St. Mary's-Berkeley football improves to 8-0 for the first time. ... but 'not how we wanted'

The St. Mary's-Berkeley football program, in the midst of a complete turnaround season, hoped to make history Friday night in a Tri-County Athletic League Stone Division game at Richmond. 

Instead the Panthers reached it Thursday afternoon. 

The Oilers' administration let St. Mary's Director of Athletics Omar Sanchez that their football team wouldn't be able to field a team with enough varsity players. They had to forfeit the game, a growing trend in the region. 

"Due to the health and well-being of Richmond student-athletes, they have decided to forfeit the game,"  Sanchez posted on Facebook. 

Sanchez told SBLive Sports: "Evidently their roster is very depleted. They would have had to bring up a number of freshmen to varsity. They asked us not to play our seniors. It just didn't work out." 

St. Mary's first-year football coach John Trotman Jr. responded on Facebook with the message: "(Not) how we wanted or expected but…. 8-0!"

The Panthers haven't had a winning season since 2015, but under Trotman and an entirely new staff, they have outscored opponents 239-36 with four shutouts. Trotman replaced former NFL running back Jahvid Best, who went 3-7 in his only full season in 2021. 

St. Mary's continues its season Oct. 29 at home against Maria Carrillo-Santa Rosa. Its regular season concludes Nov. 4 at also undefeated St. Patrick-St. Vincent of Vallejo to decide the TCAL Stone championship. 

Earlier in the week, SPSV had its game scheduled Friday at Piedmont canceled for similar safety concerns due to lack of healthy bodies. Rather than a forfeit it was deemed "no contest."