Success has come one after another for the Cardinal Newman football program over the last three-plus years. After an 8-0 start this season, the Cardinals have reached 35 wins and counting and have made three straight appearances in the North Coast Division championship game.

But one team remains a thorn in their side, a hurdle they have yet to overcome: Marin Catholic, the team that ended the Cardinals’ season in these three NCS title games.

The unbeaten Cardinals, now their division rivals, have a chance to change their fortunes this week against the Wildcats.

The two most successful and prominent programs in the North Bay will face off Saturday afternoon in Kentfield in a heavyweight clash that will not only give the Cardinals a chance to exorcise some postseason demons, but will also likely decide the Redwood Empire There will be war. Conference Adobe Section title.

Kickoff for The Press Democrat’s Game of the Week and arguably the most important game in the Bay Area this weekend is set for 2 p.m.

The Cardinals are ranked No. 3 in the NCS and No. 39 in the state in the CalHi Sports rankings. Marin Catholic (6-2), which has won six straight and is the defending CIF state 3-A champion, is ranked No. 6 in the NCS and No. 50 in the state by CalHi Sports.

The Cardinals and Wildcats have been part of some epic battles over the past 10 years, but MC has emerged as the winner of seven of eight meetings, all of which have taken place in the playoffs. The Cardinals’ only win was in the 2019 NCS Division 4 championship game; A 13-10 thriller was decided by a last-second field goal, ultimately leading the Cardinals to the state championship.

Since then they have all been Marin Catholics. The Wildcats have won the last three meetings by an average of 27 points; It’s a fact that the Cardinals haven’t lost either. But they say this season’s matchup feels different.

“We all know what happened in the past, and what happened in the past is in the past,” said senior defensive lineman Jesse Myers, a four-year varsity player. “We’re not the same team. We’ve got 16 seniors on this team. The leadership has definitely improved this year, we’ve got a lot of experience and we’re staying in this season, locked in on this game instead of looking back.”

“We’re looking forward and looking forward to it.”

Unlike previous years, the Cardinals will enter this game as favorites, but playing in enemy territory on Saturday won’t bring much of an advantage. The Wildcats aren’t as star-studded as they have been in recent years and will be without their top playmaker, such as San Jose State’s senior wide receiver Braiden Bachich-Dixon, who is sidelined with a broken collarbone.

But the Wildcats still face a big challenge and have several key players who could make a difference this weekend.

Quick turnaround Jared Geissberger, a standout sprinter in track and field, has been one of the team’s top offensive weapons since Bachich-Dixon’s injury. He scored a pair of goals in a 21-7 win over San Marin for the league’s opener.

Senior tight end/defensive end UC Davis commit Jordan Rogers and Yale-committed lineman Sam Connelly are another. Leading the offense is young point guard Caeden Afsharipour.

While the Wildcats aren’t as explosive on offense, their defense is just as scary as those in the NCS. Since getting into the win column with a 29-28 victory over Manteca, one of the top teams in the Sac-Joaquin Bracket, MC has won its last five games, including the last two against Adobe, by just 14 points and three shutouts. Vintage (20-0) and Rancho Cotate (30-0).

But as Myers said, the Cardinals feel more prepared than ever for this matchup, and it’s easy to see why.

Newman has been one of the most dominant teams in the NCS this year and has one of the most talented rosters in decades. Domination starts at the line; The defensive end is led by Myers, Jimmy McKenzie and Logan Rodriguez, all of whom have been impact college players the past three years.

Offensively, freshman quarterback Tino “LT” Retamoza continues to improve and is having the best game of his young career, throwing for 273 yards and three touchdowns in last week’s 31-3 victory over San Marin.

As a unit, the Cardinals are averaging more than 40 points per game and have won all of their games by at least 18 points, except for a 24-23 overtime thriller against Windsor.

“That’s the best we’ve done in this game in terms of talent, depth and our ability to play physical,” Cardinal Newman head coach Richard Sanchez said. “We haven’t been able to match them in the last three championships in a row because we’re still developing and growing and a lot of our players played in the first one as freshmen. This is important to them. They are excited and enthusiastic about this.

“I don’t think there was any fear factor that we could have dealt with before because we were younger. But now we are more mature than ever.”

Asked what Saturday’s win means, McKenzie said: “A win means a lot. Like the Windsor game, we haven’t beaten them for a number of years and I think there will be similar feelings in this game. … It’s going to take a lot of respect and if we come away with that W, that’s “It will be a tremendous feeling.”

Added senior runner Jamari Gentry: “We have nothing but love for this team. “It’s going to be a great challenge and I can’t wait to play.”

toReach Staff Writer Gus Morris at 707-304-9372 or [email protected]. @JustGusPD on X (Twitter).