BERKELEY, CA - Berkeley earned a victory in the season opener against Santa Rosa, prevailing 20-6 in a largely defensive battle for both teams.
Berkeley took advantage of an early Santa Rosa turnover, with senior quarterback Colby Miller connecting with senior receiver Isaiah Mays for a touchdown, less than five minutes into the game. In the second quarter, running back Victor Gabriel added a scoring jaunt for the Yellowjackets (1-0), staking them to a 12-0 lead at the half.
After halftime, Santa Rosa (0-1) fought back with an early touchdown, cutting the lead to 12-6, less than three minutes into the third quarter. With the Panthers attempting to tie things up in the final quarter, however, Gabriel came up with a big interception, and then added his second rushing touchdown. Miller connected with Gabriel for the two-point conversion, and the Yellowjackets held on from there to preserve the final score.
In a game largely marred by penalties, miscues, and injuries, both teams found positives to take away from the season opener.
"We have a lot to improve on," Miller said. "We have to work on a number of our concepts, and a lot of other stuff, including our composure."
Santa Rosa may not have earned a win under new head coach Russell Ponce, but he found plenty of reason to be optimistic going forward.
"I'm proud of my team and the way they played tonight," Ponce said. "We will grow as a team through experience."
Santa Rosa looks for its first win next week, facing Petaluma, who downed Montgomery in a shootout to open the season, while Berkeley takes on Dougherty Valley, who lost its opener to Las Lomas.
