The Willow Glen Resident Sports Briefs Willow Glen football field will become Berry Field Oct. 24 dedication honors memory of former coach By Dick Sparrer It was the De La Salle of another era. De La Salle, a private Catholic high school in Concord, owns a 79-game winning streak, a streak the Spartans add to with each victory. But nearly 40 years ago, the high school football winning streak that everyone was talking about belonged to Willow Glen. The Rams won 42 straight games from 1958 through 1963. And the architect of that streak, the legendary Bob Berry Sr., had carved himself a place in local high school football history. To preserve that legend, and to make sure Berry's coaching accomplishment will not soon be forgotten, Willow Glen will rededicate its football stadium this weekend in honor of the late, great coach. Willow Glen will celebrate its homecoming with a frosh-soph/varsity doubleheader on Oct. 24, and between the two games, the Rams will host dedication ceremonies to establish Bob Berry Field. The frosh-soph game is scheduled for an 11 a.m. start, with dedication ceremonies set for 1 p.m. before the 1:30 p.m. varsity game. The Rams play San Jose on Saturday; ironically that's the school where Berry began his illustrious coaching career in the Santa Clara Valley. He coached the Bulldogs beginning in 1944 but moved over to Willow Glen when the school opened in 1951. The Willow Glen winning streak began in 1958 and included a 51-0 victory over a Washington Union team coached by Bill Walsh. Berry's two sons, Bob Jr. and Ken, each played quarterback for the Rams during the 42-game winning streak. They are expected to join other Berry family members for the dedication ceremonies. Bob Berry Sr. played football at San Jose State in 1937 and '38, and went on to coach at four high schools before settling at Willow Glen. He remained as the coach of the Rams for 14 seasons before moving on to San Jose City College as the backfield coach. He later became the athletic director for the Jaguars. The dedication honor is in memory of Berry, who died last year. [ Back to Contents Page | Willow Glen Resident Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Willow Glen Resident, October 21, 1998. ©1998 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.