Bulldogs win second state title in three seasons, rout Mt. SAC 43-11 for 2024 3C2A State Championship

SAN MATEO - With the state's stingiest defense setting the tone at the outset, College of San Mateo ran past unbeaten Mt. San Antonio College, 43-11, to win a second 3C2A state football championship in three years Saturday afternoon at College Heights Stadium.

CSM's 12-1 record is tied for the best among two-year schools in the country in 2024, and now has a 23-game home-field winning streak as well. That includes the record 55-0 victory over visiting Riverside City College in the 2022 3C2A championship game – and a 98-11 tally in the two title games held at San Mateo this decade. Mt. SAC's impressive final 2024 record is also 12-1.

Lolo Mataele ran for 166 yards and two touchdowns in an opportunistic fashion to set CSM records. He needed only 68 yards to become the Bulldogs' all-time season record-holder. He wound up with 1,351 yards (leading the state's National Division) and overall state-leading marks of 22 touchdowns and 132 points. The former CSM rushing mark was 1,253 in 2005 by future Super Bowl MVP Julian Edelman. "I don't care about the records," said Mataele, I'm just going to enjoy this moment. The defense, however, put us in really good position today."

Indeed, it did. San Mateo established early control at 14-0, off turnovers on Mt. SAC's first two series of downs – and never trailed. Kalen Woods picked off Mounties quarterback Noah Fuailetolo on the third play of the game, returning the ball 20 yards to the Mt. SAC 24. A couple of Mataele runs and a 12-yard Dom Ingrassia to Simon Mapa pass completion put the ball on the one -- from which Mataele ran it in.

Mt. SAC fumbled the ball right back to the Bulldogs on the second ensuing play, with edge Odera Okaka recovering on the Mounties' 6-yard line. An Ingrassia to Mapa pass put the Bulldogs on the 1-yard line, from which the frosh signal-caller carried the final yard for the TD.

Although CSM was stymied on its first long drive (that extended into the second quarter), state punting leader Tashi Dorje pinned the Mounties on the 3-yard line for their first possession of the second period.

A third-down sack by defensive player of the game Malaki Te'o forced Mt. SAC into punting position on their 1-yard line. The punt attempt, however, was fumbled and rolled out of the back of the end zone, resulting in a safety and a 16-0 San Mateo lead.

San Mateo, with the resulting possession, drove to the Mounties' 18-yard line, where state kick-scoring leader Dieter Kelly booted a 35-yard field goal for a 19-0 CSM advantage.

Samuel Green, Jr., returned the ensuing kickoff 34 yards to finally provide the Mt. SAC offense an opportunity on the Bulldogs 34. Fuailetolo's 18-yard pass to De'shon Thompson gave the Mounties their initial first down of the game on the CSM 16. A third-down sack by state leader John Gayer, assisted with his CSM teammate Nehamiah Musika, thwarted the TD opportunity. Matthew Fidone then put the Mounties on the board with a 39-yard field goal.

San Mateo held a 19-3 halftime lead with Mt. SAC netting zero yards of offense: 34 yards passing and minus 34 yards rushing, mainly from sacks. The Mounties finished the game with 65 total net yards, including minus-3 net yards rushing.

After the break, a pass interception by Te'o gave San Mateo an opportunity at the Mt. SAC 32. A face mask penalty and Mataele runs brought the ball to the 1, after which CSM center James Minot plunged in with the ball to keep the Bulldogs in control at 26-3.

Mt. SAC came back, however, with its only long drive of the game. Fuailetolo marched the Mounties 59 yards to the CSM 2-yard line and Samuel Green ran for the TD. A Fuailetolo pass to Nicolas Ceballos was good for the conversion, leaving only a 2-TD deficit at 26-11. (Fuailetolo completed 11 of 23 passes for 68 yards in the game.)

San Mateo responded with a 55-yard drive that Ingrassia capped with a 4-yard keeper for the 33-11 margin at the end of three quarters. CSM started the fourth period with a 37-yard TD run by Mataele and the advantage was 40-11 with 14:49 left to play.

The CSM defense again stopped the Mounties on a three-and-out and the Bulldogs offense took over to milk the clock. They ended the scoring with 4:01 left on a 32-yard field goal by Kelly that gave him the co-state season lead with 21 goals and the No. 2 overall spot on the state scoring list with 114 points (behind teammate Mataele).

San Mateo also slightly lowered its state-leading defensive point average to 12.2 per game.

"Our defense set the tone," said CSM head coach Tim Tulloch. "We play a different brand of defense here in San Mateo." San Mateo recorded six sacks, had three interceptions, recovered a fumble, and caused a safety.

For CSM edge Gayer, it was a second-overall championship win. After playing on the Bulldogs 2022 title team, he had an injury redshirt year in 2023, working (and learning the ropes) in the coaches' press box booth. He has now been recognized by conference and state coaches as the defensive player of the year in community college football this season. "He's phenomenal," said Tulloch. "He was awesome all year."

San Mateo controlled the ball for more than 42 minutes, allowing the Mounties less than 18 minutes of offensive play. CSM totaled 267 yards on offense, including 187 on the ground, in windy weather conditions.

Ingrassia was effective in directing the Bulldogs' offense, throwing only as needed, for 80 yards, and running in for a pair of touchdowns. He earned offensive player of the game honors.

"I'm proud of that guy," said Tulloch. "He stepped in when we needed him." Ingrassia came off the grayshirt squad after the Bulldogs lost two starting quarterbacks early and has now engineered 10 straight wins.

San Mateo defeated every 2024 opponent. The Bulldogs avenged their only loss, to Modesto JC earlier in the season, with a 27-22 triumph last week for a third straight Northern California Football Conference crown to reach the state finals for a third consecutive season.

CSM also avenged a defeat in its only previous meeting with Mt. SAC, in the 2009 state title game held at San Mateo. The Mounties triumphed, 7-6. Mt. SAC head coach Bob Jastrab has won three state crowns and finished second four times in his standout 19-season career.

Game awards
MVP: Lolo Mataele, CSM (RB)
Offensive player of the game: Dominic Ingrassia, CSM (QB)
Defensive player of the game: Malaki Te'o, CSM (LB)

(Fred Baer, CCCSIA)