Mediaboss Marketing

The last time Tamalpais met Montgomery High School in the North Coast Section boys soccer playoffs, the championship was on the line. Although it will not be a title match, the rivalry will be just as intense when it is renewed Wednesday.

Tam, seeded 12th, and No. 5 seed Montgomery open the NCS playoffs Wednesday in Santa Rosa at 7 p.m. The two teams played to a 1-1 draw in the

season opener on December 1, but there will be a lot more at stake this time around.

Every game is going to be a championship game. Every game is a knockout game in the NCS playoffs, Tam head coach Spencer Stanton said. The best way to prepare is to stick to focusing on practice day to day and, on game day, making sure we execute the little things.

For Tam, this is a grand return to the playoff bracket after a disastrous 2015-16 winter season in which the team finished 4-6-3 overall and failed to qualify for the postseason.

The Red-tailed Hawks shook that off by the start of the 2016-17 winter season, as they bolted out to a 4-1 start in the Marin County Athletic League.

We have a group of guys who bought in and are willing to do what takes to get the job done, Stanton said. Thats evidenced by the fact that have we have a ton of different guys all scoring goals. We have a full squad committed and willing to play their roles.

The surprising Red-tailed Hawks (11-5-3 overall) not only earned a berth in the MCAL playoffs, but clawed their way into the final. Tam defeated Terra Linda 3-0 in the MCAL championship game on Saturday, Feb. 11.

The victory gave Tam a measure of revenge after a 2-1 loss in the regular season to the Trojans that left the Hawks feeling ill. Of course, both schools were fighting off a flu epidemic at the time.

Ryan Leake scored in the 22nd minute of the title game to give Tam a 1-0 lead. He was on his way to another shot on goal when a Terra Linda defender took him down from behind, resulting in a red card that left the Trojans a man down for the rest of

Owen Schwartz gave the Hawks a little breathing room with a goal in the final 10 minutes, and Leake added a second goal for the final tally.

The title game was good, Stanton said. We saw a really strong performance from Terra Linda and from us. We were prepared. Luckily for us, we executed. Thats what it comes down to is which team executes better.

That could be a fine line between rivals Tam and Montgomery.

Tam made a brief appearance in the 2014 Fall season NCS playoffs, but was ousted by Santa Rosa in the first round. The Hawks won back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013. Montgomery won the 2010 title and beat Tam in the 2011 finale.

All the guys who are juniors and seniors now are leading the team and thats a unique experience for them, Stanton said.

Read more here:
Tam boys claim MCAL crown, prepare for NCS rivalry rematch with ... - Marinscope Community Newspapers