Prep football: Marin Catholic duo nets IJ Players of the Year honors
The prep football landscape in Marin changed drastically this season with the debut of the four-tiered Redwood Empire Conference format.
Marin Catholic and San Marin were placed into the Adobe Division which featured the top six teams in the North Bay. Redwood and Tam competed in the second-tier Valley Division while Terra Linda, San Rafael, Archie Williams, and Novato occupied the Mountain Division.
With so much change, the format of the Marin Independent Journal’s football players of the year needed an adjustment, too. This season, the IJ is going to select players of the year or standouts from each of the Redwood Empire Conference divisions.
IJ Adobe players of the year, Marin Catholic’s Josh Riley and Sam Connelly
Marin Catholic enjoyed its first season against the toughest competition the North Bay had to offer, going 5-0 in league play to be crowned as the first ever Adobe champion. MC’s reward for that success was the fourth seed in the North Coast Section Open Division playoffs.
Riley, a linebacker, was voted as the league’s best defensive player by the league’s coaches while Connelly, a two-way lineman, was voted as the league’s top player in the trenches.
“Josh Riley was so impactful for our defense,” MC coach Mazi Moayed said. “We played St. Mary’s of Stockton, Edison, Inderkum, some really good teams. He was so impactful for us as a middle backer and our defense was – we had a good number of injuries as every team is challenged – that guy never left the field. Our defense was at the forefront of everything every week.”
MC’s defense surrendered just 10 points in its first four league contests, giving up seven points to San Marin and three against Cardinal Newman. MC conceded 21 points in the season finale against Windsor but the league title had already been wrapped up at that point.
Connelly, who is headed to Yale University to play football, anchored both lines for MC this season.
“Sam never left the field,” Moayed said. “He was on the O-line, the D-line. He was the guy in front of Josh keeping the guys off Josh. He was also the guy paving the for (running back Jarred Geissberger and quarterback Caedon Afsharipour) — two first team all-league guys.”
Other standouts
Geissberger and Afsharipour were both key contributors for MC offensively as the Wildcats got their running game going as the season progressed. Geissberger and Afsharipour combined for 144 yards rushing and two touchdowns in the win over San Marin. Afsharipour also threw for 188 yards and another score.
San Marin also qualified for the Open Division playoffs as the No. 8 seed. As such, the Mustangs earned a first-round date against perennial juggernaut De La Salle. Wide receiver Wesley Timmel (837 yards, 13 TDs) and quarterback Daniel Rolovich (1,790 yards, 21 TDs passing; 501 yards, six TDs rushing) led the way on offense. Lineman Liam McMann was a second-team selection on defense and had nine sacks on the season. Ryan Houlahan was one of the NCS leaders in interceptions with eight and blocked multiple kicks on special teams.
IJ Valley players of the year, Tam’s Timo Ural and Redwood’s Sean Cunneen
Both the Red-tailed Hawks and the Giants made the NCS playoffs on the strength of monster campaigns from their first-team skill-position players.
Ural had 45 catches for 1,136 yards and 11 touchdowns for Tam, accounting for almost half of the team’s receiving yards (2,331) and more than half of its receiving touchdowns (18). In addition to his offensive pyrotechnics, Ural, who also played cornerback, was named first team on defense.
Cunneen was dominant out of the backfield as a runner and receiver for Redwood, piling up multiple 200-yard games and multiple three-touchdown games this season.
Other standouts
Redwood put together a late-season surge to finish second in league and qualify for the NCS D-IV playoffs. Once there, the Giants pulled off two road upsets and made it to the first section title game in program history. Quarterback Kody Vasquez played his best football of the season in the playoffs throwing 10 touchdowns across three games. Lineman Dante Davis was a first-team selection on both offense and defense.
IJ’s Bay player of the year, St. Vincent de Paul’s Gabe Casanovas
The Novato resident led the Mustangs to a league title, an NCS title, and their second consecutive state title. Casanovas threw for 2,780 yards and 38 touchdowns as St. Vincent compiled a 14-1 record. Casanovas also ran for 967 yards and nine more touchdowns.
Redwood Empire Mountain standouts
San Rafael and Novato had the best seasons of the four Marin teams in the league with matching 3-3 records.
The Bulldogs were led by tight end/defensive back Haden Berlinsky, who was voted the team’s MVP, was a first-team all-league selection on offense and made the second team on defense. Linebacker CJ Harter (first team defense) led the team and the league in tackles.
Novato’s success was largely a product of its defense and its running game. John DeMartini was second in the league in rushing yards with 915. Dominic Scafani led the defense with five interceptions.
Terra Linda’s defensive backfield duo of Santi Frias and Mateo Pattani both had six interceptions this season, making the first team and second team, respectively. Pattani was also first team on offense with 824 receiving yards.
North Central League II standouts
Branson claimed its third NCS 8-person D-I title in four years, getting strong seasons from quarterback Thomas Lardner, running back Colby Buxton, and all-purpose athlete Mo Jacoby.
Lardner threw for 1,834 yards and 32 touchdowns, adding another 310 yards and four scores as a runner. Buxton had 955 scrimmage yards and 16 total touchdowns. Jacoby posted team highs with 594 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns and was the leading tackler on the defense with 70.