With the clock winding down in the fourth quarter of the Marin County Athletic League (MCAL) championship game, head coach Jay Demaestri wanted to make one final statement. He called an alley-oop for senior Semetri “TT” Carr, who looped around a double-screen before emphatically slamming the ball into the net. Ahead of the Branson Bulls 65-51 at the time, the dunk had no effect on the game’s outcome, but it signified something much larger for the Giants. 

After losing in consecutive title games to the Bulls, Redwood finally got their revenge, taking down the team that had terrorized them for years. To make things sweeter, they did so on the back of Branson’s former star. Carr, who transferred from the crosstown rival this summer, led all scorers with 29 points en route to a 67-54 victory. 

But it wasn’t the former Bull who got things going for the Giants; it was their 6 foot 7 center. Senior Simon Leonard opened the game by finishing at the rim on back-to-back possessions before converting an and-one just minutes later. He ended the night with 11 points, but his impact went well beyond his scoring output. Leonard blocked four shots, grabbed a plethora of rebounds and dished out multiple crucial assists. Both Leonard and Carr ended with a double-double. 

While they didn’t match their mark of 12 threes from Wednesday night, Redwood’s success from beyond the arc persisted in the title game. Senior Brennan Woodley nailed three triples, Carr had two and seniors Zach Dinowitz and Noah Tanaka each made one. 

However, their attack was well-balanced, as they also dominated the Bulls inside the paint. They grabbed nine offensive rebounds as a team, with seniors Mason Garbo and Dinowitz leading the charge. 

Behind Leonard’s strong start, the Giants took an early lead, ending the first quarter ahead 19-11 after a buzzer-beater by Carr. Yet, the Bulls began attacking the rim efficiently in the second quarter, making multiple layups and taking a 24-22 lead. Branson sophomore NJ Gray had no problem weaving through Redwood’s defense, and junior Chase Robertson’s height allowed him to finish over defenders with ease. Consecutive threes by Woodley and Tanaka brought the momentum back towards Redwood, and they went into the half leading 30-25. 

Leonard’s versatility was on full display to start the second half, hauling in an offensive rebound and assisting a teammate on each of the first two possessions of the quarter. Then came Carr’s dominance, who scored 21 of Redwood’s last 32 points. It was Woodley who threw the knockout punch, responding with a layup and nailing a second chance three to put Redwood ahead 63-49. Demaestri soon called for the lob to Carr, sending Redwood’s student section into a frenzy and Branson’s into despair as they watched their former star send them home. 

For the first time since 2021, the Giants will wave the MCAL banner, but more work lies ahead. Redwood received the second seed in the North Coast Section playoffs, and is set to face Montgomery at home on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m.