Marin Catholic Puts Title Hopes on the Line

Saturday night’s North Coast Section championship football game between Marin Catholic High and Campolindo of Moraga figures to be a duel between one of Northern California’s top quarterbacks – the Wildcats’ – and a Cougars defense that has specialized in intercepting passes.

If that turns into a stalemate, Marin Catholic is confident it can fluidly transition into Plan B – the running of behind an offensive line that has to rate as a big-time surprise this season.

The Wildcats entered the fall without much of a line. Center Kevin Sinnott started four games last season, but all the other chief candidates either were 2010 backups, played other positions or were on the junior varsity or freshman team.

Thirteen games later, Goff is being protected about as well as any high school quarterback and Terry is running through holes the size of which the 49ers wish they could create for Frank Gore. Actually, it’s quite shocking.

And also quite anonymous.

“Because the guys throwing the ball, running the ball and catching the ball are getting all the credit,” coach noted, “the line doesn’t get a lot of attention.”

If it takes a championship in Saturday’s 7 p.m. finale at the Oakland Coliseum and possible invitation to a state championship game to get that attention, Sinnott, left tackle Gunnar Graham, left guard Nathan Bozin, right guard Henry Harmon, right tackle Mike Nichols and backups Daniel Woodcock and Matt McFadden appear ready to snatch the spotlight.

It sure didn’t seem that way before the Sept. 3 opener against St. Ignatius of San Francisco, a team that went on to win its division in the Central Coast Section.

“You never know what you have until the camps and the preseason games,” Moayed said. “We knew we had tough kids. We weren’t worried about that. We were just worried about the experience factor.

“These guys put in extra time. They did a lot of work in the weight room. They deserve a lot of credit.”

As the Wildcats struggled to narrow September victories over St. Ignatius, Vacaville and Berkeley by a total of 14 points, the new group proved it could give the talented Goff adequate time to show off his powerful arm. But the running game was a different story.

“Early on,” Moayed recalled, “we were trying to determine what we’re capable of on offense. What are we going to be able to hang our hat on? Did we need to shuffle around some personnel?

“We struggled in run blocking due to the inexperience. Our guys really picked it up as the games went along.”

Now, Moayed was proud to boast, the mind-set of the group – which includes two junior starters and a sophomore – is completely different.

“We’re a good passing team,” he said. “But if you asked those guys what they wanted to do, they would say run block.”

That could pave the way to an NCS championship Saturday night.