NORCAL 3-PEAT COMPLETE, CSM HOSTS MSAC SAT. FOR 2ND STATE CROWN
NORCAL 3-PEAT COMPLETE, CSM HOSTS MSAC SAT. FOR 2ND STATE CROWN
Team Stats
| Game Statistics | Modesto | San Mateo |
|---|---|---|
| Passing Yards | 328 | 164 |
| Rushing Yards | 47 | 173 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 1 |
| Time of Poss. | 25:22 | 34:34 |
San Mateo
| Game Statistics | Modesto | San Mateo |
|---|---|---|
| Passing Yards | 328 | 164 |
| Rushing Yards | 47 | 173 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 1 |
| Time of Poss. | 25:22 | 34:34 |
Modesto
| Game Statistics | Modesto | San Mateo |
|---|---|---|
| Passing Yards | 328 | 164 |
| Rushing Yards | 47 | 173 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 1 |
| Time of Poss. | 25:22 | 34:34 |
| Game Statistics | Modesto | San Mateo |
|---|---|---|
| Passing Yards | 328 | 164 |
| Rushing Yards | 47 | 173 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 1 |
| Time of Poss. | 25:22 | 34:34 |
SAN MATEO – Lolo Mataele rushed for 147 yards and three touchdowns to lead College of San Mateo to a third straight 3C2A state championship game with a 27-22 victory over century-old visiting rival Modesto JC in the Northern California Football Conference title game Saturday afternoon at College Heights Stadium.
--Coach Tim Tulloch's Bulldogs will host unbeaten Southern California champion Mt. San Antonio College (12-0) in the 3C2A state (and mythical national) title contest at College Heights Stadium, on Saturday (Dec. 14), with a 12:05 p.m. scheduled kickoff. The host Bulldogs were ranked No. 3 in the JC Athletic Bureau's final regular season state football coaches poll, behind No. 1 Mt. SAC and No. 2 Riverside, the 2023 state titlist. Mt. SAC needed a 48-yard field goal with 1:42 remaining in its SoCal title game with reigning champ Riverside to advance with a 37-35 victory. San Mateo now has a 22-game home winning streak at College Heights Stadium that includes the record 55-0 blowout win over Riverside in 2022.
The Bulldogs have one prior meeting with Mt. SAC in their century of football play. They suffered a 7-6 defeat from the Mounties in the rain soaked 2009 State title game – at College Heights. This will be the fourth 3C2A football championship game played at CSM.
San Mateo has now defeated every opponent on its 2024 schedule. Modesto had given the Bulldogs their only setback, 23-20, in September.
It was CSM's state leading defense that made the difference against Modesto on Saturday, in front of a hefty crowd of 3,147 spectators.
Lineman John Gayer cemented the state season sack lead with a CSM game record equaling 4 ½ sacks – among total tackles. He leads all California CC players this year with 15 total sacks and 21 tackles for loss. DB Trevon Watson had six tackles and a key fourth quarter pass interception on the CSM 5-yard line to thwart a Pirates threat. Nehamaiah Musika had three sacks among his six tackles. The Bulldogs captured Modesto's star quarterback Luke Weaver ten times attempting to pass.
CSM needed Mateale's third TD (and San Mateo record 20th of the season), a 6-yard run with 11:07 left in the fourth quarter, for the winning margin over Modesto. The Pirates, down 27-16 with 3:27 left in the game, managed a 91-yard drive to score a touchdown on a 17-yard Luke Weaver to Malachi Butler pass with 1:39 remaining to account for the final margin. An onside kick attempt failed and CSM was able to run out the clock.
Mateale got San Mateo off well at the outset, spearheading a 46-yard drive and finishing it with an 11—yard scoring run. He accounted for the 14-7 halftime lead with a 3-yard run to end a 59-yard drive 5-and-a-half minutes before the break.
Kicker Dieter Kelly accounted for all other Bulldogs points, adding to his college kicking records. He had field goals of 48 and 38 yards and PATs on all three TDs, for nine points, to total 103 for the season. That betters the CSM record of 101 points by Caleb Ojeda, set last year, and paces all California CC placekickers. He extended the San Mateo season field goal total to 19, which had been 14 by Gabe Plascencia in 2021.
San Mateo now brings the state's top 1-2 scoring duo (splitting 223 points) into the title game.
Mataele is No. 1 overall with 120 points, from his CSM season record 20 TDs -- which breaks the mark of 19 scores by George Naufahu in 2013.
EDELMAN RECORD IN SIGHT: Bay 6 Offensive Player of the Year Mataele has rushed for 1,185 yards this season, just shy of 100 yards a game, while seeing only limited late action in most games. He is just 68 yards shy of the San Mateo season rushing record of 1,253 yards, set in 2005 by the Bulldogs future Super Bowl MVP Julian Edelman!
All Bay 6 quarterback Dominic Ingrassia has never lost since coming off the grayshirt list to take the Bulldogs helm the week after the Modesto setback in September (after which CSM season starting quarterbacks were sidelined). The freshman, out of San Marin High, had another outstanding day in his first meeting with the Pirates, completing 15 of 21 passes for 164 yards. He maintains an excellent 163.4 collegiate efficiency rating.
Helping set-up the scoring were Hassan Mahasin, with 6 pass receptions for 36 yards, and Simon Mana, with 60 yards on 4 catches.
CENTURY SERIES: San Mateo now has 31 wins and 22 losses in the series with Modesto, which started in 1925. There have been three tie games. This has been CSM's fifth consecutive double digit win season under Tulloch's helm, going 56-7.
State punting leader Tashi Dorie pinned the Pirates deep on each of his four kicks, which averaged 44.5 yards. His state season pacesetting average is 43.7.
Gayer's 15 season sacks betters the Bulldogs record of 12.5 by John Langridge in 1993, The Bay 6 defensive player of the year leads the state in sacks, sack yardage (113), tackles for loss (21) and total loss yardage (123)!
Modesto's Weaver, when he wasn't being sacked, had a fine offensive outing. He completed 24 of 38 passes for 328 yards and two touchdowns – but had a significant interception and a lost fumble. The latter was key in the final period. A Gayer sack knocked the ball loose. Ezra Funa recovered for the Bulldogs on the MJC 14-yard line. Three plays later Mataele was in the end zone with the clinching TD.