Prep football: Perez runs wild as Marin Catholic tops Terra Linda
When the Marin Catholic High football team’s offense is clicking both on the ground and through the air it is fairly close to an unstoppable force.
Visiting Terra Linda had a front-row seat for the fireworks Saturday in Kentfield as the Wildcats scored on their first seven possessions and coasted to a 53-6 non-league victory against the Trojans.
Marin Catholic running back Matteo Perez was the team’s top weapon against TL, going off for 255 yards on seven carries including touchdown runs of 49, 71, 63 and 23 yards.
“Perez is an absolutely amazing player,” Terra Linda coach Dallas Hartwell said. “But that said, we should be doing a better job of tackling.”
Perez gained chunks of his yardage beyond the line of scrimmage, shedding tackle after tackle before moving to the outside of the field where he simply outran the remaining defenders.
“Perez is pretty electric,” MC coach Mazi Moayed said. “With his (27-yard) screen pass reception and a couple of punt returns he had more than 300 all-purpose yards.”
The importance of Perez’s breakaway ability certainly does not elude MC quarterback Michael Ingrassia, who was also on his game, completing 10 of 13 passes for 235 yards and three touchdowns.
“The defense has to focus on Matteo every play,” Ingrassia said. “A play-fake to him slows down the pass rush and that opens up our passing game.”
Ingrassia did a fine job of sharing the receiving workload, connecting with six different pass catchers. Gaven Cooke led all receivers for MC (6-1) with four grabs for 81 yards and two touchdowns.
Terra Linda (1-5) no doubt had a sinking feeling in a matter of seconds as Marin Catholic needed just two Ingrassia passes to score the game’s first touchdown.
Ingrassia’s first pass to Lauer Spencer netted 41 yards, and his second toss – a bubble screen to Cooke – was good for nine yards and six points.
Perez took center stage on Marin Catholic’s next three drives, scoring from 49, 71 and 63 yards as the Wildcats bounded away to a 20-point lead in the first 11 minutes.
Terra Linda’s first – and really only – highlight-reel play came late in the first quarter when strong-armed quarterback Brandon Ware unloaded a bomb to Guy Lyons, who outmaneuvered one-on-one coverage for the catch and a 53-yard touchdown.
The Trojans’ elation was short-lived, however, as the Wildcats scored three more times on their next eight offensive plays and took a 39-6 lead just 43 seconds into the second quarter.