Pittsburg star is Bay Area News Group’s Contra Costa County player of year
PITTSBURG — No one exemplifies a Pittsburg High football player more than RJ Mosley.
The 6-foot-4, 185-pound wide receiver runs like a gazelle and jumps like a track star in pads, floating past defenders with long, effortless strides.
His one-handed catches often make highlight reels, but it’s his willingness to block, battle and play through contact that defines him.
Whenever the Pirates needed a big third-down conversion or a score, Mosley delivered time and time again.
While his section-leading stats would be enough to tell the story about the University of Arizona-bound receiver, it was his character that made him the star that he is.
“RJ got better every single year and it culminated to one of the best senior years that this school has ever had,” Pittsburg coach Charlie Ramirez said. “There’s a lot of guys with expectations going into their high school careers and RJ absolutely fulfilled those goals and you don’t see that all the time.”
Mosley finished his senior year catching 84 passes and had a section-best 1,302 receiving yards to go along with his 14 touchdowns. He earned Bay Valley Athletic League player of the year honors and led Pittsburg to a North Coast Section Division I championship as well as a NorCal Division I-A title game berth.
For that, Mosley has earned the title of county’s best player. He is the Bay Area News Group’s Contra Costa County player of the year.
“It’s a blessing,” Mosley said about winning the award. “I think it just speaks volumes to our work ethic and making sure we get better every year. I think I focused on things that I was not at and made them my strengths. Every year I just wanted to become a more versatile ball player and that was always my biggest goal.”
In his three seasons on varsity, Mosley was one of the most electrifying receivers in all of Northern California. His signature one-handed touchdown grabs always got the rowdy Pittsburg crowd going.
Against Central East in the NorCal Division I-A title game this season, Mosley grabbed a ridiculous one-handed touchdown with a defender draped all over him that would make Odell Beckham Jr. proud.
“He’s had a lot of great one-handed catches,” Ramirez said. “He was doing this when he was younger, too. He caught everything – his hands were so strong. He’s had a bunch of big-time catches for sure.”
Mosley will leave behind a legacy as one of the best athletes to come out of Pittsburg’s storied program.
East Contra Costa County has been the training grounds for many NFL players, and there is a belief from the Pittsburg program that Mosley is the next player to be repping the Bay Valley Athletic League on Sundays.
“For him to dominate every game, especially the big games, and still absorb double- and triple-teams, is huge,” Ramirez said. “The Joe Mixons, the Najee Harris’, the Ronnie Rivers – RJ Mosley is in that same category.
“RJ has NFL potential. If he keeps doing what he’s doing, he will end up playing on Sundays. He has that talent.”
All-BANG football online publication schedule
Monday, Jan. 5
Coach of the year
Alameda County player of the year
Contra Costa County player of the year
Tuesday, Jan. 6
Peninsula player of the year
Santa Clara County player of the year
Bay Area News Group player of the year
Wednesday, Jan. 7
Kickers/punters
Offensive line
Defensive line
Athletes
Thursday, Jan. 8
Linebackers
Running backs
Utility
Friday, Jan. 9
Defensive backs
Wide receivers/tight ends
Quarterbacks
Sunday, Jan. 11
Entire team in one article
Those eligible for all-BANG honors come from leagues based predominantly in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. The news organization’s high school sports staff chooses the players and coaches.