It is absolutely impossible for any one person to be at more than one school when it has it student-athletes sign their letters intent on signing day, or ever playoff games simultaneously taking place, so we’re going to give you a little of each.
The Bonfather gets another league crown
The old expression “the third time is a charm” could not be more appropriate when it comes to describing the St. Vincent de Paul boys basketball team so far this season.
After going 5-3 in the North Bay League – Redwood Division with two losses to Ukiah, 44-37 and 48-41, and a split with Rancho Cotate-Rohnert Park, 58-46 in a home win and a 53-51 loss on the road, St. Vincent de Paul (25-3) reversed it all in the league playoffs.
On Wednesday they toppled Rancho Cotate in the semifinals with a 58-46 victory, and then at Saturday night at Rancho Cotate, where the playoffs were contested, the Mustangs prevailed in a 60-48 victory over Ukiah in a win that claimed the NBL – Redwood crown.
“This was by far the best game we’ve played all season,” Mustangs head coach Tom Bonfigli remarked.”We had an answer for every run they had.”
Senior guard Sebastian Andrade, who missed the second loss to Ukiah, was “unbelievable” according to Bonfigli. The senior combo guard poured in 34 points (nine three-pointers), including 11 points and two three-pointers in a first quarter that saw St. Vincent de Paul bolt out to a 19-7 lead it never relinquished.
Senior Cole Williams added 13 points and junior Justin Greco chipped in with 10 points for the Mustangs.
Ukiah (22-6) got 26 points (four three-pointers) from junior Omaurie Phillips-Porter.
For Bonfigli, who will be retiring at the end of the season, it was league title No. 17 but first at St. Vincent de Paul, his career playoff win No. 60, his 25th season with at least 25 wins and gives him 868 career coaching wins heading into the CIF North Coast Section Division V playoffs where the Mustangs drew the No. 4 seed and open at home on Tuesday with Waldorf-San Francisco
Marin Catholic girls capture Marin Catholic Athletic League playoff title
After winning the Marin Catholic Athletic League regular season tile with an 8-0 record Marin Catholic (18-10) captured the playoff championship as well after a 56-46 victory over Redwood on Saturday night at Terra Linda High
Senior Cecily Hadd led three Marin Catholic players in double-figure scoring with 15 points plus four assists, senior Madie Dayton had 13 points (three three-pointers) and four assists, and junior Izzy McFadden added 13 points and six rebounds.
Marin Catholic trailed only once at 3-2 but went on a 17-4 to open a 12-point lead, but Redwood fought back with a 9-0 run of its own and only trailed 19-16 early in the second quarter.
Redwood stayed relatively close and only trailed 43-35 after three quarters, but Marin Catholic opened the final period with a 9-3 run to take its biggest lead at 52-38 and from there they coasted home despite redwood playing hard right up until the final buzzer.
Redwood (20-8) got 14 points from junior Maya Saibel.
Redwood now moves on to the CIF North Coast Section Division playoffs where the Giants drew the top seed and faces Santa Rosa at home on Wednesday.
Marin Catholic was awarded the top seed in the NCS Division III bracket and after a first round bye the Wildcats open at home against the winner of the Archie Williams-San Anselmo at Campolindo-Moraga winner on Tuesday.
Five St. Vincent de Paul players sign letters of intent
The DeCarli gymnasium wasn’t quite as packed as two weeks ago when the career achievements of St. Vincent de Paul-Petaluma boys basketball head coach Tom Bonfigli were celebrated. However, there were over a hundred people in the stands last Wednesday afternoon when five Mustangs football players from the school’s CIF Division 6-AA Bowl Game state championship team signed their letters of intent.
According to St. Vincent de Paul head coach Trent Herzog five signees are the most from a single Sonoma County school in almost three decades.
Those signing letters were Jack Davis (Claremont McKenna), Malcolm Rooks (Bowdoin), Dylan Brown (Jamestown), Jack Olyphant (California), and Nour Elbelisy, an exchange student from Belgium in the St. Vincent de Paul exchange student program that signed with College of Idaho.
