KENTFIELD, CA – After recovering an attempted onside kick to start the game, Marin Catholic (6-1) needed just 27 seconds to score when quarterback Michael Ingrassia found Gaven Cooke on a 10-yard TD pass. From there the onslaught was on in a 53-6 home victory on Saturday afternoon in a game where all the points were scored in the first half and a running clock was used for the final two quarters.
On a day when former Marin Catholic running back Kahlil Bell, who went on to star at UCLA and played with three different teams in the NFL, was on the sidelines cheering on his Wildcats teammates, running back Mateo Perez fittingly had some Bell-like numbers.
The 5-8, 180-pound junior finished with 255 yards rushing on nine carries with four TDs, including three consecutive carries in the first quarter of 49, 70 and 63 yards that all found pay dirt for scores. His final carry came with 5:58 left in the first half when Perez broke three tackles and raced into the end zone from 23-yards out to close out the scoring.
When Perez eluded several tacklers at and just beyond the line of scrimmage, and bolted free past the remaining defenders for the 70-yard TD run, Marin Catholic Coach Mazi Moayed mused on the sidelines “that guy can get out of a phone booth.”
Just like Bell was the Marin Catholic primary running back from 2001-04, and then others after him, Perez is now the go to guy but accepts the role with humility.
“It’s a fun role,” responded Perez about being the primary running back. “But I’m not taking all the credit. I’ve got to give it to the offensive line. I might go buy some food for them tonight.”
Perez certainly does have a line in front of him led by USC-bound 6-4, 310-pound two-way lineman Jamar Sekona. On the 49-yard TD run by Perez it was Sekona that collapsed the left side of the line to open a hole that was figuratively big enough for a bus.
Perez wasn’t the only Wildcat to put up big numbers before Moayed emptied the bench prior to halftime.
Quarterback Michael Ingrassia, a 6-1, 190-pound sophomore, was a pinpoint 10-of-13 passing for 236 yards and three touchdowns. Two of the TD’s went to 6-1, 180-pound senior Gaven Cooke. Besides the 10-yard TD reception that opened the scoring, Cooke (four receptions, 83 yards) caught a 33-yard TD pass from Ingrassia and also had a third score on a 2-yard end around. The third TD pass by Ingrassia was a 40-yarder to Georgie Aarsheim.
Besides the 255 yards rushing Perez had one pass reception for 27 yards and 68 yards on returns for 350 total yards overall combined.
Terra Linda (1-5) scored on a 53-yard TD pass from Julian Deraffele to Guy Lyons, but overall that play accounted for around half of the Trojans offense before the game went to a running clock.
The Terra Linda game was the first of four games Marin Catholic plays against the teams from the MCAL with the highest competitive equity resume from last year, and although the Wildcats are a member of the league they cannot win the league title. Perez and his mates likely won’t get a real test in the next three games against MCAL opponents, but Perez knows that if Marin Catholic is going to make a run at a CIF North Coast Section Division IV title and potential CIF state Bowl Game run, there is still work to do.
“Right now we still have some things to work on,” Perez said. “Better execution is one of them but we’re working hard in practice every day so we’ll see how we do in the playoffs.
San Marin-Novato (4-2) is next up this week for Marin Catholic. The Mustangs lost 28-14 on the road at Redwood-Larkspur (5-1, 3-0 MCAL) and are now tied at 2-1 with Tamalpais-Mill Valley for second place behind Redwood in the race for the MCAL title.
