Prep football: Marin Catholic posts second consecutive shutout

The Marin Catholic High football team’s defense is certainly agile and mobile.

Friday night, however, the Wildcats were just plain hostile, notching their second consecutive Redwood Empire Adobe league shutout in a 27-0 whitewashing of Rancho Cotate in Kentfield.

The defending champion Wildcats (4-4, 3-0), who blanked Vintage 31-0 last week, visit arch-rival Cardinal Newman – also undefeated in league play – on Friday night in a first-place showdown

It was a good night for the MC defense not to rest as the offense struggled through a scoreless first quarter.

In fact, on the final play of the opening stanza, the Wildcats posted the contest’s initial points when Elijah Serafin intercepted a tipped pass and raced 45 yards for a touchdown.

As things turned out, it was all the points MC would need as its defense never allowed the Cougars into the red zone.

“That’s big time getting back-to-back shutouts,” said receiver/cornerback Johnny Greco, who scored an offensive touchdown, a two-point conversion, and added a couple of outstanding pass break-ups. “We knew we had to get good as the season progressed. With all the practice reps we’ve done, it’s paying off. We’re coming together as a team. I think we are fully gelling as a team.”

The Wildcats scored twice on defense – Gabe Baker added a second pick-six with a 28-yard interception return in the third quarter – and were stingy against a solid ground game, limiting the Cougars to 39 rushing yards.

“The defense did an outstanding job,” said MC coach Mazi Moayed. “We had two defensive scores and played the run really well. And that was on a night when Rancho Cotate actually did a great job against us.”

The Marin Catholic pass rush was fierce as usual, sacking Rancho Cotate quarterback Jack Rhode four times.

As usual, Vince Tarantino was the leader of the sack synergy, notching three solo sacks including twice on back-to-back defensive sequences early in the fourth quarter.

“He’s just a special player,” Moayed said. “He has a great skill set for rushing the passer.”

Tarantino’s most memorable sack of the night was his last one. He barreled through the offensive lineman and literally steamrolled Rhode.

MC’s offense was a little late to the party, but finally responded with a five-play, 46-yard scoring drive midway through the second quarter, despite the fact top running back Jarred Geissberger injured an ankle in the first five minutes of the game and was on the sidelines for most of the night.

Replacement running back Elijah Serafin (25 yards on six carries) rushed for five yards and sophomore quarterback Dylan Skrinar scampered for nine more on a designed keeper.

Skrinar finished off the drive with back-to-back completions, the final one a four-yard touchdown pass to Carter Matza (three catches, 58 yards).

Skrinar was effective using an up-tempo passing attack most of the evening. He finished with 17 completions for 219 yards, and his second touchdown toss – a 30-yard screen pass to Greco – sealed the deal in the fourth quarter.

Skrinar used a variety of receivers. In fact, three other receivers besides Matza and Greco caught three passes including Cooper Milan, Edwin Bullian and Ian MacAulay.

Marin Catholic 27, Rancho Cotate 0

Redwood Empire Adobe

Rancho Cotate  0  0  0  0  –  0

Marin Catholic  6  6  8  7  – 27

SCORING SUMMARY

MC – Seraphin 45 interception return (pass failed)

MC – Matza 4 pass from Skrinar (pass failed)

MC – Baker 28 INT return (Greco pass from Skrinar)

MC – Greco 30 pass from Skrinar (Stephens kick)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING – RC, Perez 12-53, Rhode 5-(minus-13), Gregori 2-1. Totals: 19-39. MC, Skrinar 12-37, Geissberger 2-5, Serafin 6-25, Trammell 6-13. Totals: 26-80.

PASSING – RC, Rhode 19-37-3 182. MC, Skrinar 17-27-0 219, Lincoln 0-2-0 0. Totals: 17-29-0 219.

RECEIVING – RC, Perkett 1-2. McClellan 4-31, Morie 6-41, Perez 1-3, Griffith 2-18, Perkins 2-20, Buckley 3-67. Totals: 19-182. MC, Milan 3-25, Bullian 3-24, Greco 3-35, Matza 3-58, Pierce 1-11, MacAulay 3-49, Trammell 1-17. Totals: 17-219.

Records – Marin Catholic 4-4, 3-0. Rancho Cotate 4-4, 0-3.