Predictions ring true as TL boys claim state soccer crown
Terra Linda midfielder Kleber Maldonado called his shot all three times.
Maldonado predicted his Trojans would reach the finals each time as they made their way through the MCAL, North Coast Section and NorCal playoffs. Maldonado scored TL’s second goal on a penalty kick against McLane to help lift his team to a 2-0 win in the NorCal Division III title game on Saturday in Fresno.
“We got into form at the right time,” TL coach Mike Crivello said. “To win three (titles) is incredibly difficult. I still can’t believe that we pulled that off. I’m so happy for those seniors. They’ve just been nails for 10 elimination games.”
Francesco Calvi scored first for TL (16-5-4) midway through the first half, smashing a ball into the roof of the net from inside the six-yard box.
McLane was offered a way back into the game just before the half when TL was called for a handball in the box. The referee pointed to the penalty save but freshman goalie Jesse Rodriguez came up with the save.
Maldonado’s goal to give TL a 2-0 lead came on a penalty kick midway through the second half after Chris Maldonado was pulled down inside the box.
McLane hit the post once but TL hunkered down defensively to see the win out and claim their third title this postseason. The run began when TL rallied for a 4-3 win at Archie Williams in the final game of the regular season to even qualify for the MCAL playoffs.
“It’s been four weeks or 10 games, whatever it’s been,” Crivello said. “It’s been a pretty amazing run. Sometimes you get on a heater and everything kind of went our way since that Archie game.”
Prep baseball
Redwood’s lead vanished late against Casa Grande, as the Giants fell 6-4 Saturday. The Giants held a tenuous 2-1 lead when Casa Grande’s bats erupted for five innings in the top of the sixth inning. Redwood managed to recover a pair of runs, but could not overcome the deficit.
Redwood freshman was 2-for-3 with a double and two runs, while senior Rory Coughlan tripled. Rory Minty and Danil Wells each had a hit and an RBI.
Junior Rex Solle gave up one run on two hits and five walks, with five strikeouts through four innings of relief work.
• Noam AuYeung had a big day at the plate and the mound as Branson shut out Terra Linda, 13-0, Friday.
AuTeung had three hits, including a double and a triple to drive in two runs and score three more. Kaden Gustafson had three hits, while William Ashley had two hits, including a double. Morris Jacob also had two of the Bulls’ 14 hits.
Starter Wilson Wendt, AuYeung and Ashley combined on a two-hitter with nine strikeouts for the Bulls (5-1).
Prep swimming
Tam high’s boys and girls squads both won gold at the Santa Rosa High School Invitational on Saturday.
The Marin Catholic girls claimed second place in the 10-team field, while the boys finished tied with Petaluma for seventh place. The Wildcats finished second in the combined scores with 520 points to first-place Tam’s 1,115 points.
Tam had three of the top four finishers in the boys 100-yard backstroke, led by winner Dean Gustavson (1:02.78) and Callum McClain (1:06.67). Marin Catholic’s Connor Cochrane (1:07.02) placed third, just ahead of the Red-tailed Hawks’ Carter Albee (1:07.21).
On the boys side, the Hawks also got big wins from Freddy Goldstein (110 breaststroke, 200 IM), Cole Stanford (200 free).
Marin Catholic’s Alyssa Kooy (58.39) won the girls 100 free ahead of Tam’s Lily Damsen (1:01.34) and Eleanor Octavio (1:03.40), as well as her own Wildcats teammate, Emma Slaught (1:03.43). The Wildcats’ Claire Cassidy (1:06.66) won the 100 back, with Tam’s Elle Philp (1:07.26) and Damsen (1:11.01) second and third, respectively.
College baseball
The Mariners got some big hits, but Mendocino took advantage of College of Marin’s pitching miscues to take over the game late and hand Marin a 10-9 loss Friday.
Marin (5-12) was leading 9-4 after 6 ½ innings when Mendocino scored six runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. A walk and a hit batter, followed by two singles and wild pitch, drove the big rally.
The Mariners’ Lucas Schaefer was 3-for-5 with a double and a triple, while Jacob Campbell, Steven Elsner and Caleb Jeske also doubled.
Track & Field
San Rafael resident and St. Ignatius High athlete Ellie McCuskey-Hay won the 100-meter event in 12.15 seconds, a school record at the K-Bell Invitational in Campbell. McCuskey-Hay, also a member of Marin Waves Track Club, won the long jump in 17’2”.