Goal line stop on two-point conversion attempt keeps No. 1 College of San Mateo unbeaten; Football scoreboard here

CCCAA Football: Scoreboard l Standings

SAN MATEO - It took a dramatic 2-point conversion stop with 20 seconds remaining but top-ranked College of San Mateo held off similarly unbeaten American River College's last minute comeback for a 24-23 victory Saturday afternoon at College Heights Stadium

New linebacker Alo Mata'u, appearing in his first game, made the tackle that stopped ARC running back Joshua Moore from scoring the winning conversion run from the one -- after the Bulldogs were called for pass interference in the end zone on the first conversion attempt.

San Mateo never trailed in the game, completing its opening drive with a 1-yard scoring run by Nate Sanchez. The Bulldogs led, 24-10, with 3:18 remaining on a 16-yard TD pass from Anthony Grigsby to Anthony Freeman – but ARC was not yet done.

The Beavers took advantage of a San Mateo celebration penalty to get field position at their own 42. It took quarterback Kenneth Lueth only three plays to reach the end zone, on a 23-yard scoring pass to Robert Freeman IV. And the gap was only 24-17 with 2:20 left.

The Beavers held CSM to a rare 3-and-out and got the ball back after a punt with no timeouts left on their own 18 with 1:17 left in the game.

Lueth completed five straight passes to reach the CSM four with 29 seconds remaining. After the first incompletion of the drive, he hit Robert Freeman in the end zone to make it 24-23. San Mateo recovered the ensuing onside kick on the ARC 45 and a kneel down ended it.   

The Bulldogs, ranked No. 1 by California Community College football coaches and No. 1 in the nation in the Massey Computer Ratings, now have a USA JC/CC leading 10-game winning streak. No. 5 in the state American River fell to 3-1 – its last previous loss was to San Mateo in the 2022 state playoffs.

National Division passing leader Grigsby completed 19 of 32 passes for 252 yards and two scores, his first tally going 1 yards to Fidel Pitts of a 17-3 lead in the third quarter. Grigsby is averaging 327 yards a game, with a 168.3 collegiate efficiency rating, and has ten TD passes.  

Caleb Ojeda kicked a 39-yard field goal and now has tallied 33 points, to lead all NorCal kick scorers.

San Mateo kept the Beavers out of the end zone for three quarters, limiting them to just 142 net yards (80 passing) and a field goal. ARC added 140 yards (all passing) in the final three minutes. CSM held American River rushers to just 71 net yards.

"We were dominant on defense for three quarters and 12 minutes of the fourth," said San Mateo coach Tim Tulloch. He also praised receiver Jeremiah Patterson, who caught seven passes for 94 yards. Patterson leads the Bulldogs with 22 receptions for the season.  

Nico Caruso had a pair of sacks and six tackles for San Mateo. Mata'u, Terence Loville, and Ja'ir Smith also had six tackles apiece.

Anthony Freeman led CSM rushers in the game with 48 yards. He continues to pace the state's National Division players with a 31.0 yard average on kickoff returns and 28.3 on punt returns. Including rushing and receiving, he leads the Bay 6 League in all-purpose running with 138.0 yards per game.

(Fred Baer, College of San Mateo Athletics)

CCCAA FOOTBALL SCOREBOARD
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA FOOTBALL CONFERENCE
NATIONAL DIVISION
Butte 28, Modesto 17
Contra Costa 35, Laney 31
Reedley 37, Diablo Valley 20
Sacramento 22, Feather River 13
San Francisco 45, Fresno 24
San Mateo 24, American River 23
Santa Rosa 31, Chabot 0
Sequoias 41, Shasta 37 (OT)
Sierra 21, San Joaquin Delta 10

AMERICAL DIVISION – PACIFIC LEAGUE
Yuba 55, Siskiyous 21

AMERICAN DIVISION NON-LEAGUE GAMES  
Foothill 64, Cabrillo 0
Hartnell 28, De Anza 24
Redwoods 24, Monterey Peninsula 10
San Jose 38, Los Medanos 20

Byes: Gavilan, Merced, West Hills 

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION
NATIONAL DIVISION – NORTHERN LEAGUE
Bakersfield 22, Antelope Valley 19
Canyons 24, Santa Barbara 14
El Camino 65, Moorpark 29
Ventura 32, Allan Hancock 28

NATIONAL DIVISION – CENTRAL LEAGUE
Cerritos 36, Orange Coast 15
Golden West 28, East Los Angeles 19
Long Beach 42, San Bernardino Valley 12
Mt. San Antonio 42, Citrus 21

NATIONAL DIVISION – SOUTHERN LEAGUE
Fullerton 44, Mt. San Jacinto 20
Riverside 45, Palomar 44
San Diego Mesa 45, Grossmont 3
Saddleback 53, Southwestern 3

AMERICAN DIVISION NON-LEAGUE GAMES   
Chaffey 62, Los Angeles Southwest 28
Desert 50, Los Angeles Pierce 28
Glendale 42, Compton 0
Los Angeles Valley 23, West Los Angeles 17
Pasadena 43, Victor Valley 14
Santa Ana 49, Santa Monica 3