The boys varsity basketball team’s Marin County Athletic League (MCAL) season ended in the semifinals on Wednesday, Feb. 11, at Freitas Memorial Gymnasium in Kentfield. The Giants lost to the Marin Catholic (MC) Wildcats, 66-53, in an intense matchup.
Redwood senior captain Jake Post led the team with 16 points, while junior Harrington White added 15 points. Junior Max Monterastelli unfortunately fouled out late in the game, when it already seemed like the Giants’ MCAL season was coming to an end.
The pace of play started fast, with back and forth possessions in the first few minutes and a breakaway dunk from White late in the first quarter. This score gave energy to both the players on the court and Redwood students dressed in all red who filled the stands. White then hit back-to-back three-pointers early in the second quarter to give Redwood another boost and described his emotions after propelling his team forward.
“I felt amazing. Hitting that dunk and then straight back-to-back threes just felt great,” White said. “Marin Catholic called a timeout, and it calmed everybody down, but we got everyone hyped too though because of the dunk.”
The early momentum quickly shifted when Head Coach Jay DeMaestri received his first technical foul after slamming the floor and scores table in frustration. MCAL rules require coaches to remain seated on the bench for the remainder of the game, but DeMaestri initially paced back and forth in front of the Giants’ bench.
At the half, the Giants trailed the Wildcats by one point, with a score of 26-27, and continued to battle in the second half while working off their discussions during the break. Redwood varsity cheer was also in attendance and performed to parents and fans while teams were setting their game plan for the second half of play.
DeMaestri continued to bang his fist on the scorers’ table and stand up from his seat, earning himself a second technical foul and an ejection from the game. Senior captain Charlie Poser reflected on the impact this ejection had on the team’s performance.
“Losing our head coach was a little bit of a momentum shift, but we kept fighting,” Poser said. “We worked very hard the whole game, and that’s all I can ask for.”
Both teams exchanged strong plays at the rim, including an and-one by White with seven minutes left in the fourth quarter that brought the Giants within four points. Redwood also forced turnovers throughout the final quarter and had several scoring opportunities to narrow their deficit, but constant fouls and key plays by Marin Catholic kept the Wildcats in control of the game.
White discussed the team’s mindset following the final buzzer and how they plan to move forward into their postseason.
“The biggest thing is just forgetting about it and focusing on the little things, polishing up our shots and dialing down turnovers,” White said. “We’re going to be high [division two], so we need to focus and play at our own level.”
Reflecting on the close loss, Poser added that the team is ready to look ahead to North Coast Section play.
“This is my last season of basketball because I’m not going to play in college, [so] hopefully we go decently far. Of course I’d love to win, that’s the goal, and we’ll just keep going until our final game.”
Despite the loss, the Giants showed grit and determination throughout the entire season. They played extremely talented teams, traveled to Los Angeles for a preseason tournament and showed resilience when they didn’t come out on top.
The Marin Catholic Wildcats (No. 1) will face the Branson Bulls (No. 3) on Friday, Feb. 13, in our own Phil Roark Gymnasium.
