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HAYWARD — Moreau Catholic’s Fresh Ison felt a cramp in his right leg and laughed quietly during his team’s post-game talk on the Mariners field Friday night.
Dealing with that cramp must have been made easier with the Mariners’ win – and with Ison’s huge part in that victory.
The junior rushed for a career-high 396 yards and four touchdowns, and also caught a 23-yard touchdown pass, in the Mariners’ 56-47 victory over San Marin in a North Coast Section Division IV semifinal game.
“That’s big for me, because you know, my brother rushed for 411 yards and I’ve been trying to get that ever since, and it’s just a blessing,” said Ison, referring to his brother Jullen’s performance in a NCS Division IV quarterfinal win on Moreau Catholic’s field in 2015. “My big guys up front, they do a lot for me, and I’m very thankful for them.”
“He’s a heck of a player. I had no idea it was that much,” said a surprised Moreau Catholic coach Rob Gatrell about the yardage total. “Credit to our o-line and everybody, getting the blocks, getting downfield.
“He’s patient. He understands the scheme. He understands the blocking, the assignments up front. He’s got great vision, and when he gets through, he’s hard to tackle, he keeps his balance,” said Gatrell about Ison.
Moreau Catholic (12-0), the No. 1 seed, now waits first to see who wins Saturday night’s other semifinal between host Del Norte and Fortuna. Then the Mariners will see if the other team votes to finish the section playoffs next weekend with no possibility of a bowl game, or have a coin flip with the winner moving to the CIF Northern California regional championships next weekend.
“We’re not going to let a coin flip determine what we are going to do. We want to play football,” said Gatrell. He said he didn’t know where the two teams that play in the other semifinal stand on the subject.
In Friday’s game, Moreau Catholic trailed both at halftime (28-26) and 35-33 early in the fourth quarter to fourth-seeded San Marin (8-4). But Ison had runs of 36, 60 and 59 yards in the fourth quarter to help lead the Mariners back. The 59-yard touchdown run gave Moreau Catholic a two-touchdown advantage with 2 minutes, 31 seconds left in the game.
“My mindset was, we had to put my team on my back and do what I do best and run the ball, make sure nobody loses focus, keep everybody into the game,” said Ison, who carried the ball 28 times. He had 101 yards in the first quarter and 165 at halftime. Ison scored on runs of 2-yards in the first quarter, 65 yards in the second quarter, 21 yards in the third quarter and 59 in the fourth quarter.
Perhaps his most impressive play was his 23-yard touchdown reception from Bowen Dickstein in the second quarter. Ison shed four tackle attempts on the play to score.
Teammate Lovelace Rufus had five receptions for 105 yards, and also scored on an 85-yard kickoff return in the second quarter. Russell Winston III reached the end zone on runs of one and three yards in the fourth quarter.
San Marin quarterback Matthew Sargent passed for 237 yards and three touchdowns, but he also threw three interceptions. Zak Cunningham paced San Marin in rushing with 135 yards, including a three-yard touchdown.
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