Marin Academy boys land county’s lone top seed

PREP SOCCER PLAYOFFS

Parker Mascott (10) of Marin Academy prepares to kick a ball against San Rafael in a non-league soccer game at San Rafael High School in San Rafael, California on Dec. 13, 2022. DOUGLAS ZIMMERMAN/SPECIAL TO THE MARIN INDEPENDENT JOURNAL

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By Ian Ross

iross@marinij.com

Four soccer teams from Marin won North Coast Section titles last season but none of them enter this year’s tournaments as the favorites.

Redwood and Archie Williams won the D-II and D-II boys titles last season respectively, while the Branson School and Marin Academy did the same for the girls in D-III and D-IV.

This year Marin is home to just one top-seeded team, the Marin Academy boys who fell 2-1 to Archie Williams in last year’s D-III title game. The MA boys program is the most decorated in the county for soccer, having won 11 section titles since 2000.

The No. 1 Wildcats begin their quest for another one — which would be their first since 2019 — with a road game against No. 16 Campolindo at 5 p.m. on Tuesday.

The rest of the D-III bracket features four other Marin teams, all on the opposite side of the field from MA. Freshly minted MCAL champion Terra Linda is the No. 2 seed, raising the possibility of an all-Marin final. TL opens with a home game against Albany at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

The D-III bracket also houses the only all-Marin battle of the first round as No. 10 Archie Williams travels to No. 7 Novato for a 3:30 p.m. game on Tuesday. The winner of that game could see the Trojans in the quarterfinals. Sixth-seeded San Rafael rounds out the Marin contingent in D-III and hosts Sonoma Valley at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

All 11 boys teams from Marin made it to the section playoffs.

Girls D-III

Marin sends seven girls programs into the section playoffs with three of them landing in D-III, including both defending section champions as Marin Academy was moved up from D-IV.

The newly crowned MCAL champions, Branson, lead the way as the No. 3 seed this year. The Bulls host DeAnza at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday.

MA slots in just behind Branson at No. 4, meaning they’d both need to make it to the final to see each other in NCS. The Wildcats host Pinole Valley at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

Archie Williams snagged the No. 6 seed and hosts Albany at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Boys D-I

Redwood was pulled up to D-I this season after winning the D-II title in 2022. The Giants drew the No. 4 seed and host Castro Valley at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

Boys D-II

Fourth-seeded Tam is the lone Marin representative and hosts Northgate at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Girls D-II

Redwood and Tam are both higher seeds who will have to win their opening matches on the road. The No. 5 Giants travel to face Newark Memorial at 5 p.m. Wednesday while No. 8 Tam travels to face Los Lomas.

Boys D-IV

Four Marin teams made it in D-IV but only No. 7 San Domenico is projected to survive the first round based on seeding. The Panthers host Mount Diablo at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday at College of Marin.

San Marin (No. 11), Marin Catholic (No. 12) and Branson (No. 13) round out the Marin field. They face Lick-Wilmerding, Healdsburg and Saint Mary’s, respectively. in road games Wednesday.

Girls D-IV

Marin Catholic was selected as the No. 4 seed and hosts Head-Royce at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday. San Marin, seeded 10th, hits the road to face Saint Mary’s at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday at Albany High.