Alameda’s 71st annual Island Bowl was held on Friday, September 11, 2026. This year, the city’s high school rivals clashed in front of a sold-out crowd at Encinal’s newly constructed Jets’ field [1]. The Alameda High School (AHS) Hornets had captured the most recent three titles to establish a series lead over the Encinal High School (EHS) Jets with a 35-33-2 overall record in Island Bowl matchups.
[2]With a swarm on offense and defense, the Hornets (1-1 season record to date) captured this year’s title in a dominant 55-0 victory over the Jets (1-0) despite Encinal’s home-field advantage. The Hornets’ offense displayed versatility, their defense backed it up with a strong performance, and senior Ikaika Patterson had an outstanding game.
“We have a very young squad, so having this win out here is really special for everybody,” declared Alameda High head coach Reuben Amos.
The Hornets had the first possession of the game, set up by a massive kickoff return, with prime field possession in Jets territory. Hornets junior Pierson Burke rushed the team into the red zone with an impressive 20-yard run and shortly after, Pierson carried in the first touchdown of the game, putting the Hornets up 6-0 over the Jets.
The Jets responded by gaining a quick first down, but were ultimately forced to punt on the next series. After a multiple play drive, AHS succeeded with another touchdown. Then, on the defensive end, Hornets senior Ikaika Patterson put his team in scoring position with, his first of many, TFLs (tackles for loss). The first quarter ended with a passing touchdown to junior Landon Reamer, putting the Hornets up 20-0.
In the second quarter, AHS tacked on a total of 28 points, paired with their impressive play on defense. The quarter started with a Jets fumble plus a blocked punt which set the Hornets up for two quick scores. On another botched EHS punt, AHS senior Kanoa Massey recovered the football for a scoop and score touchdown.
Even while ahead by 35-0, AHS continued showing their defensive prowess with two consecutive sacks from Ikaika Patterson. Then, he caught the next touchdown of the game and followed it up by forcing a strip sack fumble. The forced fumble put the Hornets in scoring position yet again, which led to their next touchdown. At halftime, Alameda High was ahead of their rivals by a lopsided score of 48-0.
“The conversation at halftime was to continue our play,” said Hornets’ assistant coach Devin Nash. “To clean up the little things, but continue playing our brand of football.”
AHS did just that in the second half, with two more key plays occurring in the third quarter. Although the Jets opened the second half with a drive in their own territory nearly to midfield, they were forced to punt once again. Unfortunately for them, the Hornets blocked the Jets’ punt to put themselves back in scoring position. AHS’s final touchdown came on another rush by Patterson that extended the Hornet lead to 55-0.
“Ike is a player who wants to be great… whether it’s on offense or defense,” Nash said about Patterson’s play. “He is a game-changer on the defensive side of the ball.”
With the Hornets leading the Jets by more than 35 points in the fourth quarter, high school football rules [3] mandated changing to a running clock, and the 71st Island Bowl swiftly came to a close.
[4]“That’s what we call a complete win from top to bottom,” said Coach Nash. “They deserve this win and the memories that come with winning an Island Bowl.”
Friday’s win marks the fourth consecutive Island Bowl title for the Hornets—their 36th overall Island Bowl win—and improved the team’s season record to 2-1. The Jets’ record for the season fell to 1-1.
For the teams’ next matchups, Alameda High will host the Newark Memorial High School Cougars at Thompson field, while Encinal travels to Cloverdale to face-off against the Cloverdale High School Eagles on Friday, September 18.
Contributing writer Gabriel Caraballo covers local sports for the Alameda Post [5]. Contact him via [email protected] [6]. His writing is collected https://alamedapost.com/Gabriel-Caraballo [7].