On Friday, March 4, 2025 the Berkeley High School boys varsity basketball team faced Ripon Christian High School in the first round of the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Division IV State Boys Basketball Championships. After placing third in the Division III North Coast Section (NCS) playoffs, BHS earned themselves a spot into the Division IV State Championships, marking the first time the boys basketball team has been to a state tournament since 2016.
Berkeley immediately set the tone in the first quarter. BHS senior Eddie Weber-Stover made two three-point shots, sparking Berkeley to a dominant 25-5 lead. However, as the game progressed, Berkeley lost momentum as Ripon Christian chipped away at Berkeley’s 20-point lead. “We were hitting our shots early, but it slowly went downhill after that,” said BHS junior, Noah Miller. Ripon Christian finished the quarter strong, holding BHS scoreless in the final minute of the first period and bringing the score to 25-12 in Berkeley’s favor.
Opening up the second quarter, BHS junior Donte Joseph sank a three-pointer, snapping Berkeley’s scoring drought. Yet, Berkeley continued to struggle breaking through Ripon Christian’s defense, leading to a back-and-forth battle, with BHS holding onto to a 39-28 lead at halftime.
As the second half began, Berkeley’s lead fell to just six points with three minutes left in the third quarter. Then, back-to-back three pointers from BHS junior Kavi Jivan pushed Berkeley to end the third quarter with a four point lead. BHS junior L.G. Powell spoke on the team’s mindset going into the second half, “I think we definitely were gonna have a more defensive mindset and believe that there’s no one better than us and just get stops.”
BHS sophomore Henry Robinson reflected on the squad’s adversity despite losing their large lead, “We let the lead slip a little bit, but we just channeled our inner dog and we just kept pushing, playing game by game.”
After scoring four consecutive shots, BHS had a 64-54 lead with a minute and a half left in the game. Ripon Christian quickly responded, narrowing Berkeley’s lead to 64-59 with 50 seconds left. As the last minute of the game ticked away, BHS fiercely moved the ball around, possessing as the clock to wind down. The final moments of the game remained in Berkeley’s hands until Ripon Christian cracked Berkeley’s passing pattern, forcing a turnover, leading to a layup and a foul, bringing BHS’ lead to just 64-61. Despite missing the free throw, Ripon Christian grabbed the rebound, and their final shot of the game came with a three-point attempt that bounced off the rim and missed, awarding the victory for Berkeley along with a ticket into the next round of the CIF championship.
Following the first-round win over Ripon Christian in the CIF Division IV Championship, Berkeley then traveled to face No. 4-ranked Palma High School on Thursday, March 6, 2025, securing a 68-60 victory and advancing them into the regional semifinals. With just two games away from claiming the regional champion title and three wins away from the Division IV State Champion trophy, BHS faced off against no. 1 ranked Priory High School on Saturday, March 8, 2025. Unfortunately, BHS fell short, resulting in a 48-69 loss. Priory later went on to win the whole tournament.
Despite the loss, this season marked an impressive achievement for the school, as it is the first time the BHS boys basketball team has been to the State Championships since 2016. With much of the squad consisting of juniors and underclassmen this year, the team are optimistic and ready to make an even bigger impact next season.