Winter season is time for some of Berkeley High School’s most beloved sports, including boys’ and girls’ soccer and basketball. After winning seasons last year, this year’s teams have promising seasons ahead.
The BHS boys’ basketball team faces pressure to live up to last year’s amazing success. Last year, the boys’ basketball team made big headlines when it went to the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Division I State Championships for the first time since 1924. Led by Head Coach Mark DeLuca, the team’s incredible season of 24-9 qualified it for the North Coast Section (NCS) Division 1 playoffs. After being seeded at number seven, the team won three upsets to secure its spot in the CIF State Championship Game, where the team fell to Crespi-Encino 68-53. However, after this unbelievable season, Coach DeLuca decided to resign, which may shift the dynamics of the team’s upcoming season. This year, BHS welcomes new varsity Head Coach Ralph Fields. Fields, who previously coached Bishop Manogue for the past two seasons. Hopefully he can use his experience to lead the BHS boys’ basketball team to another victorious season.
Girls’ basketball had a strong season last year, with varsity finishing with a record of 17-12. Coach Ralph Dangerfield believes the team will come out stronger this year. The varsity team will have nine returning seniors, which Dangerfield believes will give them a big advantage. “With so many returning players, they know what to expect in league competition as well as playoff competition, which should give us an edge,” Dangerfield said. Coach Dangerfield also said that he is excited about the hard work that the girls have put in during the offseason, which should pay off throughout the year. As for new players trying out, “[I look for] leadership, commitment, and a good work ethic,” said Dangerfield. He believes these qualities will ensure a hardworking, motivated team.
Another team that had an impressive season last winter was the BHS boys’ varsity soccer team. The team, lead by André Hebert, did well during the CIF North Coast Section playoffs and ended its season with a 21-2-2 record. The junior varsity (jv) and freshmen teams also had winning seasons, which contributed to the success of the program. Junior varsity ended its season with a 15-4-4 record, while the freshmen team ended the season with a 9-3-3 record. The teams can expect many returning players with experience, hopefully leading to yet another year of great soccer.
The success of BHS’s soccer can also be attributed to the girls’ varsity team, which had a very strong season last year. The team held a 10-6-4 record overall, and it seems the team will have another strong season this coming winter. Olivia Maturana, a sophomore on varsity, said that the bar is set very high this year. “We are going into the season with the goal of winning NCS, which is different than last season,” Maturana said.
The beginning of winter sports is rapidly approaching with the girls’ and boys’ basketball teams having their first away games on November 22. The girls’ varsity soccer team is set to play against Monte Vista, while the boys’ varsity team will face off against San Ramon for its first official game.
While the winter season teams have high expectations set, they are well-prepared to succeed in reaching their goals
One of the other winter sports teams at Berkeley High is the wrestling team. With only five girls and fifteen boys, the wrestling team is one of the smaller teams at school. However, what they lack in numbers, they make up for in spirit. This season, their coach, Ben Nathan, hopes for four wrestlers at NCS, which would double the yield from last year. With more wrestlers and a new assistant coach, Gian Traverso, their goals are within reach. They have two home games this season, on January 19 and February 18, and they would love to have an audience!