Wildcats Keep Winning After a Strange Year for Sports

Wildcats+Keep+Winning+After+a+Strange+Year+for+Sports

Kate L. '24, Interviews by Kayla S. '24, Writer, Community and Athletics

Last year was undoubtedly a strange year. Because of Covid restrictions, sports that were expected to start in August were postponed until March, and even then, most seasons looked nothing like they had in the past. Now, almost two years after Covid first put the world on pause, MA sports are finally back in action. With new coaches and players, the Wildcats are back, and better than ever.

Just recently, Marin County dropped the limit on spectators at indoor sporting events, and now the entire MA community can come support our soccer and basketball teams. Continue reading to catch up on the teams’ successes and be sure to come cheer them on!

Men’s Soccer

Whether you watch team members juggle the ball during lunch, track their season records, or saw Ethan C. ’22’s epic soccer freestyle senior speech, everybody knows that the MA men’s soccer teams have skills. It comes as no surprise that the varsity team is undefeated in league play, and has an overall 6-2-2 record. When Ethan and freshman River J. were asked about recent standout games, they both fondly recalled their win against North Coast Section D1 school De La Salle from Concord. Aiden A. ’22 thinks the team is facing some ups and downs, but is currently in good form. Since more than half of the team is underclassmen, he enjoys seeing them “stepping up and taking responsibility, on and off the field.”

The boys JV soccer team is also off to a strong start this year. With a perfect league record and a 9-3 overall record, this team has a solid shot at winning league. Recently, the team earned a win vs Lick-Wilmerding. The team was trailing 0-1 with 20 minutes left in the second half, but ended up taking the win after scoring a penalty and a last-minute tap-in. Devon G. ’24, the JV player who scored the goal from the penalty, states that the JV team “is a fun environment for everyone. Everyone enjoys themselves and are very close despite new faces.

Ethen C. ’22, Photo: Max U. ‘22.
Women’s Soccer

Just like the men’s soccer teams, women’s varsity soccer is also undefeated in league play and boasts an 8-2-1 overall record. The team is striving to win league for the fourth consecutive year.

Imogen J. ’24 attributes this to their “amazing captains, Becca and Ella, for making us our best and pushing us to work hard and get results.” She also acknowledges that the team culture is a huge part of their success. She says, “I always leave games with a renewed passion and love for soccer.”

Just like the other MA soccer teams, women’s JV soccer is taking home wins. The team is strong this year and has many players with years of club experience.

Men’s Basketball

With a solid 8-14 record, men’s varsity basketball is looking to make NCS. This is a huge step up from last year, and their program continues to improve with the support of their coach, Billy Boidock. Recently, they dominated in a game against Sacramento Adventist. They won by 21 pts (72-51), with senior Will Bennet scoring a total of 44 points.

Men’s Basketball, Photo: Max U. ’22.

The other men’s basketball teams have had major successes as well. The freshman team has an 13-3 record, one of the best ever for the team, and JV is doing well too.

Women’s Basketball

With six new players and a new head coach, a lot has changed for girls’ varsity basketball since the 2020-2021 season. And in this case, it seems like the change is for the better. The team has a 12-9 overall record that includes wins over some strong league teams like Convent and Urban. Bailey B. ’24 attributes the success to the team’s new coach, Kelly Thomas, “who is able to teach us strong defense and offense, which we use to be a successful team.” Noa F. ’24 believes some of this is due to the team’s three freshmen, who have made a large impact on both the offensive and defensive fronts.

Recently, the team won a major game against Convent. They went into it lacking a point guard, but Elsa S. ’22 stepped up to the role. According to Noa F. ’24, “she did a wonderful job and we ended up winning the game!” Both on and off the court, there is a positive team culture. Bailey notes, “We really just love to have fun and try our best in everything we do. We joke around a lot but get down to business when necessary.”

Women’s Varsity Basketball, Photo: Max U. ’22.

This year, MA also filled their first JV women’s basketball team in three years. Judging by the amount the team has grown over the course of the season, it is undoubtedly going to be exciting to watch the program improve even more over the course of the next few years.

Be sure to come out and support women’s basketball, especially as varsity heads into the NCS playoffs!