With Goff gone, Marin Catholic stays on top with scrambling quarterback

Marin Catholic High School quarterback Darius-James Peterson has had the difficult task of following a living legend.

Yes, even at 21, Jared Goff, the former Marin Catholic star and future NFL quarterback, commands that kind of praise.

Goff has enjoyed a record-setting career at nearby Cal, leading the Bears back to relevancy in the Pacific-12 Conference. Cal is 7-5 and going to a bowl game two years after going 1-11.

Call it The Goff Effect, because in his final year at Marin Catholic, the 6-foot-4 pro prospect guided Marin Catholic to a CIF State Division III Bowl appearance. The Wildcats were outgunned by Madison 38-35, but Goff helped set the level of expectation at the small parochial power.

Three years later, Peterson is crafting his own legacy, stepping out of his predecessor’s long shadow with a daring sprint.

The dual-threat quarterback is a two-time Marin County Athletic League MVP and has the Wildcats on the cusp of another state bowl appearance.

To punch its ticket in the CIF Open Small School state bowl, Marin Catholic will have to upset a three-time defending state champion. The Wildcats (12-1) come to Modesto on Saturday to face Central Catholic (14-0), the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III champion and The Modesto Bee’s top-ranked large-school team.

The Raiders defeated Oakdale 21-7 to capture its fourth consecutive section championship and 19th overall. Central Catholic won three straight Division IV state bowls before the CIF changed to its current format.

Marin Catholic coach Mazi Moayed knows this about the Raiders: They will be the best team the Wildcats have faced all season. Better than Moreau Catholic, which Marin Catholic rallied to beat in a North Coast Section Division IV semifinal. Better than Cardinal Newman, which Marin Catholic ran away from in the section final.

(Cardinal Newman also lost to St. Mary’s, which lost to Central Catholic one week later, 36-22, in their annual Holy Bowl rivalry.)

“No doubt,” Moayed said when asked if Central Catholic would be his toughest challenge yet, “but most of the teams they’ve played have been running teams. We’re a little more balanced.”

Peterson, a 5-foot-8, 180-pound senior, provides that balance.

After facing speedy Wing-T offenses the last two weeks, Central Catholic’s lock-down defense – the Raiders have allowed just 21 points in four postseason games – will face a spread offense with a split personality.

Marin Catholic tailors its play calling to the defense, so Moayed said it can’t be defined as run- or pass-heavy.

If a team is susceptible to the pass, Peterson can target three tall wideouts in Reese Osborn, Peter Armusewics and Jack Hogeboom, each 6-foot-2 or taller. A fourth, 5-foot-9 Will Buckstaff, is being recruited by several small colleges.

Armusewics had seven catches for a game-high 92 yards and three touchdowns against Cardinal Newman. Armusewics and Buckstaff had scoring grabs against Moreau Catholic.

If a team struggles against the run, Marin Catholic has options there, too. Moayed has featured a different running back the last two weeks. Nathan Gernhard had 12 carries against Moreau Catholic, and Jake Laudenslager had 106 yards on seven carries in the NCS final.

“We’ll go with what gives us the best chance,” Moayed said. “At times, we throw the ball seven, eight and nine times in a row. Sometimes, we’ll run it that many times.”

Peterson, a Cal-Hi Sports all-state Small-School Multipurpose selection last season, is the common denominator. In his last two games, he is 19 for 29 for 298 yards and five touchdowns with just one interception.

If Goff’s arm put Marin Catholic on the map, Peterson’s escapability and breakaway speed have helped chart a new course. Moayed said Peterson possesses “legit” 4.5 speed in the 40-yard dash. As a junior, he rushed for more than 1,000 yards.

Central Catholic had issues with a running quarterback last week. Oakdale senior Adam Olsen converted three first downs with his legs and was stopped 2 feet short on a fourth and six late in the fourth quarter.

“He didn’t go down easy, that’s for one thing,” Raiders middle linebacker Kekupa’a Freehauf said. “He breaks arm tackles, so you can’t arm-tackle him. You have to put a body on him, and when you do, you better make sure you have backup. He made it more difficult on us than anybody has this year.”

Now it’s Peterson’s turn.

He had 108 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries against Cardinal Newman, including a 32-yard sprint as the Wildcats raced to a 28-7 first-half lead. He also had a 66-yard touchdown run against Moreau Catholic.

“They’re totally different players,” said Moayed, who has another quarterback playing in the Pacific-12: Morgan Mahalak, a redshirt freshman at Oregon. “Jared was more of a pocket passer. Jared could run in high school, but he really wasn’t the dual threat that Darius is. He was a great passer, obviously. He could run just enough in high school to move the chains and keep you honest.

“Darius can hit a home run with his feet.”

This story was originally published December 8, 2015 at 4:05 PM with the headline "With Goff gone, Marin Catholic stays on top with scrambling quarterback."