Sports Briefs: TL opens curtain on MCAL season with nailbiter over Novato
Cole Greene, Maddox Lien, and Joseph Rodriguez scored first-half goals as the Terra Linda High boys soccer team built a big lead then held on for a 3-2 victory against Novato in the MCAL opener for both teams on Saturday.
Greene provided the assist on Lien’s goal. TL (3-3-1, 1-0-0 MCAL) took a 3-0 lead into the break.
Novato (0-4-0, 0-1-0) climbed back into the game on a goal by Ethan Oyola, assisted by Nathan Matsumoto. Benjamin DePalma pulled the Hornets within 3-2 following an assist by Matsumoto.
- Bode Dossey and Mateo Trammel scored goals for Branson as the Bulls battled Redwood to a 2-2 draw on Saturday. Both teams made the MCAL playoffs last season with Redwood winning the title. Dossey converted a penalty in the 18th minute for the Bulls (2-3-4, 0-0-1) and Trammel scored in the 60th minute, assisted by Charlie Lightfoot. The Giants (2-1-3, 0-0-1) got goals from Ike Gebhard and Eddy Diaz. Kamran Madani and Sam Gersch provided the assists.
- Willy Finley scored off an assist from Jackson Richardson for Archie Williams (3-2-3, 0-0-1) in a 1-1 draw against Marin Catholic (5-4-1, 0-0-1) on Saturday. Griffin Ochoa scored for MC and goalie Bode Ransom had a strong game, according to coach Lucas Marroquin.
- Wes Freau scored late in the first half as Tam secured a 1-0 victory against San Marin (4-3-2, 0-1-0) on Saturday. Freau found the back of the net for Tam (4-2-2, 1-0-0) in the 39th minute, assisted by Marco Caruso.
Prep wrestling
Redwood’s Alexander Berkowitz and Novato big man Braeden Carroll brought home some gold from the Mat Classic on Concord on Saturday.
Berkowitz had two pins and two technical falls on the day, highlighted by his pin against San Leandro’s Easton Hearne in the 159-pound finale. The Giants’ Dylan Morton (128) placed second as he went 3-1.
Novato big man Carroll pinned Chico’s Gabe Rodriguez in the 287-pound final as he went 4-0, all by pinfall. The Hornets’ Jonathan Bartnicki (177) lost his consolation championship match as he went 4-2 in the tournament.
Redwood placed 18th and Novato 20th in the 39-team field.
- San Marin junior Levi Manville (146) earned a major decision win to take fifth place at the Deets Winslow Memorial Tournament in Sonoma on Saturday. The Mustangs brought 13 wrestlers to the tournament, while San Rafael brought seven in preparation for next week’s MCAL openers.
- Archie Williams junior Sofia De Jesus (112) took fifth place at the 25th annual Napa Valley Girls Classic on Saturday. She pinned Esperanza freshman Samantha Comejo in the medal round. San Marin’s Catania Dekeyrel (147) narrowly missed out on the medal round, despite going 5-2 with three pinfall wins. The Mustangs’ Yuritzi Sanchez Zapa (172) was 3-2.
Men’s basketball
Darius Best pumped in 23 points as Dominican University beat Jessup University 80-69 on Saturday as the Penguins wrapped up their homestand.