The football team at College of San Mateo will convene on campus Saturday morning at 7:30 a.m., eat breakfast, then promptly embark on a two-hour bus ride.
The destination is Hughes Stadium at Sacramento City College, where CSM (11-1) will meet Fullerton College (12-0) in the California Community College Athletic Association championship game at 1 p.m.
“The kids know, there’s no speech that needs to be made,” said CSM coach Larry Owens, in his 21st season at the helm. “They understand that they’re playing for a state championship. I know the kids are ready, I know they’re excited to play in the big stage where there’s only game that everybody’s looking at that — and that’s this Saturday.”
The Bulldogs hosted the state final in 2009, but came up excruciatingly short in the only previous chance to reach the mountain top.
“The kids that year I’m sure a lot of them still have their (NorCal) championship rings,” Owens said. “Unfortunately they lost the state game 7-6 in a horrible, horrible rainstorm there that day. But I told the kids you’ll remember this for the rest of your lives because very few people can ever say that they have a chance to play for a state championship and maybe a national championship when it’s all said and done.
“There’s a lot of teams that would love to be in this situation that aren’t, so we have to take full advantage of it.”
As fate would have it Owens gets his first shot at the state title this time around.
He stepped down after the 2008 season, thereby turned into a spectator at College Heights Stadium only 12 months later.
Owens eventually rejoined the staff and last year reclaimed the reins. But his second stint as head coach will end Saturday after announcing plans to retire at the end of this season, which inevitably will take place Saturday.
“It’s not about me right, that’s how I feel,” Owens said. “It’s all about the kids. I mean, that’s what we do it for. It’s not about me going out, it’s about us having a chance as a school, the kids, to win a state championship. That’s the whole focus.”
Three weeks ago, CSM wide receiver Rajae Johnson quantified the playoff push as a mandate.
“We have a point to prove,” he said. “We want him to get a ring, we’re trying to get a ring.”
But that’s not how Owens views it.
“I never got into coaching for wins and losses,” Owens said. “I never got into coaching for championships, or this and that. The wins for me are seeing the kids that go through our program and they’ve grown from boys to men. And also I see them with their families later on, I see them being successful in life, doing the right things, taking care of their families and giving back.
“I’ve been fortunate to be here for a long time, and when you see kids like that, that’s a win for me.”
• If Owens is to go out on top, CSM must dethrone Fullerton.
“They’re state champions from last year and they’re undefeated this year,” Owens said. “They’re a great team and we have our work cut out for us. That’s what I explained to the kids.”
• This is a matchup between the top offense in SoCal, with Fullerton at 57.4 ppg, and the No. 1 offense in NorCal with CSM at 43.3 ppg.
It’s also the No. 2 defense in the state at CSM (16.9 ppg) while Fullerton ranks No. 1 in SoCal at 17.5 ppg.
• CSM running back Cameron Taylor is tied for No. 5 in the state with 17 rushing TDs, which is tied in the record books with two-time Super Bowl champion Julian Edelman (2005). He’s 55 yards shy of 1,000 and with a pair of touchdowns can match the single-season program record.
• CSM’s offensive line features Menlo-Atherton’s Api Mane (6-2, 320), Sequoia’s Ed Tatola (6-3, 310), and Palo Alto’s Mikey Grandy (6-5, 305).
• CSM on defense is led by Cal commit Colt Doughty (6-3, 240), a linebacker out of Los Gatos, along with linebacker in Dorrzel Hicks (5-11, 200) and defensive back Jamarri Jackson (5-10, 175), who has six interceptions.
Win or lose, Owens will go out on top.
“We’ll get back home and unfortunately we have to put some of the equipment and stuff away, so we’ve still got work to do,” Owens said. “But at some point we’ll celebrate a great year, a great season. But not matter what happens, win or lose, it’s been a great year. These kids have done an excellent job. I just feel like no matter what happens, it’s been awesome.”
