The football season may be over, but the postseason awards continue. After cleaning up the Bay 6 Conference honors, a handful of College of San Mateo players earned All-Northern California recognition and two earned All-America status from the JC Athletic Bureau.The JCAB awards are voted by California community college coaches. The state of California has more than 60 teams playing community college football, more than any other state.

CSM quarterback Anthony Grigsby was named All-American as a utility player, piggy-backing off his Northern California Offensive Player of the Year honor.

Grigsby is the second straight Bulldog to earn the Nor Cal Offensive Player of the Year honor, with Ezra Moleni winning the award in 2022.

RIVERSIDE — Going down to the final play, College of San Mateo’s bid for a repeat state championship came down to a gut-wrenching finish.

The Riverside Tigers (12-1) claimed the California Community College Athletic Association state football championship on the game’s final play, as kicker Gabe Panikowski booted a a 24-yard field goal to deliver a 24-21 victory.

The 2023 community college season came down to a riveting final quarter, one that started with a 14-14 tie and saw the Bulldogs and Tigers trade two touchdown-scoring drives. After Riverside took a 21-14 advantage with 9:50 to play, CSM went on a bruising drive to tie it with 2:01 to go.

The College of San Mateo Bulldogs will play for the California Community College Athletic Association state championship Saturday at Wheelock Stadium on the campus of Riverside Community College with a 1:05 p.m. kickoff.

The College of San Mateo Bulldogs retained the CCCAA Northern California football championship by the skin of their pointy teeth. After taking a 17-point lead into the fourth quarter, the Bulldogs (11-1) held off a late surge by American River College to claim a 30-27 victory Saturday at College Heights Stadium.

A redshirt freshman out of Consumnes Oaks-Elk Grove, Grigsby has etched himself among the top community college quarterbacks in the state. Currently ranked fourth in the California Community College Athletic Association with 272.5 passing yards per game, third in touchdown throws with 30 and third in QB efficiency at 180.1, the unassuming 5-11, 188-pounder has been unstoppable in recent must-win situations.

It is only appropriate that the College of San Mateo football staff grades out both the players and plays when they go through film session after a game. After all, coaches, especially at the college of level, are teachers. Coaching is teaching, so head coach Tim Tulloch and the Bulldogs are in a constant state of evaluation and coaching.

The College of San Mateo football team opened defense of its 2022 state and national championship by taking on a familiar foe at College Heights Stadium Saturday, hosting fourth-seeded Modesto in the semifinals of the CCCAA Northern California regional tournament. The top-seeded Bulldogs were hosting the Pirates in the playoffs for the second year in a row. Last year, the Bulldogs cruised to a 30-0 win.