KENTFIELD, CA - Third seeded Marin Catholic handled the fourteen seed Fort Bragg in the first round of the NCS Division IV playoffs by a score of 71-55, although there were a few surprises for the Wildcats.
For the first time all season, Joey Calcaterra was outscored by an opposing player, courtesy of the Timberwolves' multi-sport star Lucas Triplett, who edged out Calcaterra, 30 to 29. However, Calcaterra’s eight rebounds were equally as important as his scoring, in the absence of the Wildcats leading rebounder Jack Hogeboom.
Fort Bragg had an eerily similar feel to Marin Catholic (19-10) when you considered their scrappy, noticeably undersized lineup that heavily relied on a star player as their main source of scoring. In fact, MC held a rare upper hand in the height department over a Fort Bragg (12-16) roster that utilized no players over 6-foot-1, and the Wildcats took full advantage.
In addition to Calcaterra's performance, the Wildcats starting big men Dylan Joyce and Kyle Pult dominated on the boards, pulling in seven rebounds apiece. Second chance points were the difference in a game where neither team shot the ball particularly well.
“When [Dylan and Kyle] are undersized they’re relentless,” Marin Catholic coach Mike Saia said. “When we have the size advantage (like tonight) it just shines even more.”
Saia was pleased with his team’s effort offensively, especially the fast-paced ball movement that allowed Joyce to show off his deceptive long-range shooting ability. The starting sophomore finished with 17 points, and connected on all three of his three-point attempts on a night where few other Wildcats had a good feel for their jumper.
“Nobody is a rookie at this point [in the season],” Saia said, “Joyce is a veteran player now and it shows.”
Saia was less satisfied with the Wildcats’ defensive performance, pointing out Fort Bragg’s 20-point third quarter. Fort Bragg’s solid third quarter run benefited from Myles Anderson’s eight-point quarter (10 for the game), which gave Triplett, who had 17 of his team's 23 first-half points, some much needed assistance. The senior duo connected on a well-executed set play that resulted in a beautiful lob from Anderson to Triplett for an easy lay in.
Still, the Wildcats outscored the Timberwolves 25-20 in the third and cruised to a comfortable first round victory, setting up a second round match-up with visiting, sixth seeded Lick-Wilmerding this coming Saturday in what could be the Wildcats final home game of the season.
“I’m confident that this team can go all the way because we’ve done it before,” Calcaterra said in reference to his sophomore year, when the Wildcats took out the top three seeds (Salesian, Saint Patrick Saint Vincent, and Cardinal Newman) on the road en route to an NCS Division IV title in 2015. “My experience is the reason I play with no nerves. I’m just trying to do all I can help my team and have fun out there.”
