Four teams started the week with undefeated MCAL records. That number will be cut down to two by Saturday evening.
The top four teams are all facing each other this weekend, beginning with a Friday night tilt that sees Redwood travel to face San Marin. Tam makes the trip to Kentfield on Saturday for a game against Marin Catholic, which is jumping into the fray this week after completion of its non-league schedule.
Archie Williams travels to face the Trojans at Terra Linda on Saturday afternoon while San Rafael hits the road to face Novato.
The Braves haven’t played the Wildcats since a 46-8 Calistoga victory in the early part of the 2022 season. There could be more reason for optimism for Tomales this time around, especially if RB Carlos Lara returns from injury. Lara was running for more than 200 yards per game until sustaining a concussion three weeks ago. Since then, QB Jonathan Semorile has been a workhorse, carrying the ball an average of 43 times for 242 yards per game. The teams have one common opponent so far this season with both losing to Roseland University Prep by almost identical scores; 36-20 for Tomales and 34-20 for Calistoga.
One of the more highly anticipated matchups of the season sees the third-place team from last year, Redwood, travel to face a San Marin team that finished second. San Marin has historically dominated this matchup with Redwood picking up just one win in the series since 2009. The Giants were victorious 28-14 in 2019. Two of the three games since then have been decided by one score, including a 24-21 San Marin victory last season. The Giants held San Marin’s rushing attack in check in that game but QB Dominic Ingrassia threw for 253 yards and three touchdowns – including seven balls for 100 yards and a score to WR Wesley Timmel. Redwood enters this game dealing with some injuries in the passing game. WR Jackson Walker and TE Carter Bowman both missed last week’s game against Terra Linda.
The Wildcats have dominated this series but the Red-tailed Hawks come in with the best passing offense the program has fielded in recent memory. MC won last year’s game 49-6. Tam QB Braden Young sustained a neck injury on Tam’s third drive of that game and missed the rest of the season. Young enters this game playing the best football of his career, having thrown for 2,040 yards and 26 touchdowns against two interceptions. WR Andrew Gordon (779 yards, 13 TDs) and TE Lachlan Hindley (543 yards, 5 TDs) are both having monster seasons. MC’s passing defense has been lights out all season and the Wildcats have only allowed three total touchdowns all year. The Wildcats managed to get through their game against San Joaquin Memorial without allowing a single completion. San Joaquin Memorial only attempted three passes. Only one team – Spanish Springs of Nevada – has thrown for more than 200 yards on MC this season. The Wildcats came away with four interceptions in that game.
Both teams are coming off encouraging performances in losses last week but for entirely different reasons. The Peregrine Falcons’ offense looked frisky, hanging with Tam into the second quarter and scoring a season-best points total in a 63-30 defeat. TL, on the other hand, showed well on the defensive end, limiting Redwood to 21 points until late in the third quarter of a 35-0 defeat. Archie Williams QB Sam Black found WR Nicholas Lillevand six times for 172 yards and a touchdown last week. RB Tony Rojas ran for three touchdowns. TL’s defense got a bit of help from its offense, which held onto the ball long enough to run 53 plays to just 32 run by the Giants.
The Bulldogs are looking to bounce back from shutout losses to Tam and San Marin in the past two weeks. San Rafael picked up its first league win last season with a 47-15 win against Novato last season. The Bulldogs will need to wait at least one more week for that milestone this season as Novato is playing as an independent team this year. San Rafael RB Oscar Jordan was among the standouts in this matchup last year, carrying the ball 17 times for 84 yards and a touchdown. Bodhi Shipley, who has emerged as San Rafael’s top back this season, only carried the ball twice against Novato last year but did score a touchdown.
Bye: Branson (3-2, 2-0 NCL II); next vs. Turlock Christian, Oct. 14.
