FREMONT – Berkeley soccer coach David Perry wasn’t certain if his group would get an automated berth into the North Coast Part Division II playoffs after clinching the West Alameda County Convention/Mission Valley Athletic League Mission Division title on Friday.
However he's sure that the Yellowjackets belong within the playoffs.
“I really feel very assured,” he mentioned after his squad dismantled Irvington 49-8 at Tak Fudenna Stadium in Fremont on Friday evening. “If you win league champs and do it within the style we did, I don’t assume there may be any motive why we’d be out of the playoffs.”
Berkeley took a 27-0 lead within the second quarter on the way in which to ending the common season with a 7-3 total document and a 5-0 Mission Division mark. Irvington fell to 5-5, 1-4.
The Yellowjackets’ unfold no-huddle offense has been significantly spectacular in its five-game profitable streak to finish the season. Berkeley averaged 45.2 factors per recreation in that span.
“They purchased in,” mentioned Perry about his group adopting the offensive scheme. Perry, a 1997 Berkeley graduate, is a first-year Berkeley coach. “We simply attempt to play as quick as attainable. … We’ve bought a bunch of sensible youngsters.”
Jackson Harris, a 6-foot-3 senior vast receiver/free security who has eight scholarship presents together with Stanford and Cal in keeping with 247sports.com, had a game-high 5 receptions for 149 yards Friday. Amongst these catches have been landing grabs of 70 and 15 yards from quarterback Drew Henderson within the third quarter.
Henderson accomplished 10 of his 15 go makes an attempt for 257 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. The junior additionally rushed for 41 yards, together with touchdowns of 13 and eight yards.
The sport’s main rusher was Berkeley’s Jalen Harris, who had 89 yards on solely three carries. The 6-foot junior additionally returned a punt 68 yards for a landing.
On Berkeley’s first possession of the sport, Lucas Wire scored on a three-yard run. The following two-point conversion run failed, however Berkeley took a 14-0 lead later within the first quarter when defensive finish Eli Cohen Moulton picked up a fumble and returned it 49 yards for a landing, adopted by a two-point conversion go from Henderson to Jackson Harris.
Henderson’s 13-yard run for a TD and Jalen Harris’ punt return for a rating gave Berkeley a 27-0 lead with 5:18 left within the first half. Jackson Harris’ two landing receptions, together with the 15-yarder off a deflection in the long run zone, and Henderson’s eight-yard TD run have been all within the third quarter. Henderson’s run capping the scoring with 3:20 to play in that quarter.
The Berkeley soccer group has its first profitable total document since 2011 and can hope to make the NCS playoffs for the primary time since 2017.
Irvington broke the shutout with 3:47 to play within the first half on a 21-yard run by Shah Aaryan. Basra Jovin then ran within the two-point conversion.
Aaryan rushed for a team-high 77 yards. The Irvington particular groups additionally have been efficient in stopping Berkeley point-after-touchdown conversions together with Romero Felipe stopping a run within the first quarter, and Maheshwari Eshan blocking a kick within the second quarter.
“The hassle was there, little doubt, and the preparation all week was there,” mentioned Irvington coach Matt Kaufman, who instructed his group Thursday that he was stepping down on the finish of the season to spend extra time together with his younger household. The 2010 Irvington graduate guided the Vikings since 2018, when he was an interim coach. “They competed laborious, so on the finish of the day you'll be able to’t be upset with that. That’s all you'll be able to ask for as a coach.”