To please the masses, a De La Salle-free edition of the Punter this week:

• Hats off to California for avoiding a letdown that would’ve severely hampered their shot at an EBAL title. Amador Valley brought an effort that it probably hasn’t all year and the Grizzlies managed to eek out a win in overtime. And how bout that? Overtime in the EBAL? I like the new format.
• If you’re looking for the best offense in the East Bay, you probably have to start at Monte Vista. The Mustangs hung 41 on Foothill and Brett Nottingham is quickly becoming one of the best quarterbacks in the area.
• Clayton Valley continues to roll, improving to 5-0 with a win over Kennedy-Fremont. And it was good to see QB Joey Levine hit his stride a little, throwing for 275 yards and three touchdowns. If they can beat Mt. Diablo (which is not a given, by the way) in two weeks, a big-time bragging rights matchup becomes huge in the big picture when the Eagles take on Concord on Oct. 24.
• Somebody stop the Kennedy Eagles! A 53-7 win over Moreau Catholic to begin the BSAL season has the Eagles at 3-1. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, this starts at the top. Clarence Johnson and Delo Hilton are doing great things on Cutting Blvd.
• Good win for El Cerrito in its ACCAL opener against Pinole Valley. The Gauchos might be able to contend for a league title because while I think they don’t have the strongest team in the world, neither does anyone else in the league.
• Games of the week for this week include Campolindo at Deer Valley and California at Foothill. Both home teams are looking to bounce back from losses but they picked a couple of strong teams to do it against.

Alrighty, that’s all I’ve got for now. Check back throughout the week for intermittent news and notes.