The article below originally appeared in the San Mateo Daily Journal and is being reprinted with permission.
The CSM football team captured the CCCAA state championship Saturday with a 55-0 win over Riverside. The Massey computer rankings have CSM the top 2-year college in the country. Photo by Patrick Nguyen.
College of San Mateo football team is on the verge of adding a “national title” to the state championship the Bulldogs claimed with Saturday’s record 55-0 victory over Riverside City College.
The Massey computer rankings currently have San Mateo No. 74 among all 890 college football teams in the country – and highest among the 121 two-year college programs. No. 1 Georgia and No. 2 Michigan, both 13-0, head the highly respected Massey Ratings. University of California (4-8) is No. 77, Stanford (3-9) No. 89, and San Jose State (7-4) No. 94.
CSM did move up 91 positions with its dramatic victory over previously unbeaten Riverside – which dropped 92 places to No. 215. The Bulldogs and Riverside both finished 12-1. None of the 120 other two-year college teams in the USA will have more wins.
There is one junior college game remaining, Wednesday’s 5 p.m. National JC Athletic Association title game between No. 408 Hutchinson-Kansas, which is 11-0, and No. 500 Iowa Western (9-2).
For further reference, Sacramento State (12-1) is No. 68. CSM, the only two-year team in the top 100, is sandwiched between two other NCAA teams, No. 73 Western Kentucky (8-5) and No. 75 Coastal Carolina (9-3).
California’s other collegiate teams in the top 100 rate: No. 12 Southern California (11-2); No. 30 UCLA (9-3); No. 60 Fresno State (9-4); No. 80 San Diego State (7-5).
MEN’S BASKETBALL
CSM’s state ranked men’s basketball team got back on the winning track Saturday with another nailbiter, topping host Cabrillo College, 68-66, in Aptos.
The now No. 23 Bulldogs (9-2) had started the season with seven victories — including two in overtime and three more with margins of five points or less. That gained CSM its highest state top-10 ranking – No. 8 — since the former program in the 1960s. Folsom Lake finally ended San Mateo’s strong November start with a 77-73 triumph at Cabrillo’s Saltwater Classic on Dec. 2. Then Butte took the consolation finale there, 72-63, on Dec. 4.
The Bulldogs have received balanced scoring from Tim Netane (11.9 average), Kiahn Nice (11.6), Alex Martin (11.2) and Justin Milch (10.3).
CSM will be at the College of the Sequoias Wyndham/Mannon Classic in Visalia this weekend, playing No. 11 Porterville (4-6) on Friday at 5 p.m. and host Sequoias (7-3) on Saturday at 3 pm.
Skyline College (5-5) started December with a 66-63 victory at state No. 26 Gavilan — but then dropped a pair at home to Los Medanos, 84-71, and to College of the Siskiyous, 82-77.
Dominic Wilson leads the Trojans with a 12.2 scoring average, ahead of a quartet in the 10-point range: Ryan Wilson (10.6), Julius Alcantara (10.6), Sean Richardson (10.5), and DeAndre Minor (10.3). Richardson ranks third among Coast North 3-point shooters with a 44.9 field goal percentage. Minor is No. 4 in rebounding with an 8.1 average, followed by Alcantara at 7.8.
Skyline stays at home to entertain Solano (1-7) on Monday at 5 p.m. and De Anza (2-9) on Dec. 21.
Cañada College finished November with a 4-3 record. But the Colts have faltered a bit in December, running into then-unbeaten West Valley to start the month, plus setbacks to College of Marin and College of the Siskiyous. Cañada resumes play Saturday, hosting Reedley (5-7) at 3 pm.; then visits Napa Valley (3-7) on Monday.
The Colts have San Mateo County’s top two scorers in Miles Jones (14.4) and Luca Joe Ewelt (13.3), who is also rebounding at a 12.0 pace, although appearing in only four games.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
CSM’s women’s basketball team, with several injured players back in the lineup, brought a seven-game winning streak and 9-3 overall record into the week. That is the top Coast North preseason record so far, better than league favorite and state No. 6 ranked City College of San Francisco (7-3). They are the only two league teams with winning records at this point.
The Lady Bulldogs started the month with a weekend in Redding, beating College of the Redwoods, 63-55, then host Shasta, 44-42, and finishing with Lassen, 66-50. This past weekend CSM took care of visiting Santa Barbara CC, 49-45, and College of Marin, 51-44.
Jayonnah Carter leads CSM in scoring with an 11.0 average. Tiare Novero-Paaga has a 9.3 average and has connected on 21 3-point shots (No. 3 in the Coast North).
This weekend CSM hosts Shasta (7-6) on Friday at 6 p.m. and Sacramento CC (1-6) on Saturday at 3 p.m.
After a 6-3 November start, Skyline College has stumbled with a tough December schedule and dropped to an even 6-6 – still the third-best non-league mark in the Coast North. The Lady Colts started this month facing two of Southern California’s better teams in the Desert at Mt. San Jacinto College, losing to the state No. 11 ranked hosts, 68-62, and to Victor Valley, 62-59, in close contests. They returned to the Bay Area to fall at state No. 16 Laney, 101-50.
Lala Lautaimi leads Skyline with a 16.3 scoring average (No. 3 in the Coast North) and 7.9 rebounds per game. Tatiana Newsome is scoring at an 8.7 clip and has 19 3-pointers.
Skyline is in the CCSF tournament this weekend, opening on Thursday with Los Angeles Valley (5-4).
