Masa Fujita and Ben Sherry got the Redwood High boys soccer team off to a dream start then Jaime Hughes provided the game winner in stoppage time against Archie Williams in Saturday’s MCAL final at San Rafael High.

Redwood roared out to a two-goal lead in the first 11 minutes but the Peregrine Falcons came all the way back to tie the game in the final five minutes after goals by Sean Chamberlin and Willy Finley.

With the game seemingly heading toward extra time, Redwood was awarded a free kick from well outside the 18-yard box in the 81st minute. Ike Gebhard played the ball to Fujita inside the 18-yard box. Fujita headed the ball toward Hughes, who tucked the ball into the bottom left corner to lift the Giants to a dramatic 3-2 victory.

“I just had the opportunity to flick it bottom left, just placed it really well and it put us ahead,” Hughes said. “I was so unbelievably happy because I was kind of struggling at the beginning and just putting the goal away was excellent.”

Archie Williams fashioned a late chance after a throw-in inside the final minute of stoppage time but Redwood’s back line was like a barricade in front of goal. A few seconds later, the final whistle blew and Redwood (8-2-5) was able to celebrate its third MCAL pennant in four years.

“I cannot express how amazing that felt,” Sherry said of Hughes’ goal. “Just pushing myself through 80 minutes — just my legs are done. Seeing Jaime slot that was just euphoric. I was absolutely ecstatic.”

The Giants have also won three regular-season league titles in four years — a streak stopped this season when Archie Williams (9-4-5) claimed the title following a 2-2 draw at Redwood last week.

Redwood started the game like a team that was determined to reclaim its place atop the MCAL, blitzing the Peregrine Falcons from the opening whistle. Kamran Madani crossed a ball into the box and Fujita headed it home in the fourth minute for a 1-0 lead.

“I saw Kamran had it on the wing,” said Fujita, who is committed to playing for UC San Diego next season. “He looked up and my first thought was literally ‘We need to score’ so I sprinted in the box and pretty much gave it everything I got. I looked over and I saw it soaring into the back of the net and it was like the perfect start to the game.”

That start got even better in the 11th minute when Gebhard played a wall out wide to Sherry, who made a run into the 18-yard box before slotting home for a 2-0 lead.

“Ben’s been filling at striker for us because we didn’t have a better option all year and he’s been brilliant from Day 1,” Redwood coach Will Finnie said. “So for him to get a goal in the final makes a big difference for us. It’s a deserving reward for all his hard work and effort to the team and sacrificing himself for the team this year.”

Archie Williams came out in the second half determined to climb back into the game and did so when Chamberlin scored following an assist from Finley in the 51st minute.

The Peregrine Falcons had a couple of incredible chances to tie the game in the 60th and 73rd minutes when Finley got into dangerous areas of the pitch. The first time his shot was deflected inches wide by a Redwood defender. The second time, Redwood goalie Cade Jaffee and multiple defenders put him under just enough pressure to send his shot over the crossbar.

Finley wasn’t to be denied, however, scoring the equalizer in the 76th minute following a throw-in. Chamberlain got a touch on the ball and Finley took it, making a run into the box before unleashing a powerful shot that went just under the crossbar to put Archie Williams back on level terms.

“They did such an amazing job of not losing spirit after the first two goals, especially going into halftime 2-0 down,” Fujita said. “They had to really dig deep and find something special in them to come back.”

Archie Williams, which lost to Redwood 1-0 in last year’s final, was unable to get the game into extra time as Hughes scored just four minutes later.

“Greatest single moment of my coaching career, no doubt,” Finnie said of the victory. “It’s not even close.”

Beyond the two quick goals, the opening kick of the game provided a huge emotional boost to Redwood as Marcos Ornellas took a ceremonial kick to begin the game before being quickly subbed off for Sherry. Ornellas sustained a severe spinal injury following a surfing accident in June 2023.

“The first thing was Marcos out there and everything he went through with his spinal injury,” Finnie said. “The fact that he’s still alive is pretty incredible. To have him out there in a jersey taking the first touch for us and leading us into this final, I think all these boys, it fires them up, gives them energy to see that because they all love and care for Marcos. We talked about it the day before that nothing they were going to face today, nothing they were going to have to deal with, was as difficult as what Marcos had to deal with.

“To take heart from that and relax and enjoy the moment, I think we came out with the right mindset and that carried through the rest of the half and we played really well for 40 minutes to start the game.”