Marin Catholic senior QB is in uncharted territory
“He’s had a heck of a senior year and career. Hopefully, we can get as far as (the 2012) team.”
Mazi Moayed, Marin Catholic-Kentfield head coach, on QB Michael Ingrassia
For three seasons, Marin Catholic-Kentfield head coach
Mazi Moayed has done his share of double takes watching starting quarterback Michael Ingrassia.
“He’s awfully athletic and fast,” Moayed said of his 6foot-2, 205-pound senior. “How he gets out of trouble and makes big plays is pretty amazing.”
Moayed had to check the stat sheet more than twice when reading Ingrassia’s numbers this season: 30 touchdown passes and no interceptions in 202 attempts (127 completions) for 2,148 yards.
Even Marin Catholic’s most famous quarterback alum,
Jared Goff, didn’t go that many attempts without a pick. Goff, The Chronicle’s 2012 Metro Player of the Year, threw for 3,692 yards, 40 touchdowns and 12 interceptions his senior year, leading the Wildcats to the state Division III title game (which they lost 38-35 to Madison-San Diego). Besides Goff, Ingrassia has followed a strong line of Marin Catholic QBs, including All-Metro selections
Morgan Mahalak, DariusJames Peterson and Spencer Petras. None has come close to 30 touchdowns, zero interceptions.
“He’s had a heck of a senior year and career,” Moayed said of Ingrassia. “Hopefully, we can get as far as (the 2012) team got.”
The Wildcats (10-1) are the top North Coast Section Division IV seed. After a 66-0 first-round win over Mt. Diablo-Concord, they’ll host Marin County Athletic League rival Tamalpais-Mill Valley in a semifinal game at 1 p.m. Saturday. The winner will play the winner of Tennyson-Hayward
(10-0) at Cardinal Newman-Santa Rosa (7-3).
Though Ingrassia’s arm and legs are key — he also has rushed for 331 yards and seven touchdowns — the team’s strength is its defense. The Wildcats have allowed just 77 points and recorded six shutouts, including the past three games.
Leading the defense are junior middle linebacker Will Clemens (74 tackles), senior defensive end Charles McBride (10 sacks) and senior safety Charlie Knapp (five interceptions).
NorCal volleyball: Berths in Saturday’s state finals are up for grabs as six Northern California championships take place at 6 p.m. Tuesday, headlined by West Catholic Athletic League rivals St.
Francis (22-11), the eighth seed, and No. 2 Mitty (38-7).
It’s the third straight away match for St. Francis, which opened with a stunning fivegame victory over top-seeded Marin Catholic, then the nation’s No. 12 team. St. Francis then swept fourth-seed Menlo School, 25-22, 25-21, 25-19. Mitty and St. Francis have split four matches this season.
Other NorCal title matches include: Hillsdale-San Mateo at Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills (D1), Redwood-Larkspur at Clovis (D2), Santa Cruz at Carondelet-Concord (D3) and Drew-San Francisco at Skyline-Oakland (D5).
The state finals are at Santiago Canyon College (Orange County).
CCS cross country: Carlmont-Belmont senior Aidan
Dimick and Palo Alto junior
Elizabeth Fetter recorded the best times among Metro runners in Saturday’s Central Coast Section cross-country championships. Dimick covered the 3.1-mile Crystal Springs course in Belmont in 14:58.9 to win the Division I boys title. Fetter went 17:58.7 to take the D1 girls crown.
Among other individual girls champions were Myla Brignardello (CapuchinoSan Bruno, D3, 19:47.5) and
Samira Kennedy (CastillejaPalo Alto, D5, 18:20.7). Other Metro boys champs were
Tommy Rogers (Serra, D2, 15:38.3) and Harrison Dance (Saratoga, D3, 15:43.7).
Palo Alto and Bellarmine finished with the same score (49) and time (1:19.50), but the Vikings won the D1 team boys title based on a better finish by its sixth-place runner. Other Metro boys team champions: Woodside (D2) and Crystal Springs UplandsHillsborough (D5); Los Gatos (D1), St. Francis (D2) and Nueva-San Mateo (D5) won girls team titles. The Santa Cruz boys, with 68 points, edged St. Ignatius (69) for the D3 boys title.
The state championships are Nov. 26 at Woodward Park in Fresno.