Preps of the week: San Marin wins instant classic against Casa Grande

There were plenty of strong performances this past week but the highlight came on Friday night when the San Marin High football team went up to Petaluma and won a game for the ages.

The Mustangs and Gauchos went back and forth as the game was tied three different times in the second half. Rather than settle for a fourth tie, Casa Grande went for a two-point conversion and got it to take a one-point lead inside the final minute.

San Marin kicker Nate Mandelbrot made a clutch kick as time expired to lift the Mustangs to victory. San Marin also got another monster game from receiver Wesley Timmel.

Elsewhere, the football teams from Marin Catholic and Novato rolled to big victories. The girls volleyball teams from Tam and Marin Catholic earned tournament titles over the weekend.

Nate Mandelbrot and Wesley Timmel, San Marin football

The Mustangs won would could stand up as the game of the year when the season is over, surviving a wild, back-and-forth battle for a 39-37 victory at Casa Grande on Friday. Mandelbrot made all of his extra points then converted the biggest kick of his career, making a 36-yard field goal as time expired to lift the Mustangs to victory. Mandelbrot doesn’t get that opportunity without Timmel, who accounted for three touchdowns. Timmel had eight catches for 145 of San Marin’s 157 total receiving yards.

Natalie Stanford, Tam girls volleyball

Tam played without standout outside hitter Natalia Clifford on Saturday while hosting its annual tournament. Stanford stepped up with 23 kills and nine aces — many of them in clutch situations according to coach Ray Karter — over the course of five games as Tam went 5-0 to win the tournament for the second time in nine years of hosting it.

Krystal Rose Huff, Marin Catholic girls volleyball

Huff was among the team leaders in two key categories as the Wildcats went 4-0 without dropping a set to win the Chris Chandler Invitational on Saturday. Huff was second on the team in both kills (30, behind Carolina Delaney’s 31) and digs (30, behind Sierra Ellison’s 39) to help MC roll past Aragon, Menlo Atherton, Valley Christian, and Harbor en route to the title. MC has a big MCAL battle looming when it hosts Redwood on Friday night.

Braiden Bachich-Dixon, Marin Catholic football

Bachich-Dixon provided highlights on both sides of the ball, registering one of MC’s three interceptions and catching two touchdown passes in a 42-0 non-league win against Tam. Bachich-Dixon scored his first touchdown after Jude Baker intercepted Tam’s first pass of the game. Chase Merrick had the second pick then Bachich-Dixon had the third, which led to his second receiving score for a 21-0 lead. All told, Bachich-Dixon, a San Jose State commit, had three catches for 85 yards.

Katelyn Van Dusen, Redwood girls golf

Van Dusen helped her team stay undefeated through nine MCAL matches with a trio of strong performances last week, highlighted by a low round of 30 against Terra Linda at McInnis Park. Van Dusen shot 39s against both Novato and Archie Williams, both good for the second best score of the day. Ainsley Gallagher shot a 35 against Novato and Taylor Bridges shot a 39 against Archie Williams.

Olivia Dugan and Elsa Kehoe, San Rafael girls volleyball

The Bulldogs had a solid showing at the Tam tournament on Saturday, making it to the semifinals and giving the host Red-tailed Hawks a battle before falling 25-23, 25-23. Olivia Dugan had a team-high 43 digs over the course of the tournament. Elsa Kehoe had 34 kills on the day, including 10 in a rare win against Terra Linda and 11 more in the loss to Tam.

Vincent Krilanovich, Archie Williams boys water polo

Krilanovich led the way with five goals as the Peregrine Falcons outlasted Tam 12-9 on Thursday in a battle between two of the top programs in the MCAL. Both teams went 8-1 in league play last season and are expected to contend again this year.

John DeMartini, Novato football

The running back piled up 166 total yards and scored a touchdown as the Hornets rolled to a 47-0 win against San Jose on Saturday night. DeMartini carried the ball 10 times for 119 yards with a first-half touchdown. He also caught a team-high three passes for 47 yards.

Kelly Kurtzig, Marin Academy girls water polo

Kurtzig scored a game-high five goals as the Wildcats opened MCAL play on Tuesday with an 11-3 win against Redwood. Kurtzig scored one goal in each of the first two quarters then helped lead a fourth-quarter flurry as MA pulled away for the win.

Chloe Sason and Mimi Kemp, Terra Linda girls tennis

TL has been leaning on a pair of freshman to play singles matches all season long. Both Sason and Kemp went 2-0 this week as the Trojans faced a tough week in losses to Archie Williams and Branson. Sason has gone 7-2 in matches this season while Kemp has a 6-3 record.

Jasper James, Branson boys cross country

Branson’s top runner led the way as the Bulls split their MCAL opener with a win over Terra Linda and a loss to a deep Marin Catholic team. James crossed the finish line in 17 minutes, 4 seconds — a good 26 seconds clear of the field. The next five runners to finish were all from MC, leading the Wildcats to a 2-0 start.