown catch by sophomore wide receiver and four-star recruit Jurrion Dickey that ended it. It was the second touchdown of the night from junior quarterback Jakson Berman to Dickey.
NO. 21 LIBERTY 30, NO. 18 HERITAGE 21 >> Sophomore quarterback Nate Bell accounted for all four of Liberty’s touchdowns, running across the goal line for three and passing for another. Devon Rivers scored two rushing touchdowns for Heritage, including a 13yard run in the first quarter that put the Patriots in front 7-0.
NO. 16 SACRED HEART PREP 28, MENLO SCHOOL 7 >> Sacred Heart Prep used a dominant second half to earn a victory over previously undefeated crosstown rival Menlo School. Sophomore Andrew Latu scored on a 3-yard rushing touchdown with 9 minutes to go and found the end zone again with 6 minutes left in the quarter.
NO. 11 MCCLYMONDS 34, MANTECA 14 >> Junior quarterback Dreyan Paul passed for three touchdowns and scored a two-point conversion as McClymonds improved to 3-0.
NO. 15 ACALANES 23, CALIFORNIA 22 >> California was a field goal away from victory as time expired in Saturday night’s game. But the missed kick sealed a tight victory for the Dons.
NO. 5 LOS GATOS 45, PALO ALTO 7 >> Carson Dehorn’s 4-yard run across the goal line opened the scoring for Los Gatos. Any thought of a Palo Alto comeback ended when Adam Garwood scored on a 14-yard run to widen Los Gatos’ lead to 30-7 in the third quarter. Palo Alto finished 2-3.
NO. 7 CAMPOLINDO 44, MIRAMONTE 0 >> Senior quarterback Jacob Griessel opened the scoring for the Cougars with three touchdown passes in the first half, including a 92-yard bomb to senior receiver Maxwell Weaver.The win was Campolindo’s 10th straight over Miramonte and the 44-point margin of victory the largest in this rivalry since at least 2004.
NO. 12 MENLO-ATHERTON 49, THE KING’S ACADEMY 21 >> Menlo-Atherton completed its perfect 5-0 season with a lopsided home win against The King’s Academy. Junior wide receiver Jeremiah Earby caught two touchdown passes in the first half, giving Menlo-Atherton a three-TD lead at halftime. NO. 13 WILCOX 25, MOUNTAIN VIEW 7 >> Tied 7-7 after one quarter, Wilcox broke the game open in the second quarter. Sophomore running back Daniel Escorza scored two touchdowns for Wilcox while his brother, senior linebacker Brian Escorza, shined on defense. NO. 17 BISHOP O’DOWD 35, CASTLEMONT 6 >> It was a crazy day to end the craziest of seasons. By the end of it, Bishop O’Dowd had finished with its fourth win -- but no outright title in the Foothill division of the newly combined West Alameda
County Conference/ Mission Valley Athletic League. Rather than play Hayward for a league title, Bishop O’Dowd was forced to scramble and schedule a last-minute contest with Castlemont after there was a positive COVID-19 test within the Hayward program, O’Dowd coach David Perry said.
NO. 20 JAMES LOGAN 34, SAN LEANDRO 26 >> James Logan’s season was on the brink when it trailed San Leandro 20-0 at the end of the opening period Friday night. That was the final score last week, when Logan lost to Bishop O’Dowd. However, the Colts outscored San Leandro 34-6 to finish with a sound 4-1 season. San Leandro ended up 2-3.
NO. 23 EL CERRITO 33, NO. 22 DEANZA0>> In a battle of undefeated teams, El Cerrito played a near-perfect game while rolling past De Anza to secure first place in the Tri-County Athletic League Rock Division. Gary Alexander scored the game’s first touchdown on a fullback dive, Antonio Hines had two TDs, Aaron Woodard returned the second-half kickoff 80 yards for a score and Mark Edwards had a pick-six.
NO. 25 OAK GROVE 26, LELAND9>> Oak Grove dominated behind four rushing TDs from senior running back Elias Herrera, who finished with 166 yards. “We are really going to miss our senior class,” coach Marcus Reese said. “It really took great leadership from our seniors to be able to continue to train with the season in doubt. This will be a season we all remember forever.”