The Mariners were able to bring on the madness through the whole season, especially the playoffs. The 2025-26 season for the winter was wild, with intense matchups, bitter rivalries, and hard-working practices. There have been many great successes over the past few months, so let’s go over them in detail.
Boys Basketball
The boys’ varsity team, led by Coach Frank Knight, got the job done, with another MVAL championship league season of 14-0, and 23-6 for total games. Since the mid-season, the Mariners won the last 14 games, as they headed in to the playoffs strong.
For their first of two tournament games, the Mariners faced off against De La Salle. De La Salle kept Moreau on their toes, as they mostly had the lead, but the Mariner showed their worth by keeping things close. At the end of regulation, with the score 62-59 De La Salle, the Mariners had the ball in their hands, and as time expires, #4 junior Isaiah Clendinen takes up the last shot, and hits it from the corner, forcing a game-deciding overtime. With Open Division championships on the line, De La Salle pushes Moreau back, taking a crucial win by 3, 71-68. Clendinen was the lead scorer, with 32 points, while sophomore center Brendan Williams, #00, scooped up the team’s-high 11 rebounds.
Though their chances to the Open Division championship were lost, they still had a consolation chance for 5th place against Marin Catholic, a 24-5 team leading their league in Kentfield. Another tense battle ensued on the court, as it was a back-and-forth game. And though #12’s Khollin Ware ties it up at the end of the 3rd, Marin pulls away towards the end, winning by ten points, with a score of 82-72.
Off this loss, the Mariners had one last chance to get redemption against Franklin High School. During this first-round play-off for the state title, the Mariners kept things tight with the Wildcats, as both teams scored high, and traded short leads. Down 2 points by halftime, Moreau was able to lead the quarter and be up 4 by the 4th quarter. But, Franklin kept Moreau on their toes, as they sent it to overtime at 67 points apiece. The Wildcats clawed back on top, with a 10-2 scoring run, and never looked back.
And though the Mariners patched the gaps late in overtime, they walked off with a loss, 81-77, with their season now coming to its conclusion. Isaiah Clendinen, #4, Brenden Williams, #00, junior Kareem Jackson, #5, and freshman Isaiah Dotson, #11, all scored over 10 points, making up 66 of the 72 points that day.
Girls Basketball
The girls’ varsity team was also monstrous on the court this season, as they culminated to a 23 win and 8 loss season, with 14 wins from the league. After a close win against American to end the regular season, the Mariners would play all their first playoff game of the Division 2 North Coast Section Championshipsagainst the #15 seed Fortuna Huskies, and were able to cruise through since the 2nd quarter. Senior Mahlaysia Atkins, #11, balled out by scoring 33 points, as Moreau came out on top, 72-36.
The quarterfinals would have them take on the Marin Catholic Wildcats. It was a record-breaking night, as junior Ava Bowens, #15, was able to get 17 points, with 5/5 from the 3-point arc. Senior Elisa Ortega also scored a sweet 16 points, as she surpassed 1,000 career points. Up by 15 at the half, the Mariners were able to hold of Marin Catholic at 48 points by the end, with them scoring 74.
However, for the Justin-Siena Braves, the game stayed constantly close. And though by the end of the second quarter, the Mariners were up by 5, 28-23, the Braves were able to close the lead, and come out on top towards the end, with a final score of 47-45.
Though this loss was heart-breaking for the Mariners, they took revenge for the 3rd-place game at home against the Lick-Wilmerding Tigers. #22, senior Kaliya Kirkwood led the team’s points, with 26, as well as rebounds, with 13, while junior Abigail Wong (#20), Ortega (#0), and Atkins gave a total of 8 team assists. By getting the win, with a score of 68-60, the Mariners secured 3rd place, and some motivation for the CIF State Girls Championship.
As the 13-seed, playing against them in the first round was 4-seed Oakland Tech. The Mariners got off to a hot start, ending the first quarter up by 11, with the score 18-7. Though the 3rd Quarter didn’t go too well for them, they were able to rally it back late in the 4th, closing the deficit to 7. Unfortunately, it was too little, too late, as Oakland Tech pulled away with a 15-point win, at 67-52, as the last buzzer sounded for the Mariners. #0, Elisa Ortega, and #11, Mahlaysia Atkins, led scoring with 16 points and 15 points respectively.
Though each of the roads to the championship weren’t the way we expected, these Mariners have put all their hard effort on the courts, and never left without giving their all. The Mariners getting into the tournaments in the first place was an award worth celebrating in itself. And though for the seniors this was their last dance, they proved their worth at the end, by carrying on a legacy that will be remembered throughout the Mariner community.
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