Pittsburg High School football practice – Aug.10, 2021 – photo by Chace Bryson
Story and Photos by Chace Bryson
Interview Pittsburg football coach Victor Galli enough times and you’re bound to get the occasional hint that he’s thinking about hanging it up. For the past four or five years, he’s suggested “going just a couple more years.”
As he stood and watched a ton of talented underclassmen race across the practice field earlier this week, Galli held a slight smirk and kept that timeline noticeably vague.
“I’ve got maybe two to five more years,” he said.
No one in the East Bay coaching community could blame him. Now in his 20th season with Pittsburg football, Galli has a roster dominated by a 2023 class that boasts some of the best talent the coach has ever had. Which is saying something considering the ample success the program has seen over his first two decades.
Headlining that talent is the 4-star duo of quarterback Jaden Rashada and receiver Rashid Williams. Rashada is taking over the offense full time after splitting reps with now-graduated Eli Brickhandler during Pittsburg’s undefeated spring. Williams was Galli’s first ever varsity freshman in 2019 and immediately contributed. His sophomore year lasted only two quarters though after separating his shoulder in the team’s spring opener.
Other heavily talented underclassmen includes juniors WR/DB Israel Polk, WR/DB Keynan Higgins, WR/DB Khai Taylor, WR/DB Zach Card, RB/FS Charles Brown and WR/DB Buddha Boyd. There’s also freshman WR Jadyn Hudson, who has Pirates coaches gushing the same way they did about Williams two years ago.
Seniors will play a role for the Pirates too, of course. Jacobe Harmon is a returning all-league starter at linebacker, and CJ Falavei-Kindness will be a key returner on the lines. Running back Kai Green and WR/DB Rick Camacho Jr. will also have an impact this season.
“It’s exciting,” Galli admitted. “But at the same time we want to proceed with a little caution. We’re going to go through the gauntlet, and we haven’t seen live bullets like these since 2019, really.”
Pittsburg’s 5-0 spring came only against Bay Valley Athletic League schools with the closest margin of victory being a 19-point win over Heritage-Brentwood. The fall schedule is indeed a gauntlet.
Of the Pirates five nonleague opponents, four will be Top 10 teams in SportStars’ Preseason NorCal Top 20 Rankings. Their first two opponents — Serra-San Mateo and Folsom — will be in the Top 5. The combined spring record of all five opponents? 22-2. Gauntlet.
It’s nothing new to Galli though, who has always schedule tough in normal years.
“When it’s all said and done, you’re gonna have to produce on the field in a game setting against really good programs,” the coach said.
Brown may prove to be an x-factor against defenses that will surely key on all the talent in the passing game. He ended up sitting out the spring season, which paved the way for Daytuawn Pearson to have a breakout senior season. However, Galli believes Brown could be an even bigger playmaker.
“He’s an electrifying athlete,” Galli said. “He’s got a very high football IQ and just has the “It” Factor. … Very good nose on defense, too. He’s not going to leave the field too much.”
Finally, a revival of the Pirates Stadium atmosphere may be more valuable than any one player. Limited attendance and no Marching Show Band left Pittsburg football game nights a little flat there in the spring.
The Pirates open at home on Aug. 27, and not just Pittsburg, but a lot of NorCal will be watching.
This content first appeared as part of SportStars Magazine’s Return To Fall daily NorCal football preview series. The series continues through Aug. 26. Also, the magazine’s official Football Preview issue releases at SportStarsMag.com on Aug. 18.
Yea, but at the end of the day are they better than De La Salle?
Go Pitt!
Blah blah blah…. every year we hear this and then next thing you know it’s 49-0 at halftime when they play De La Salle.