On the night of Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, Berkeley High School’s varsity football team took on Bishop O’Dowd High School. The energy was high and the student section filled the air with deafening cheers as the football team emerged onto the field.
O’Dowd’s offense got off fast, and during the first quarter scored a quick touchdown giving the Dragons a 6-0 lead. BHS was eager to put some points up on the board and after receiving the ball made a massive play. With under a minute left into the first quarter, the ball was thrown to junior Jayceon Atkins who raced past O’Dowd defenders and scored a 32-yard touchdown, which evened the score. “My proudest moment was being able to catch a touchdown and score for my team,” Atkins commented.
Bishop O’Dowd responded with a touchdown halfway through the second quarter, and defense was starting to dwindle. According to BHS junior Kaio Finau, “In the first half, we were getting punched in the mouth and we punched back.” Finau felt his team was trying their best despite O’Dowd’s frequent touchdowns.
Throughout the second quarter, key offensive plays were made by quarterback Idan Wade-Curiel and wide receiver Dailen Clark. Still, O’Dowd’s defense pushed back and kept the score 27-13 going into halftime.
In the latter half of the game BHS came on freshly rested and ready to fire back for the third quarter. “Our offensive strategy was to be aggressive by taking shots downfield and capitalizing on big-play opportunities. Defensively, our focus was on neutralizing their key players, shutting down the run game, and putting consistent pressure on the quarterback,” BHS Head Coach David Perry explained. The third quarter ended with zero touchdowns or points scored by either team, and O’Dowd continued their 14-point lead.
Defensively, both teams shut down plays left and right. BHS finished the game with 55 tackles as a team and eight pass defenses. Despite defensive plays by BHS, O’Dowd’s offense consistently pushed back and snuck through play after play.
With about nine minutes left into the fourth quarter, O’Dowd scored another touchdown. During the ending moments of the game, both teams raced back and forth across the field, and the final score was 34-13, a loss for the Jackets.
Despite losing, Perry is determined to turn this loss into a learning experience. “It’s crucial to trust the system we’ve built and the preparation we’ve put in, regardless of who we’re facing,” he said.
The Jackets fought hard, but ultimately the lack of consistency made it difficult to get the upper hand in this game. Senior player Lucas Cord stated, “We have a great coaching staff that puts us in a position to compete with and win against just about anyone, but if we don’t apply those schemes and techniques from the meeting room onto the field then we’ll have a very hard time succeeding.”
As BHS looks ahead to the rest of this season, players are hopeful. They understand that keeping a consistent performance and following coach guidance will be key to future wins.