When life gives you an opportunity in North Coast Section Division VII, you might as well make some tasty lemonade.
That’s exactly what Moreau Catholic has done this season. The Mariners, seeded as the No. 1 team in the NCS’s lowest playoff bracket, have taken full advantage of the opportunity presented to them.
After completing a 6-4 regular season, they swept through the D-VII bracket with a 49-14 blowout of St. Bernard’s and close wins over Del Norte-Crescent City (14-7) and Ferndale (26-22).
Now, after showcasing dominance with a 42-11 win over Leland in the CIF NorCal 7-AA championship game, the Mariners are sailing south to Southern California, where they will face off against Lindsay for the 7-AA state title at 4 p.m. on Friday in Fullerton.
“If you don’t let go of the rope, you’ll have a chance at the end,” Moreau coach Keith Minor said. “We got very good at that at the end of the season. During our playoff run, we didn’t give up. We didn’t get frustrated.
“When we went into the playoffs, we knew that everybody in the playoffs is good, everybody in the playoffs is coached well. And when you play a tough preseason schedule like we did, that prepares you for it.”
Moreau started out its season with nonleague matchups against St. Mary’s-Albany, Salesian, San Marin and Livermore. The Mariners lost the latter three, all by one possession.
But they caught fire in West Alameda County Conference Foothill play, going 5-1 and losing only to Bishop O’Dowd, which earned a spot in the NCS Division II championship game.
It’s been smooth sailing in the playoffs as well. Facing opponents that Moreau can match up with has been a boon after a challenging regular season.
“It allows you to experience a lot of different things early in the season,” Minor said of the nonleague slate. “It allows you to experience a tough ball game, some close ball games.”
Moreau has faced a number of run-heavy opponents along its playoff journey, and Lindsay is no exception.The Cardinals are led by Jose Cortes, a senior running back who has compiled 2,088 yards on 303 carries this season.
“They all run the ball extremely well,” Minor said. “They’re all tough guys, so we know that we’re going to have to come in prepared to stop the run. Lindsay had an incredible year. Whenever you have a 2,000-yard rusher, that means you’re very proficient at it. We know we’ve got to get ready and be prepared for a tough ball game.”
Fortunately for Moreau, they’ve done this before. Ferndale and Leland were both very run-heavy teams.
For Lindsay coach Marcus Alonzo, Moreau’s ability to both run and pass efficiently will be a challenge.
“We’ve gotten to look at a little bit of film,” Alonzo said. “They’ve got a really high-powered offense. They got a 1,000-yard receiver, 2,000-yard passer, a really dynamic football team. A lot of tight-end sets. We’re excited to play them. They’ve got a style of defense, they play a lot of run-heavy teams. So it’s going to be interesting, because we’re a run-heavy football team. It’s going to be an exciting matchup for sure.”
Moreau does perhaps offer more through the air. While Lindsay has only attempted 17 passes all season, leading receiver Jalen Arnold alone has caught 64 balls for 1,493 yards.
Senior quarterback Jeremiah Charles has been efficient through the air, completing 65% of his passes for 2,761 yards. But the Mariners can run the ball too.
The duo of Jayden Bryant (910 yards) and Peyton Collins (744) leads a rushing attack that has gained nearly 2,000 yards on the ground this year.
And when called upon to stop the run defensively or gain a short-yardage first down, Minor thinks Moreau will be ready. The Mariners’ leading tacklers, linebackers Seth Evans (138 tackles) and Eriq Fields (122), have been standouts all season.
“We did a study a couple years ago. And in that study, it showed that all the national champions, all the Super Bowl winners, all the section title winners, can stop the run,” Minor said. “It always comes down to third and one, either as an offense getting that first down, or stopping that first down from happening.”
“You can have all the spread stuff you want, but at some point in the game, it’s going to come down to third-and-goal, third-and-1. You better have two or three guys on your defense that can stop it. I’m an old lineman guy, and I know that it always starts up front on both sides of the ball. You better be ready to go with your front seven. And if you don’t have a good front seven, you’re not participating in (games) like this.”