The photograph on the front page on Monday’s Daily Journal touting the College of San Mateo Bulldogs’ state football championship was chosen with a specific purpose. Sure, it was a great shot, but all photos by CSM staff photographer Patrick Nguyen, who has been generously freelancing his work with Bulldogs football to us for years, are keepers.
So, among the myriad front-page worthy shots Patrick made available to us, we landed on the one featuring CSM defensive tackles Nehamaiah Musika and Ezra Funa.
The Bulldogs fielded the No. 1 defense in the state this season, and played like it in Saturday’s 3C2A Football State Championship game at College Heights Stadium with a 43-11 victory over Mt. San Antonio College. The secondary — colloquially known as “DBU,” as in “Defensive Backs University” — shined, totaling 21 interceptions on the year, including three against Mt. SAC.
“That’s all Omari Green,” CSM head coach Tulloch said, shouting out his defensive passing game coordinator and safeties coach. “And what he does with these young men, as far as preparing them fundamentally, football IQ, everything from start to finish.”
When asked about the performance by the defensive backs (and linebacker Malaki T’eo, who grabbed the third INT on the day) Green immediately pointed to the execution of the defensive line.
“First things first, it starts with the guys up front,” Green said. “The guys up front do a great job of getting after the quarterback and taking him off his first read. And then in the secondary, we’re just disciplined with eyes and technique and where we’re supposed to be spot wise with what [defensive coordinator Hansen Sekona] is calling. So, it’s a collective thing from the front to the middle to the back.”
Along with Musika and Funa, defensive ends John Gayer and Odera Okaka, will stand as one of the great front four in CSM history.
Gayer, a sophomore, earned Bay 6 Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors after leading the California Community College Athletic Association with 15 1/2 sacks. Funa was a unanimous All-Bay 6 selection, after equaling Gayer with a team-high 4.1 tackles per game. Musika ranked second on the team in sacks (5) and fifth in tackles (3.2 per game) and Okaka finished with 2.8 tackles per game, two sacks and tied for third on the team with eight tackles for a loss.
Saturday’s performance was their crowning achievement.
Mt. SAC entered the game with a perfect 12-0 record, and finished the year ranked 17th in the state in total offense — better than CSM, ranking 36th. Thanks to CSM’s defense giving its offense repeated short fields, the Bulldogs needed just 267 yards of total offense to win the day. Mt. SAC gained just 65 yards of total offense, including 68 yards passing by quarterback Noah Fuailetolo. Thanks to CSM sacking Mt. SAC six times, the Mounties finished with zero net yards rushing on 23 carries.
“The proof is in the pudding,” T’eo said. “I think when your team has one goal that we’re all trying to work towards, and everybody knows the mission, no one can stop you. And I think this just really comes to resilience, determination and work. That’s how I feel. And when I came in here, that’s what they preached, to bounce back from last year.”
Last year’s 3C2A State Championship game was a heartbreaker for the Bulldogs. CSM has now been to three straight state finals, including the program’s first state title in 2022. With the 3C2A alternating between Northern and Southern California year by year, the Bulldogs traveled to Riverside City College last season to come up short in a 24-21 battle with the Tigers.
In the crowd at that game was T’eo, who was coming off his freshman season at San Bernardino Valley College. He was there to watch his former high school teammate, Funa, as the two played together at Mater Dei. Their last varsity game together was the 2021 CIF Open Division State Championship Bowl victory over Serra. In January, they reunited when T’eo visited CSM with the intent of transferring.
“He didn’t even know I was going to stay,” T’eo said. “But I packed everything I owned, came up here, and told him: ‘I’m here to stay.’”
A year after attending the game in Riverside, T’eo emerged as the Defensive Player of the Game in Saturday’s season finale. The sophomore linebacker recorded a team-high six tackles, along with a sack and an interception.
Funa recorded three tackles, but had one of the most impactful early in the game. On Mt. SAC’s second play from scrimmage, Funa stuffed a second-and-9 draw play for no gain. On the next play, with the CSM rush breathing down his neck, Fuailetolo threw over the middle and overshot the attended receiver, with the pass going right to Bulldogs safety Kalen Woods for the first interception of the day.
The INT cued up the CSM offense, and running back Lolo Mataele’s big day.
“I think my first thought was just: ‘We’re gonna score!’’” Mataele said. “We’ve got to. The defense put us in a great position, and offensively we’ve got to come out and score.”
That the Bulldogs did, five plays later, on the first of two Mataele scores. The 3C2A Football State Championship MVP would carry an astounding 35 times for 166 yards. In three postseason games, he totaled 77 carries for 408 yards and seven touchdowns.
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