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For 83 percent of the Berkeley High boys golf team, the 2000 season ended with Monday’s eight-place finish at the East Bay Athletic League championship tournament at Oakridge Golf Course.  

But for the other 17 percent, namely Ivan Holmes, there is at least one match remaining – May 15’s North Coast Section tournament at Bridges Golf Course, the home links of Berkeley’s league rival, California High. Holmes shot a 75 to lead all Yellowjackets on Monday, and was named to the prestigious all-league team, after averaging 3.2 strokes above par for the season. With an overachieving performance at NCS, Holmes could qualify for the NorCal regional tourney, to be held May 22. 

“(NorCals) is what he’s pointing toward,” BHS coach Matt Bremer said about his No. 1 golfer’s postseason goals. “He’ll have to shoot a real low number to get there, but he can do it. The Bridges (golf course) suits his game, but he’s got to play the course smart.” 

Berkeley High finished with a combined 452 over the hilly 18-hole course, coming in 21 strokes over seventh-place Granada – a team it defeated on April 11 – and 24 strokes away from sixth-place Livermore. Though the BHS squad expected to compete with the Matadors for seventh, Bremer was content with the team’s final effort, given the difficulty of the course. Curran Kennedy carded the Yellowjackets’ second-best score, coming in at 86, while Adam Breckler and Walker Koppelman-Brown carded 87 and 91, respectively. Freshman Matt Wickett failed to finish, after struggling on the front nine, and Ronald Quintero’s 113 thus rounded out the BHS scoring. 

“I was proud of the guys, it was a good team effort,” Bremer said. “I think spring break (last week) made a difference – late in the week we had a bad tournament. Things seemed like they never gelled after spring break. We peaked right before that.” 

Despite the higher-than-expected mark at EBALs, Bremer feels that the strides the team has made in 2000 will carry over into next year – when the coach expects an onslaught of freshman talent. And with another year of experience under their belts and a pending league change, the ’Jackets expect to be considerably more competitive next season. 

“A couple freshmen are coming in next year – they might even move into the No. 1 or 2,” the coach said. “Our whole team is improving. Everybody is getting more serious.”