PITTSBURG, Calif. — Moments before Friday night’s North Coast Section Division I quarterfinal kicked off, Prince’s classic anthem “Let’s Go Crazy” echoed across Pittsburg’s stadium. For the next three hours, the Acalanes Dons made sure every single note rang true.
Walking into the home of a Bay Area football powerhouse that had claimed five straight NCS Division I crowns, the Dons refused to blink. Instead, Acalanes delivered one of the greatest nights in program history, dismantling the juggernaut Pittsburg Pirates in a breathtaking 70–54 shootout that sent shockwaves through Northern California high school football.
At the center of the storm was Acalanes senior quarterback Tyler Winkles, wearing No. 6 and playing like a man possessed. Against a Pittsburg defense loaded with Division I college talent, Winkles put together a performance for the ages.
He had a hand in eight touchdowns—four through the air and four on the ground. At six points per touchdown, No. 6’s eight trips to the end zone directly produced 48 points all on their own, and when you add in two successful two-point conversion passes, Winkles personally accounted for 52 of the Dons’ 70 points.
By the time the final whistle blew, Winkles had piled up 607 yards of total offense (471 passing, 136 rushing), setting a new North Coast Section record for total yardage by a quarterback with a 100-yard rushing night. Protected by the sheer power of an offensive line that gave him all the time he needed, Winkles punched Pittsburg right in the mouth with the RPO and used his explosive speed in the open field to leave the Pirates chasing shadows all evening.
Entering Friday night, Pittsburg was viewed by many as an unstoppable postseason machine. The Pirates had not lost a playoff game to anyone other than De La Salle in a full decade, riding a 14-game postseason streak against the rest of the section.
Acalanes (10-1) didn’t just end that streak—they shattered it. Facing Pittsburg for the first time since 1957, the Dons took control early and never surrendered the lead, rolling up a jaw-dropping, school-record 796 yards of total offense.
The Dons’ historic night was a total team triumph fueled by explosive playmakers on both sides of the ball.
Receivers Finn Rivera and Jackson Boselli turned the Pittsburg secondary into a personal highlight reel. Rivera hauled in 9 passes for 284 yards—including back-breaking fourth-quarter touchdown bombs—while Boselli racked up 175 yards and two scores on just three catches. Running back Joaquin Bordi punished the Pirates’ front seven all night, churning out 158 rushing yards and a touchdown to anchor a 325-yard rushing attack.
** For anyone wanting to draft these players in their fantasy football leagues, take note of these totals. Winkles had 73.6 points, Rivera had 49.4 points and Bordi collected 20.9 points.
“They’re bigger than us, they’re faster than us,” Boselli said after the game. “But we knew how disciplined we could be. And we have Tyler Winkles at quarterback.”
In a game featuring 18 combined touchdowns, it was the Acalanes defense and special teams that turned the tide. and delivered the knockout blow.
Senior Sam Phillips jumped a fourth-quarter slant route for a critical interception, setting up another Dons touchdown and slamming the door on any hopes of a Pittsburg comeback.
The special teams also played a pivotal role in the rout. Relying on onside kick after onside kick, the Dons finally hit pay dirt early in the second half, recovering a 10 yard squib kick for the first turnover over the game. Sophomore kicker Jonny Rubin not only knocked back all 6 of his PAT attempts, but he also notched a 2-pt conversion in the fourth quarter on a pass from Winkles.
“We were confident going into this game, I promise you that,” Winkles proclaimed. “This game made history for our school, but it’s not over. We’re still writing the chapters to our story”
With the biggest upset of the Bay Area postseason officially in the books, the Dons aren’t done making noise. Acalanes advances to the NCS Division I semifinals next Friday night on Nov. 20, where they’ll square off against No. 4 seed San Ramon Valley with a trip to the section championship on the line.
If Friday night in Pittsburg proved anything, it’s that when No. 6 and the Dons take the field, anything can happen—and it might just get crazy. In fact, it might even get nuts! #GoDons