YAKIMA – For the thousands of handoffs Braden Albrecht has taken from Jaxon Berg, over the course of hundreds of practices and dozens of games, it all comes down to one for the East Valley football standouts.

One more game together. One more set of instructions from Red Devils coach – and Jaxon’s father – Eric Berg. One more chance to defend Earl Barden Field.

Albrecht, a two-time all-CWAC first-team selection after eclipsing 1,000 yards the last two seasons, and Berg, the CWAC Offensive Player of the Year, again will line up in the same backfield, this time at Saturday’s Earl Barden All-Star Classic. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.

The offensive duo will be joined by Red Devils defensive backs – cornerback Dominic Verduzco and safety Jayden Buckalew, the team leader with five interceptions. Both also earned first-team all-conference honors.

Saturday’s game caps a season in which East Valley ripped through the CWAC unbeaten, winning its first dozen games and advancing to the Class 2A state semifinals for the first time since 2004.

Several other Red Devils might’ve been playing in the game which features the top players from the 2A, 1A and B ranks, if not for college or other commitments, and injuries.

“There are four representatives here, but the success we had as a team was an entire program,” Coach Berg said. “I’m extremely blessed and honored to have this opportunity to have those boys one last time. It’s pretty special to have it here on our home field and to be the head coach.”

Coach Berg has been coaching his son since Grid Kids, with Albrecht along for much of the ride – with a little nudging.

“We got him to come out in middle school, beforehand we were playing in Grid Kids,” Jaxon Berg said, “He was always a really athletic kid. He finally wanted to come out for football and he was a stud from the go.”

Albrecht has led the Red Devils in rushing the last three seasons. After a modest 408 yards as a sophomore, he ran for 1,185 yards as a junior and 1,284 this past fall, despite a hip injury that slowed him in the postseason.

“That’s one of the most frustrating things that can happen – getting injured right before some of the biggest games of your life,” Albrecht said, adding that he did whatever he could to help the team, even if sidelined.

While the injury kept Albrecht out a game, it certainly didn’t dampen his enthusiasm about the season.

“It was great,” he said. “That class worked super hard to get there and it paid off when we saw the progress we made. It was so fun to do it with my brothers and my teammates.”

As for how many times he’s taken the ball from Berg, that’s anyone’s guess.

“If you’re adding them up, I can’t count that high,” Albrecht said.

As an on-field extension for his dad, Berg threw for more than more than 6,700 yards and 90 touchdowns as a three-year starter. Both are school records.

He’s looking forward to playing for his dad a final game, and will rotate with Cashmere all-state pick Rylan Hatmaker and Freeman’s Logan Schultz.

“Hopefully I don’t screw up too badly so he has to bark at me too much, but it should be really fun to play for him one last time,” he said.

There’s also a 12-game winning streak on their home field the Red Devils don’t want to stain, all-star game or not.

“We haven’t lost on that field in over two years, so we plan on keeping it that way,” the younger Berg said.

Not too long after the game, players will head separate ways. Berg will play at Pacific Northwest Christian, a junior college in Kennewick, while Albrecht is to report to Eastern Oregon in La Grande by Aug. 3.

Miles apart, but still close.

“They’ve been together since the fifth or sixth grade,” Coach Berg said. “It’s been a long journey. They get to continue their football journeys – they’ll just be in different uniforms, but they’ll always be Red Devils.”