MJC tops San Mateo in battle of top 10 state football powers
The matchup between state No. 1 College of San Mateo and No. 6 Modesto Junior College was as advertised and then some.
A game that went down to the final possession and had flashes of explosive offense, long, drawn-out drives and key defensive stands was well worth the price of admission. In their closest game of the season, defense came through for the Pirates. It allowed just one second-half touchdown and did not give up a fourth-quarter point, propelling MJC to a 23-20 win.
After the Pirates broke down the postgame huddle, players and coaches let out screams and embraced. MJC coach Rusty Stivers smiled from ear to ear as he gave players fist bumps and greeted former players who made the trip to watch the state top 10 matchup. It is the first time the Pirates beat the Bulldogs since 2018. The win keeps the Pirates perfect, at 3-0 and drops San Mateo to 2-1.
“We’ve struggled the last several years with them and it’s just fun that when we have adversity, we kept plugging away,” Stivers said. “It’s obvious it’s exciting.”
A Manuel Duran 35-yard field goal and a Lyon Colon 41-yard touchdown put the Pirates ahead 10-0 in the first quarter. Quarterback Luke Weaver tossed a pair of touchdowns in the second, connecting with tight end Malachi Butler for 25 yards and receiver Joey Stout for 30 yards. The Pirates were held scoreless in the second half.
San Mateo scored all of its first-half points in the second quarter. The defense forced a safety to start the half, Lolo Mataele scored a rushing touchdown and Dieter Kelly drilled a 50-yard field goal to make it a 23-12 Pirates lead at halftime.
The Bulldogs scored the only points of the second half when Mataele rushed for a 15-yard touchdown and they converted the 2-point conversion, cutting the Pirates’ lead to 23-20.
It was a defensive battle for the entire fourth quarter.
The Pirates punted and gave up an interception in the final 10 minutes of the half. When the offense could not get going, the defense raised its level of play, forcing a punt, a turnover on downs and a fumble. A tandem effect coaches across the sport call “complementary football”.
“I felt like we played great complementary football,” said Zach Hollis MJC’s offensive assistant/special teams coordinator. “When one side of the ball wasn’t doing well, the other team picked that team up or vice versa. I don’t feel like we have to rely on our offense or our defense. … We’re complete as a program.”
The game also served as a return home for Mataele and quarterback Conner Stoddard, a pair of former Stanislaus District high school stars, returning to the Central Valley.
Mataele, a sophomore, returned for the second time in as many years as a Bulldog. Last season he rushed for 59 yards in a 37-20 win. Saturday, he finished with 146 yards and 2 touchdowns on 26 carries.
Stoddard is a freshman who earned his first college start Saturday. He played through shoulder injuries suffered during the game to complete 12 of 20 passes. He led the Bulldogs on touchdown drives of 55 and 54 yards and a 42-yard drive that ended in a field goal after falling behind 17-2 early in the game.
The road does not get any easier for the Pirates, who take on another top 10 team in California Saturday. They travel to Butte (3-0) for a 1 p.m. kickoff.
