CCCAA FOOTBALL SEMIS SAT: CHABOT AT CCSF & LONG BEACH AT SADDLEBACK

CCCAA STATE FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS              FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE             

Contact: Fred Baer                        frdbaer@aol.com             mobile/txt: 650.483.3733

CCCAA FOOTBALL SEMIS SAT: CHABOT AT CCSF & LONG BEACH AT SADDLEBACK

Regional championship games on Saturday (Nov. 28) will determine the California Community College Athletic Association football finalists. State top-ranked City College of San Francisco (10-1) hosts No. 6 Chabot College (9-2) at 1 p.m. and No. 4 Saddleback College (9-2) entertains No. 2 Long Beach City College (10-1) at 6 p.m. The Northern California winner will host the 2015 state championship game on Dec. 12.

Six-time champ CCSF is the only former winner among the four remaining contenders. The Rams were runners-up to Mt. San Antonio last season and have finished second in eight of their 14 championship game appearances. None of the other remaining colleges have been in the finals. So at least one team will be making that breakthrough this year

The match-ups -- NORTHERN CALIFORNIA:

--Chabot (9-2), Valley League champion (5-0) at CCSF (10-1), Bay 6 League champion (5-0), George Rush Stadium, 1 p.m.:

(No. 1 offense vs. top defense)…

Chabot is the state's highest scoring National (state championship) Division team (No. 2 overall), averaging 49.2 points per game, including a 76-55 first round victory at seventh-ranked College of San Mateo last week. CCSF has allowed only 16.5 points per game (tops in the National Division & No. 2 overall by just .1) and defeated Butte, 30-13 last week. CCSF averages 35.8 on offense.

TOP PLAYERS: Chabot averages 491.3 yards per game (third overall in the state), led by quarterback Jose Ferreria, the Valley League offensive player of the year. The sophomore has thrown for 2,301 yards and 22 TDs, completing 70.9 per cent of his passes (158 of 223) and averaging 10.3 yards per attempt. He has also run for 453 yards and was the Gladiators' regular season leader. That changed in the playoff opener against San Mateo. Sophomore Ondre Rudolph rushed for 260 yards and four touchdowns to bring his season total to 679 yards. Alan Busey leads Chabot receivers with 45 catches for 996 yards (a 22.1 average) and 12 scores.

CCSF has the No. 8 offense at 464.5 yards per game and the No. 4 defense, giving up just 276.5. Chabot has allowed 382.5 yards per game.  

CCSF freshman quarterback Anthony Gordon, the Bay 6 offensive player of the year, ranks No. 2 among National Division players, throwing for 3,312 yards (301.1 average) and 31 touchdowns. He throws to all-conference sophomore Antoine Porter (56 for 977 yards, 9 TDs) and to freshman Eason Winston (52 for 884 and 10 scores). All-conference soph running back Elijah Dale has totaled 1019 yards (5.3 average) and scored 9 TDs.     

CCSF sophomore defensive end Rod Jones (6-2, 240) was the Bay 6 defensive player of the year.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

--Long Beach (10-1), Central League co-champions (5-1), at Saddleback (9-2), Central League champion (6-0), Mission Viejo, 6 p.m.

OFFENSE:  Long Beach averages 35.0 points 433.6 yards per game. Saddleback's figures are 32.3 and 427.3

Long Beach freshman receiver Mike Wilson, the MVP of the first round win over Cerritos with nine receptions for 197 yards, has set LBCC season records with 78 receptions for 16 TDs. The Central League offensive player of the year, Wilson's 1,240 yards are just 15 yards shy of the LBCC season record. Long Beach sophomore Darren Johnson was a first team All-Central League selection at running back and ranks fourth in the state in yards (1,153) and average per game (116.5), best among colleges in the playoffs. He averages 7.0 yards per carry. He also averages 140.6 all-purpose yards

Vikings frosh QB Jack Lowary is No. 4 in the state with 3,127 yards (238 of 437) and has 27 TD passes. Lowary ran two yards for the winning score (his first rushing TD of the season) with 34 seconds left in the 34-30 playoff win over Cerritos.

--Lowary succeeds 2014 LBCC signal caller Kenny Potter, now the starting QB for San Jose State.  

Saddleback quarterback Johnny Stanton ranks No. 10 with 2,767 yards (228 of 367, 62.1 per cent) and has 21 TDs. He threw for 440 yards in the 37-20 playoff opening win over Riverside. Stanton is also the top Gauchos rusher with 609 yards (4.2 avg.) and 12 scores. So his total offense is 3,387 yards and 33 touchdowns responsible for. 

Favorite receiver is sophomore Dominic Collins, with 58 catches for 1,007 yards (No. 10 in state) and ten TDs.

DEFENSE: Saddleback has the better defensive scoring average, 21.2 vs. 25.7 for the Vikings, but gives up 359.2 yards per game. Long Beach allows opponents only 315.5 yards per game but gives up 25.7 points. LBCC sophomore defensive end Mat Boesen was the Central League co-defensive player of the year. Saddleback's leading tackler is soph DB Zachary Wade, with 79. Sophomore DE Carlton LaFrance has 4.5 sacks and nine tackles for loss.

Current Win Streaks:

Saddleback (9-2), 9 games since September 12 loss at Riverside

Chabot (9-2), 7 games since September 26 loss at Feather River.

CCSF (10-1), 7 games since September 26 home loss to American River.

LBCC (10-1), 3 games since Oct. 31 loss at Riverside. 

Schedule for Saturday (Nov. 28):

Southern California Championship: Long Beach (10-1) at Saddleback (9-2), Mission Viejo, 6 p.m.

Northern California Championship:  Chabot (9-2) at CCSF (10-1), 1 p.m.

Winner hosts CCCAA state championship game, Dec. 12.

Remaining bowl game, Saturday (Nov. 28) -- Living Breath Foundation Bowl:

Contra Costa College (9-1) at Hartnell College (9-1), Rabobank Stadium, Salinas, 1 p.

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Recap of California Community College Athletic Association state football quarterfinals:

--Northern California:

   Bulldog Bowl (at College of San Mateo): Chabot (9-2) 76, San Mateo (7-4) 55

   San Francisco Community College Bowl (at City College of San Francisco): San Francisco (10-1) 30, Butte (6-5) 13

--Southern California:

   National Bowl (at Saddleback College, Mission Viejo): Saddleback (9-2) 37, Riverside (8-3) 20

   Southern California Bowl (at Cerritos College, Norwalk): Long Beach (10-1) 34, Cerritos (8-3) 30

American Division Regional Championship Games (no state finals):

   Northern California Football Conference American Division Championship Bowl (at West Hills College, Coalinga): Shasta (9-2) 51, West Hills (9-2) 14

   Southern California Football Association American Division Championship Bowl (at Santa Monica College): Santa Monica (11-0) 63, Victor Valley (9-2) 0