No. 1 Bulldogs comeback falls short in 23-20 loss at No. 6 Modesto

MODESTO – College of San Mateo's reign on top of the state rankings didn't last long.

For the second straight week, the state's No. 1 team was knocked off. Last week, it was defending state champion Riverside City College. This time, it was the Bulldogs falling at No. 6 Modesto Junior College by a final score of 23-20 on Saturday.

CSM fell behind early, trailing 10-0 after the first quarter and was down at one point 17-2 midway through the second.

Lolo Mataele ran in from four yards out for a touchdown at the 3:54 mark and Dieter Kelly connected for a season-long 50-yard field goal with 20 seconds remaining to send the Bulldogs into halftime facing a 23-12 deficit.

Mataele scored his second TD of the contest, breaking free for a 15-yarder with 6:52 to go in the third. Quarterback Conner Stoddard connected with Simon Mapa for the two-point conversion and the Bulldogs were down by just three points.

But CSM couldn't get anything going in the fourth. San Mateo was forced to punt, went out on downs, and fumbled on its final drive to close out the game.

Despite the loss, Mataele had solid game for CSM. He ran 26 times for 146 yards with a pair of TDs.

On defense, Nate Abbott produced a highlight play, blocking a second-quarter punt near the Modesto end zone that resulted in a safety. Malaki Teo and Nehamaiah Musika both had 6 tackles each to lead the Bulldogs.

CSM, now 2-1 overall, will look to bounce back next Saturday (Sep. 28) when the Bulldogs host American River College in a non-league game. Kick off is set for 1 p.m. at College Heights Stadium.