Champion Riverside City tops final JC Athletic Bureau Poll; All-America teams release

JCAB Poll l All-America Teams

SAN MATEO – Riverside City College (13-0), with the national’s best community college football record in 2019, tops the final 2019 JC Athletic Bureau football poll after winning its first official California Community College Athletic Association football championship over formerly No. 1 College of San Mateo, 31-14, in the title game (Dec. 14) at Bakersfield College Memorial Stadium. Riverside was No. 2 in the final regular season poll.

By agreement with the California Community College Football Coaches Association, the two CCCAA finalists earn the final top two poll positions – in their order of finish. Southern California Football Association runner-up College of the Canyons (9-3) took the number three position with 179 points, just two ahead of Northern California Football Conference finalist Modesto JC (9-3).  Riverside defeated No. 12 Mt. San Antonio, 48-0, and Canyons, 58-53, to reach the title game. San Mateo blanked No. 7 Fresno, 21-0, and Modesto, 41-0. The CCCAA, which has the vast majority USA’s 2-year college football teams (68), crowns a “National” division champion and two regional “American” division champs. Latter winners were #14 Chaffey, 33-20, over #24 San Bernardino Valley (south) and #20 Reedley, 23-14, over #23 Foothill (north).

CCCAA TITLE GAME WRAP: Riverside took advantage of three first half miscues by San Mateo to take a 24-7 halftime lead and claim its first California Community College Athletic Association football championship, 31-14. Riverside quarterback Jacob Barlage completed 22 or 31 passes for 286 yards and a touchdown to earn game MVP honors. The Tigers won the battle of unbeaten teams that came in 12-0 and ranked No. 1 and 2 in the state and country. The Bulldogs had taken an early 7-0 lead on a 6-yard run by quarterback Luke Bottari to complete a 71-yard drive but could not maintain that early momentum. A CSM lost fumble, a bad hold on a field goal attempt, and a pass interception led to all the points Riverside needed in the second quarter.

After being limited to a first quarter field goal, the Tigers took the lead when Riverside’s Isaia PaoPao forced a Bulldogs fumble on their own 18, which was recovered by Zach Burrola. Riverside running back Thomas Kinslow ran the final 16 yards for a 10-7 advantage with 12:14 left in the second quarter. He was the game’s top rusher with 103 yards on 23 carries.

Riverside took over after the field goal miss on the bad hold, marching 80 yards to go up, 17-7, on Barlage’s 29-yard strike to Reggie Retzlaff with 6:18 left in the period. Those were the eventual winning points.

Riverside wide receiver Dylan Laurent was the offensive player of the game with seven receptions for 124 yards, including a long of 44 yards. The Bob Stangel defensive player of the game was Riverside linebacker Kobey Fitzgerald, with five tackles and a quarterback hurry. CSM’s standout was soph linebacker Akeal Lailand -- with a pacesetting ten tackles (eight solo), a forced fumble, and a key third quarter fumble recovery (in the RCC red zone) to keep the Bulldogs in the game. The game marked the first meeting of two of the state’s legendary football programs, Riverside in its 98th season and San Mateo in its 97th – both seeking an initial official state gridiron title.