Pittsburg begins the Charlie Ramirez era with a dominant showing in San Francisco

Marley Alcantara throws four touchdown passes as Pittsburg crushes Sacred Heart Cathedral at Kezar Stadium in Charlie Ramirez’s first game as head coach

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Marley Alcantara played as if he was watching everything unfold in slow motion as Sacred Heart Cathedral defenders buzzed around the offensive line and linebackers and cornerbacks sprinted back in coverage with frenetic energy.

Despite the best efforts of the gusting San Francisco winds at Kezar Stadium, the 5-foot-10 Pittsburg quarterback threw bullets to short crossing routes with the same ease he completed fade routes into the end zone.

When the pass rush got close enough to bother the junior, which wasn’t often during a 17-for-21, four-TD passing performance, Alcantara just scrambled around for yardage or another opportunity to make another unerringly accurate pass as Pittsburg cruised to a 49-13 victory.

It was clear that Alcantara’s success as a backup behind current Arizona State quarterback Jaden Rashada was not the result of recently graduated D-I receivers.

Charlie Ramirez’s first win as the head coach of his alma mater came thanks to the leader of Pittsburg’s lauded junior class.

“They were no joke and brought a lot of pressure, but I felt like I just needed to get the ball to my playmakers and let them do what they do,” Alcantara said after completing 21 of his 27 passes for 211 yards.

Pittsburg, a storied East Bay program led by Victor Galli for the past two decades, made a strong start to the Ramirez era.

In a perfect first quarter, the Pirates led 21-0. Even when Jadyn Hudson made a minor error, dropping a pass on fourth down during Pitt’s first drive, he quickly made up for it by jumping a passing lane and returning an interception 51 yards for a touchdown.

After a punt was forced by Jewelous Walls and the defense, Alcantara led the Pirates on an eight-play drive that ended with a short seven-yard TD pass to Makari Kenion to make it 14-0 with 1:47 remaining in the first quarter.

When the Fighting Irish failed to catch the ensuing kickoff, the Pitt offense capitalized on the short field with a seven-play drive that Carmelo Martinez capped with a six-yard touchdown reception.

Pittsburg quickly regained possession, and Kenion scored on the first play of the drive. He caught a screen pass and juked, sprinted, and broke multiple tackles in a stunning 36-yard play that increased the lead to 28-0 with 8:20 remaining in the first half.

“Makari is probably one of the most explosive players in the Bay Area right now,” said Alcantara. “All we have to do is get the ball into his hands, and he’ll make everything shake.”

Cathedral’s offense finally came alive on its fourth drive of the game, a five-play march that sophomore running back Legend Williams capped with a 37-yard touchdown reception on a wheel route out of the backfield with 6:21 remaining in the first half.

“I think we can get better, way better,” Williams, who had 124 yards rushing, said, adding that he hopes the teams can play again in the next few years.

When the Pirates answered with a seven-play touchdown drive — Hudson’s reception was the difference — it was clear there would be no comeback.

Pittsburg added two more touchdowns after Ramirez pulled the starters midway through the third quarter, and the Fighting Irish scored with the clock running in the fourth.

Coach Antoine Evans knew this season would be a development year after his two college-bound stars, RL Miller and Jerry Mixon, graduated in the spring. So why schedule a perennial powerhouse like Pittsburg when a rout was a foregone conclusion?

“That’s what I want my program to be, and I want them to see and witness it firsthand,” Evans said. “It’s not a loss, it’s a lesson.”

After the game, the Pitt players showered Ramirez with ice-cold Gatorade, something the program expects to do again in December as a championship contender.

But winter is still a long way off.

As Sacred Heart Cathedral travels to Sacred Heart Prep on Saturday, Pittsburg will travel to Granite Bay on Friday as the Pirates enter the meat of their non-league schedule.

“They’re a traditional powerhouse, and we’re going to be tested this week,” Ramirez explained.