By Derek Wilson
Marinscope
The energy normally surrounding the kickoff to the high school football season was there — although maybe a little muted — as teams around Marin County finally took the field for the first time in more than a year.
With students going back to class in person again and sports getting back into the swing, life seems a little more normal around high school campuses. Although, it might still seem strange playing football — normally a fall and winter season sport — in the spring.
At San Marin High School, family, friends and students usually pack the stands on both sides of the field for a football game. But the number of fans was limited for Saturday’s season opener and the total crowd was about 100 people, all wearing facemarks, close to one-third of the normal crowd. Still, there were cheerleaders — also wearing facemarks — for both teams performing to keep the fans energized.
“It’s all about having fun,” San Marin coach Dom Dimare said.
San Marin hadn’t seen a sanctioned football game on campus since Oct. 12, 2019, so there was a lot of anticipation — and maybe a little rust on the part of the announcers and volunteers, if no one else — before the game. Totally understandable, and before the game was over everyone was back in the flow as the effects of the year’s layoff evaporated.
“It’s good to be back to normal,” San Marin senior Nico Lofrano said. “Now we’re looking at each game one at a time, hoping to win. … It sucks we couldn’t have a full season to play, but I’m grateful we are playing again.”
Marin Catholic head coach Mazi Moayed wants the Wildcats to make the most of every game in this shortened season. They didn’t waste any time Saturday, as it took the Wildcats just six plays on their first possession to take a 7-0 lead over San Marin with 5:31 left in the first quarter. Junior quarterback Michael Ingrassia completed a 19-yard pass to senior receiver John Kreps for the touchdown.
A 33-yard run by Matteo Perez, a 13-yard pass to Kreps and a 27-yard pass to Geordie Aarsheim gave Marin Catholic a 28-0 lead at halftime. Perez added a touchdown midway through the third quarter to give the Wildcats a 35-0 edge.
Marin Catholic seniors Jared Lyon and Aarsheim anchored a hard-hitting defense that gave the Mustangs few opportunities to move the ball.
At times, though, the Wildcats were, if anything, overeager, as the Wildcats were called for illegal tackles, hits to the back, holding, and grabbing facemasks on both sides of the ball. Twice, Marin Catholic touchdowns were wiped off the board by penalties. In a playoff game, the penalties might have proved more costly for the Wildcats, but they managed to hold off a San Marin team that has been one of the most dominant in Marin County in recent years.
“There were a few jitters,” San Marin’s Justin Guin said, as there were a few dropped balls and missed plays. “We got them out with the first few plays.”
There are no plans for a postseason, so teams are treating each of the five games on their schedules as a playoff game. Each game has meaning. Each game, they are just glad to be playing.
“This feeling is great for everybody,” Moayed said after the game, smiling like this was one of the happiest moments of his life. “It’s a beautiful day, sunny but not too warm, great for football. Right now, I want everybody to enjoy themselves. We have five games on a s short schedule and we should enjoy each one.”
Marin Catholic is scheduled to play non-league foe Windsor on March 27, while San Marin will host crosstown rival Novato for the city championship on Saturday.
The experience was similar on fields across Marin County during opening weekend, with fans and players eager to experience high school football again.
The Novato Hornets started the season with a 13-0 victory over HS 1327 — formerly Drake High School. Terra Linda captured the San Rafael city championship in The Bell game against rival San Rafael, 28-0, on Friday night. In another annual showdown, Redwood edged host Tamalpais, 22-19.
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