Riverside City College and College of San Mateo punch tickets for rematch of state football championship

Bulldogs hold off ARC to defend state football title at Riverside

SAN MATEO - College of San Mateo will bring the offensive and defensive Bay 6 League players of the year into a state football playoff opener against century-old foe Modesto JC on Saturday (Nov. 25), with a 12:05 p.m. kickoff.

CSM coach Tim Tulloch, the repeating Bay 6 Coach of the Year, has his Northern California top-ranked Bulldogs (9-1) set to defend their state championship in a first round 12:05 p.m. game with the Valley League champion Pirates (7-3). San Mateo has already defeated the three other teams in the NorCal bracket this season, including 37-20 at Modesto in September (to retain the annual Jum Morris Trophy). CSM leads the series, 31-21-3.

San Mateo freshman quarterback Anthony Grigsby was selected Bay 6 offensive player of the year. The 5-11, 188-pound freshman has a season collegiate efficiency rating of 179.0, to lead the north's National (state championship) Division. His rating for Bay 6 League games was a phenomenal 246.7. Grigsby also has region-leading marks of 2,660 passing yards and 26 touchdowns, despite being needed to play only in the first half during most league games.

CSM cornerback Ja'ir Smith received Bay 6 defensive player of the year honors. He had three pass interceptions and six pass breakups. The Bulldogs defense limited foes to 243.8 yards per game (just 74.6 rushing).

The Bulldogs dominated league and specialist honors.

Unanimous selections on offense included freshman lineman (tackle) David Fononga (6-2, 295) out of Aragon High and running back Nate Sanchez (5-10, 200) from Serra High. CSM had three first team receivers: sophomores Terrence Loville (6-0, 187, Serra), and Jeremiah Patterson (5-10, 178, James Logan), plus freshman tight end Corey Le'aupepe (6-5, 240) from New Zealand.

In addition to Smith, San Mateo had unanimous defensive selections in lineman Soane Kolokihakaufisi (6-3, 285) out of San Mateo High and linebacker Alo Mata'u (5-11, 230, St. Francis). Additional first team picks on defense were soph lineman Max Dixson (6-0, 265, St. Francis), linebacker Fynn Williams (6-0, 220, Serra), and DB's Sione Laulea (6-4, 190, Serra), and Malini Ti'a (6-0, 205 Granada-Livermore). All are sophomores.

Recognized as the top specialists were soph placekicker Caleb Ojeda (Noral leader with 83 points), freshman punter Tashi Dorje (state leading 41.7 average -- although CSM did not punt enough to officially qualify), and frosh returner Anthony Freeman (who averaged 110.3 all-purpose yards per game). The De Anza (Richmond) product also had seven TD catches.

--Sanchez led CSM rushers with a 59.4 yards per game average, scoring six touchdowns, also averaging 83.0 all-purpose yards.

Patterson co-led the Bay 6 with nine touchdown catches and was second in the league in both pass receptions (47 for 656 yards) and in all-purpose running (101.5 yard average). Loville averaged 61.9 yards per game (on 30 receptions) and scored six TDs.

San Mateo is the highest scoring National Division team in Northern California (No 2 in the state), tallying 46.9 points per game, while playing one of the toughest schedules. The Bulldogs offense averages 454.4 yards per game.

--Saturday's foes have two of the oldest JC programs in the country. Modesto JC started football in 1921 and San Mateo JC in 2022. They have played each other 55 times since their first meeting in 1925 – won by San Mateo, 18-0. They had played regularly in the old Big 8 Conference, through 1961, when separated by league realignments. They resumed non-league meetings in 2012.

--Saturday's game will be live streamed by baosn.tv

CSM NO. 1 USA JC/CC FOOTBALL TEAM IN MASSEY RATINGS; IN BAY AREA: NO. 2 BEHIND CAL, AHEAD OF SJS & STANFORD: The highly respected Massey (computer) ratings have College of San Mateo as No. 1 among 128 two-year college teams and No. 73 overall among all 908 college teams in the USA (all levels). That ranking is led by No. 1 Ohio State and No 2 Georgia and includes No. 50 California, No. 58 Fresno St., No. 83 San Jose State, and No. 92 Stanford.

(Fred Baer, College of San Mateo Athletics)

Riverside City downs 45-26 on the road to advance to state championship

VENTURA - Another stellar season came to a familiar end for the Pirates football team as Ventura dropped a 45-26 decision to Riverside in the Southern California Football Association championship game Saturday at the VC Sportsplex. Quarterback Chris Irvin passed for 327 yards and a pair of touchdowns to Eli Aragon, who totaled 116 yards on 14 catches in the game. Meanwhile, the Pirates' running game was held in check by the Tigers, who ended VC's season for the third straight year and the for the fourth time since 2014.

The Pirates (8-4) answered an early RCC score with a 12-play, 75-yard scoring drive. Irvin completed his first six passes on the drive for 40 yards, including a 17-yard completion to Caleb Alvary on a 3rd-and-7 play. Ezekiel Savage II punctuated it with a 3-yard touchdown run. Ryan Pimentel's extra point was good and the game was tied 7-7 midway through the first quarter.

Riverside scored another touchdown in the opening period and kicked a field goal midway through the second for a 17-7 advantage. 

VC answered with a long drive to close the first half, marching 70 yards in 13 plays, finishing with a 20-yard Pimentel field goal in the final seconds of the period. Ventura trailed 17-10 at intermission.

An exciting third quarter began with a Riverside touchdown, but the Pirates quickly answered.

Aami Cargo's 19-yard kick return started an 11-play, 60-yard drive for VC with Jaylen Thompson running the ball five times for 27 yards. Irvin's pass to Aragon pushed Ventura to the RCC 10-yard line, but the drive stalled, resulting in Pimentel's successful 28-yard field goal.

After another RCC touchdown, the Pirates rose to the challenge once again. Irvin's 35-yard pass to Cody Hoffman on a 3rd-and-13 play set up Aragon's 5-yard reception from Irvin in the end zone and Pimentel's kick kept Ventura close, 31-20, late in the third.

The Pirate defense held fast on the ensuing possession, forcing a Riverside punt early in the final stanza, but the VC offense was forced into a punt six plays later.

RCC scored on their next drive, putting more pressure on the Pirates as the clock wound down. Irvin led the next drive to paydirt, however, keeping VC in the game. The signal caller completed four passes on four plays for 48 yards, including a 23-yard scoring strike to Aragon. the two-point conversion was unsuccessful, however, and VC trailed 38-26 with 4:56 remaining.

The Pirates onside kick was recovered by RCC and the Tigers scored on a 45-yard run on their first play to put the game away, 45-26.

Thompson finished the day with 57 yards on 17 carries and Lamonte James was limited to 22 yards on 10 carries. Hoffman had four catches for 61 yards and Drew Lopez totaled five catches for 48. Thompson also grabbed six pass receptions for 47 yards.

Defensively, Zane Carter led the way with 12 tackles, six unassisted, and Ben Hall recorded 11 stops. Anthony Albanez registered nine tackles on the day.

The loss ends the Pirates' 2023 season with a record of 8-4. Ventura shared the Northern Conference title, their fourth straight conference crown and ninth in the past 12 seasons. They won their playoff opener before falling to the Tigers in the 3C2A's State Final Four.

"(I am) proud of our team," said head coach Steve Mooshagian following the game. "They never quit, but in the end we lost to a very good football team."  

(Ventura College Athletics)