Berkeley vs. Vintage
On Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025, the Berkeley High School boys’ varsity soccer team had their first North Coast Section (NCS) match, facing off against Vintage High School in a fiercely contested match. Throughout the first half, BHS was able to keep majority control of the ball, in the opponent’s half of the field. Although BHS seemed to have the upper hand with many promising shots on their opponents goal, Vintage managed to hold on, resulting in a 0-0 stalemate at the half.
During half-time, BHS was able to make much needed player and strategic adjustments. “We talked about the spaces we needed to attack and where we needed to combine to be able to break the defense,” senior and fullback Pablo Sweet Fuentes said. Coming out of the half with full force, BHS instantly took control and possession of the ball.
After 70 minutes, the team got a key opportunity for a goal. The ball was played through to Sweet Fuentes, who just narrowly kept it in bounds before delivering a precise cross to the feet of senior and striker Oliver Adams, who faked a shot and then rifled the ball into the back of the net. BHS held on for the 1-0 win, advancing them to the quarterfinals against Ukiah High School.
Berkeley vs. Ukiah
On Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, the BHS boys varsity soccer team faced off against Ukiah High School in an intense NCS quarter final match. BHS dominated early, repeatedly pressuring Ukiah’s back line of defense. Then, two minutes into the match, a shot from Sweet Fuentes deflected off of Ukiah’s goalkeeper right to the feet of BHS senior Michael Chang, who rocketed the ball into the right corner of the net, bringing BHS an early 1-0 lead. After the BHS goal, Ukiah began to put the pressure on, causing tensions to flare among both teams. However, BHS remained calm. “You just ignore the noise, and you’re good,” BHS junior and captain Henry Markus said. “We were able to get what we wanted on the ball,” Markus added.
Coming out of the locker room after the first half, BHS maintained control over the game. “The first goal really got us off to a good start, set the tone,” BHS junior and defender Henry Banks said. However, as the half continued on, Ukiah started to generate more possession and had a few chances on goal. With nine minutes left in the match, junior Luc Haji lofted a ball up to junior Joaquin Jackson on the edge of the penalty box. Jackson towered over his defender, headed the ball down to Adams, who then buried the ball into the goal, extending BHS’s lead to 2-0. Ukiah was unable to conjure a response, and the final whistle secured BHS a ticket into the NCS semifinals.
Semifinal Result
On Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, the BHS boy’s varsity soccer team was set to play their NCS semifinal match against Dougherty Valley High School. The game was arranged to be away at Dougherty Valley, given that BHS was ranked below them in the playoff standings. However, at 3:15 p.m. that day, the BHS athletic directors had no choice but to report a possible California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Bylaw violation. CIF is the governing body that creates all of the regulations and protocols high schools must follow within their respective leagues. The infraction in question was a violation of Bylaw 600, a CIF rule stating that high school level athletes cannot play in a match for another team while simultaneously playing for their high school team. BHS unknowingly fielded a player that was ineligible to play in the quarterfinal match. Because of this, the soccer team was forced to forfeit the semifinal just three hours before kickoff. Not being able to play in this NCS game was devastating for players, families, and supporters. Athletic director Robin Vegt stated, “We’re heartbroken for everyone involved.” Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of this result is that these players will never know how far they would have been able to advance.