24 Oct Salesian College Preparatory High Loses Hold of Undefeated Football Season

Salesian Pride senior linebacker Cahmari Blakely tries to bring down El Cerrito senior running back Gavin Thompson.

Story and photos by Joe Porrello

Salesian College Preparatory High had their six-game unbeaten streak ended by El Cerrito High on Saturday afternoon in Richmond by a score of 28-7. That was El Cerrito’s first official win of the season, though it would not have been just the day before.

The same day they beat the Pride, the Gauchos had five wins taken away from them after an investigation revealed the team fielded ineligible players during its first six games.

On Oct. 19, El Cerrito High came in with one loss and left with six.

The Gauchos had gotten the last two of those vacated wins by a combined score of 104-0 and the team was ranked No. 30 by Sports Illustrated out of over 1,000 teams in California. Their only loss before the sanctions happened at the hands of perennial powerhouse De La Salle High. 

 

Eighth-year El Cerrito High head coach Jacob Rincon was placed on administrative leave in mid-September for undisclosed reasons. During his tenure, Rincon had never lost a league game — that is until their previous matchup against St. Mary’s on Oct. 12 was among the victories removed, ending a streak of 22 consecutive league wins for the Gauchos dating back to 2016.

 

On Oct. 19 against Salesian, two first quarter touchdowns — one on defense and one on special teams — provided all the scoring El Cerrito needed. Another pair of touchdowns in the third quarter to go along with five total turnovers forced in the game, sealed the Gauchos’ victory.

The opening Pride drive was aided by five El Cerrito High penalties, including two on the Gauchos’ coaches for being in the referee’s line of motion. A five-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Marcus Burke to junior wide receiver Carlton Perrilliat gave Salesian High an early lead, but they gave it up quickly and did not score again.

 

Perilliat leads the Pride with nine touchdown receptions and 37 catches. His 645 receiving yards lead the Tri-County-Rock League, and he averages over 100 yards receiving and one score per game.

Senior El Cerrito High returner Keon Harris muffed the ensuing kickoff, then returned it up the sideline 98 yards for a touchdown to tie the game. 

“We had (Harris) dead to rights at the two yard line, and inexplicably two defenders just stopped, hell of a play by (Harris) and their special teams to continue blocking downfield,” said Pride head coach Chad Nightingale.

After fumbling the ball and recovering it on the proceeding kickoff, Salesian High then fumbled again on their first play from scrimmage, but this time it was recovered by the Gauchos. El Cerrito senior defender Dameillo Bigbee took the loose ball into the end zone and gave his team a lead they would never part with — before their offense ever got on the field.

With Burke intercepted on two consecutive drives before halftime, the Pride gained momentum when they recovered an onside kick to start the second half — still only down by one possession.

 

The Salesian High senior pass thrower came in with 25 total touchdowns, ranking him fourth in the state. Doing it via ground and air, he averages over two passing touchdowns and one rushing per game. 

Burke then had a third pass intercepted after only throwing the same amount all season. El Cerrito High quickly turned it into points, as freshman quarterback Jamar Lincoln found junior receiver Kamren Bell for about 60 yards through the air, setting up junior running back Lavern Malikii to pound it over the goal line and make the lead 14.

 

“To give credit where credit is due, they have a lot of very good football players — particularly on defense,” said Nightingale. “We were outmatched in virtually all positions.”

 

The Gauchos capped off the scoring with a long run by sophomore running back Joezon Broussard that set up a short touchdown on the ground from senior running back Da’shaun Gordon, making the score 28-7. 

Still looking for more points, El Cerrito High recovered an onside kick, but Salesian High junior cornerback Brycen Landry notched his third interception of the season.

 

The teams’ head coaches did not shake hands postgame.

“At the end of day, we had some chances and we just didn’t take advantage of them,” said Nightingale. “One game does not make a season.”

 

A far cry from their Oct. 19 performance, the Pride came in averaging over 43 points per game and won their previous pair of matchups by a combined score of 112-34. They are still ranked No. 1 in the North Coast Section Division 7, top state averages in most offensive statistics, and have secured a seventh consecutive season with an overall winning record.

Salesian High has now lost four straight against the Gauchos and 10 of 12 dating back to 2012; the Pride’s last win came in 2019.

 

El Cerrito High has only two overall losing seasons in the past two decades and this year will be the third due to their recently vacated wins. They play at home against Vallejo High on Friday before taking on Pinole Valley High and De Anza High in road bouts to end the regular season.

In their next game, Salesian High also goes on the road to face off with De Anza High before their senior day matchup against St. Mary’s High on Nov. 2 at 1:30 p.m. The Pride roster features 13 seniors who will be playing in their last regular season home battle.

With no sophomores or freshmen on their squad, the only Salesian High player who isn’t an upperclassman is lineman Delon Craft — a 6-foot-5-inch eighth grader.