Preps of the week: Branson boys win much-anticipated showdown with Redwood
Football season is finally done which means basketball, soccer and wrestling will take center stage for the next three months or so.
MCAL campaigns for all three sports don’t begin until early January this season with soccer and basketball moving from a double round robin league scheduled down to a single. As a result, there have been a plethora of non-league games this month pitting MCAL teams against each other.
Perhaps the most anticipated encounter happened Tuesday when The Branson School boys basketball team traveled to Larkspur to battle Redwood. Both teams are loaded this season and open league against each other on Jan. 5.
Pierce Curtin and Semetri Carr, Branson boys basketball
The Bulls only played one game last week but it was a big one against Redwood. The Bulls and Giants are widely expected to be the two dominant teams in the MCAL this season. On Tuesday, Branson proved to be the dominant force. Curtin led the way with 18 points — including four 3-pointers — plus four rebounds and two steals as the Bulls cruised to a 66-42 victory. Carr also had a strong game, putting up 16 points, seven rebounds and four assists for Branson (6-1).
Sophia Everett, San Rafael girls basketball
Everett posted a pair of big-time double-doubles to lead the Bulldogs to a 2-0 week with wins against Terra Linda and Urban. Everett scored 16 points, pulled down 11 rebounds and had four steals and four assists as San Rafael defeated TL 42-33 in a non-league game. Everett was even better against Urban with 19 points and 16 rebounds in a 39-33 victory.
Josie Quinby, Terra Linda girls soccer
Quinby had multiple goals in every game the Trojans played last week, scoring twice all in three games to help TL go 3-0-0 with wins against San Lorenzo, Sonoma Valley, and Piner. TL is on a four-game win streak dating back to Dec. 9 and Quinby has eight goals and four assists in that span.
Thomas Griffin, Redwood boys soccer
Griffin scored a pair of goals as the Giants secured a 3-0 non-league victory against Terra Linda on Saturday. Redwood and TL have been two of the top MCAL programs over the past several years, meeting in multiple MCAL finals in that time. Griffin’s first goal was assisted by John Anderluh.
Grady Bowers, Terra Linda boys basketball
Bowers posted another huge stat line with 32 points, six steals, five rebounds, and three assists as TL outlasted Marin Academy 88-81 in overtime on Saturday night. Bowers, who scored 14 of his points in the first quarter, finished the game going 7 for 9 from 3-point range.
Alex McKenzie, Archie Williams wrestling
McKenzie was the lone Marin wrestler to win his bracket at the Bill Martell Tournament at Northgate High in Walnut Creek on Saturday. McKenzie went 4-0 on the day with two pins and a pair of major decisions to emerge victorious in the 165-pound bracket. McKenzie’s strong showing helped him improve his overall record to 11-2 this season.
Maren Jones and Julia Costle, Tam girls soccer
Jones scored in all three games this past week and Costle had either a goal or an assist in all three as the Red-tailed Hawks went 2-0-1 with wins against Urban and Ukiah and a tie against Cardinal Newman. Jones scored five times across the three games, netting braces against both Cardinal Newman and Urban. Costle scored against Urban and Cardinal Newman and accounted for both assists in the 2-0 win against Ukiah.