Featherstone powers Novato to first MCAL win

Novato High running back Samaje Featherstone said he was working on his vision coming into Saturday’s football contest against Terra Linda.

His eyesight was 20-20 as he found hole after hole in running for nearly 200 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Hornets to a 38-13 win over the visiting Trojans on homecoming weekend.

Both teams came into the game searching for their first league win, but Novato (2-6, 1-4 MCAL) churned out 314 yards on the ground to take control after TL (1-7, 0-4) scored on the opening kickoff.

The Hornets answered TL’s early strike with a pair of Featherstone runs. He scored on a 17yard run up the middle to tie it at 7-7 then found the end zone from 4 yards out to give Novato a 14-7 advantage to start the second quarter.

Featherstone (21 carries, 173 yards) put the Hornets up 29-7 on an 8-yard run with 7:42 left in the third quarter.

“Our team played amazing,” Featherstone said. “We came together as a team because it was a must-win game … homecoming game. So it was a big win.”

Novato quarterback Connor Mulvaney, whose 1-yard sneak gave the Hornets their third consecutive touchdown to start the game, also had a pair of firsthalf interceptions on defense from his safety position.

The second pick came in the final seconds of the first half as Terra Linda was driving to try to make it a one-score game.

“It was an A-plus effort,” Novato coach Amil Hall said. “A great effort from our kids in getting our first MCAL win. We want to close hard (in our last two games) against MC and then (Archie Williams). We’ve been playing with 18-19 kids and today we had 25-26. Been a real

challenge with the numbers. Happy for these guys that they won. They should be proud of themselves.”

TL marched 75 yards on its first possession of the game, culminating in a 23yard scoring catch by Ryder Mariani from Garrett Pardo on fourth down to make it 7-0. The Trojans managed to keep that drive alive with a pair of fourth-down conversions, but were shut out the rest of the half.

Pardo (15 of 30 for 223 yards passing) hooked up with Jackson Pattani on another fourth-down play for a 38-yard touchdown to cut Novato’s lead to 29-13 with 3 minutes left in the third quarter. Pattani led all receivers with five catches for 99 yards. Mariani finished with four receptions for 43 yards.

“When we suit 23 kids for the game, they show up and work hard,” TL defensive coordinator Greg Lauchenauer said. “Tackling has been a real issue for us for the past two years. We have a real hard time wrapping up guys and making plays.

Lauchenauer has assumed the head-coaching duties the past few weeks while Dallas Hartwell’s family adjusts to the new baby.

Kai Patel (six rushes for 70 yards) and Nick Grotjahn (5-yard TD run) also were key contributors to the Hornets’ ground attack. Grotjahn and Jose Martinez accounted for Novato’s other two interceptions.