Mt. San Antonio and College of San Mateo meet for 3C2A Football Championship; Last met for title in 2009

SAN MATEO - State (and mythical national) community college football titles will be at stake Saturday afternoon (Dec. 14) when College of San Mateo hosts unbeaten Mt. San Antonio College (12-0) in the 3C2A championship game at College Heights Stadium. The teams will be meeting for the state title for the first time since 2009 when Mt. SAC squeaked out a 7-6 win in a rain-driven matchup. Rain is also predicted for this Saturday.

Although CSM (11-1) will be playing in the title game for a third straight season, as 3-peating Northern California Football Conference champion, the Bulldogs have won only one previous official 3C2A gridiron crown in their 103-year history. That came in 2022, over Riverside City College – by a record 55-0 score. It is part of San Mateo’s current 22-game home field winning streak.

Riverside took the 2023 state title over a visiting San Mateo team, 24-21, with a game-concluding field goal; also in 2019 – in a title game with the Bulldogs played on the Mt. SAC campus. The Tigers, however, were denied a fourth straight finals appearance when Mt. SAC won last week’s Southern California Football Association title, 37-35, on a late 48-yard field goal…..

Mt. San Antonio won the only previous game with San Mateo. The Bulldogs hosted the 2009 state finals on a rainy day -- and lost to the Mounties, 7-6. Mt. SAC has taken four official state crowns -- in 1997, 2009, 2010, and 2014. San Mateo is officially 1-3 in 3C2A title games, plus a finals game in 2017 that was vacated by Fullerton. Riverside defeated CSM in 2019 and 2023.

LIVESTREAM: There will be a full livestream of Saturday’s game by BAOSN.tv, which produces events at an ESPN+ level.  Also available on Samsung Smart TV, tablet, and phone.  Direct online link: https:/baosn.tv. The game is being made available to watch for free by RYZ Network.

RANKINGS: The JC Athletic Bureau’s final 2024 regular season coaches poll has Mt. SAC No.1, followed by Riverside and NorCal pacesetter San Mateo. The respected Massey computer ratings, this week, have CSM No. 1, ahead of Mt. SAC. Riverside is No. 3, followed by Modesto and Butte. (Next, in order, are Fresno, American River, Golden West, Sierra, San Diego Mesa, and Ventura). Those teams, also, rank in that order nationally, according to Massey -- ahead of fall 53 National JC Athletic Association teams. Saturday’s winner, therefore, can expect to top the final Massey ratings.

COACHES: Mt. SAC coach Bob Jastrab has a record of 179-44, including three state titles, since 2005. He is considered the first Calif. CC coach to reach 100 wins in his first ten seasons.

CSM coach Tim Tulloch is 64-10 in six seasons at the Bulldogs helm, with now five consecutive double digit win campaigns (totaling 56 wins and 7 losses, 88.9 percent). He is 44-6 over 4 years in the current decade (since the COVID-19 interruption in 2020).

MATCH-UPS
RUSHING: The state’s top two National Division rushers will lead their teams into battle. All Central League running back Devin Miles of Mt. SAC leads the state’s division with 1,287 yards / 114.1 avg. and has scored 15 touchdowns.

San Mateo’s Lolo Mataele, the All-Bay 6 League offensive player of the year, leads the entire state with 20 rushing touchdowns and 120 points. He is second in National Division  rushing yards with 1,185 – which is just 68 yards shy of the CSM record of 1,253, set in 2005 by the Bulldogs future Super Bowl MVP Julian Edelman.

TEAMS: Mt. SAC scores 43.5 points per game (No. 3 overall in the state), rushing for 297.7 yards and passing for 220.0, a total average of 417.7. San Mateo scores at a 34.1 pace, rushing for 170.4 yards and passing for 180.8, a total of 351.2.

On defense, the Mounties allow18.0 points per game, 82.2 yards rushing and 218.9 yards passing, 301.1 total average yards. The Bulldogs lead the entire state, defensively, in fewest points allowed, 12.3 average. They give up 80.3 yards on the ground and 159.8 through the air, 240.0 total average.

PASSING: Mt. SAC’s leading quarterback is Noah Fuailetolo, who has completed 112 of 182 passes (61.5 percent) for 1,415 yards and 15 TDs, with just 5 interceptions and a 143.9 collegiate efficiency rating.

San Mateo’s All-Bay 6 signal caller Dominic Ingrassia started the season as a grayshirt but has taken the helm, due to injuries, to direct nine straight wins with a 163.4 rating. He has completed 98 of 159 passes (61.6 %) for 1,510 yards and 13 scores, with 4 interceptions.

De’shon Thompson is Mt. SAC’s All Central League receiver, with 45 catches for 607 yards and 6 scores. CSM has an All Bay 6 receiver in KB Boone-Nelson, with 735 yards on 36 receptions (20.4 yards per catch), and 6 TDs.

KICKING: San Mateo placekicker Dieter Kelly leads the state in kick scoring points (103) and has 19 field goals, including a long of 52 yards. All are program records. Mt. SAC’s Jacob Bonilla has kicked 13 field goals and tallied 70 points, while teammate Matthew Fidone has three field goals, including the 48-yard winner against Riverside last week. The pair have kicked for 94 total points.

CSM punter Tashi Dore leads the state with a 43.7 average and has a long of 66 yards. Nicolas Garcia averages 37.5 yards for Mt. SAC, with a long of 67.

RETURNS: Mt. SAC’s Adrion Boyd is the All-Central League kick returner. He averages 43.6 yards and has scored 2 TDs. San Mateo’s Hassan Mahasin leads the Bay 6 in KO return yards (33.0), averages 9.2 on punt returns, and has caught 36 passes for 318 yards (8.8 average), scoring in all three categories (5 TDs).

DEFENSE: The Mt. SAC defense is led by All-Central selections DL Darien Jackson (27 tackles, 5 sacks), linebackers Teyondre Coleman (40 tackles and 2 interceptions) and Kalim Mikhail (50 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss), plus CB Brayden Hapner (26 tackles, 2 interceptions).

CSM has the Bay 6 League defensive player roof the year in DL John Gayer, who leads the state with 15 sacks and 21 tackles for loss. The Bulldogs also have all-league selections in DL Ezra Funa (12 tackles for loss and 50 total tackles), LB Te’o Malaki (43 tackles), and DB Kalen Woods (3 interceptions and 38 tackles).

(Fred Baer, CCCSIA)