OAKLAND -- Lolo Mataele wasted no time taking care of business to ensure that playoff-bound College of San Mateo would finish an unbeaten Bay 6 League season Friday night at Laney College in Oakland with a resounding 52-7 victory.
The 6-0, 210-pound star running back scored the Bulldogs first three touchdowns to equal the state lead at the moment with 15 on the season. He totaled 131 yards on 17 carries, increasing his league-leading per game average to 94.3 yards (943 net yards) for the season -- while needing only limited duty on the evening.
"I liked what Lolo did," said CSM head coach Tim Tulloch. "I thought he established our physicality from the get-go."
Indeed! Mataele had yardage runs of 32, 18, and 6 (TD) on CSM's first drive to a make it 7-0 just over two minutes into the game. A pair of 1-yard scores made it 21-7 just after the first quarter mark.
On Laney's next possession, John Gayer recorded a first down sack to lead the state's national division with 10.5 on the season. That "set-up" Kalen Woods' interception of Eagles quarterback Dreyan Paul on the Laney 5-yard line. Ali Collier quickly ran the ball those remaining five yards to the end zone for a 28-7 lead that continued to the intermission.
Current San Mateo signal caller Dominic Ingrassia was dominant against Laney, completing 10-of-19 passes for 251 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
The former grayshirt, promoted after the Modesto game, has now led the Bulldogs to victories in all seven of his starts. Ingrassia had not been picked off since his first game and only surrendered once on Friday – on a "Hail Mary" toss on an extra play before halftime. He had run more than 20 yards for a first down and potential field goal try as time expired, but Laney was called for a penalty. The only way for the Bulldogs to get another play was to accept the 5-yard infraction and then loft a throw towards the end zone from the Laney 43. It was grabbed by Laney defender Gavin O'Leary just short of the goal line and, of course, counts as a theft on the stat sheet.
"That was just a situation throw," said Tulloch.
Ingrassia still improved his Bay 6 best collegiate efficiency rating to 164.8, with 11 TDs and a 60.8 completion percentage – vs. only three season interceptions.
"I though he did a really great job," said Tulloch.
Injury-plagued Laney finished 1-4 in league and 3-7 overall on retirement night for 2-decade head coach John Beam –- with a halftime video tribute and post-game honors on the field, which CSM team members also witnessed.
ANOTHER PERFECT B6 SEASON INTO PLAYOFFS: State No. 3 ranked San Mateo finished Bay 6 League play with a perfect 5-0 record (9-1 overall), three peating as champions. The reigning Northern California champion Bulldogs also cemented home field advantage for up-to-3 state playoff games, beginning Nov. 30. They currently have a 20-game home field winning streak, which includes the 2022 state title win over Riverside.
"We advanced," said Tulloch. "We checked all the boxes."
The expected post-Thanksgiving weekend opponent is NorCal League champion (and state No. 10 ranked) American River College (7-3 overall), while Valley League foes Fresno CC (8-2) and Modesto JC (7-2) clash in the other region semifinal. CSM met all three qualifiers in non-league play -- defeating ARC, 17-14, and Fresno, 14-7, at San Mateo -- and losing the only 2024 contest at Modesto, 23-20, while playing with an injured CSM quarterback.
SOCAL PAIRS: State No. 2 ranked Riverside (9-1) expects to open defense of its 2023 state crown in the SoCal semifinals against either No. 9 San Diego Mesa (8-2) or No. 4 Golden West (8-2), while unbeaten and top-ranked Mt. San Antonio (10-0) entertains No. 6 El Camino (7-3).
