Modesto stands between CSM and return to state final

On the other side of the bracket, state-ranked No. 1 Golden West (11-0) will host No. 2 Saddleback (10-1) for the Southern California title.

Not only is this a rematch CSM’s 41-21 win over Modesto Sept. 13, but its a rematch of last year’s Nor Cal title game — a Bulldogs 27-22 victory that propelled CSM to the state championship.

Saturday, Modesto hopes to accomplish what CSM did last season, namely, beat the Bulldogs in the rematch. Last season, the Pirates posted 23-20 in a September non-conference win, only to see CSM turn the tables in the Nor Cal final.

Saturday will be the fourth straight year the Bulldogs and Pirates have met in the playoffs and the third time in six seasons the teams will play for the Nor Cal crown. In addition to the 2024 win, CSM beat Modesto in the Nor Cal final 41-0 in 2019. Over the last 10 years, these teams have faced off 14 times, with CSM holding a commanding 11-3 advantage.

But the rivalry goes back even further — more than 100 years.

While it’s hard to say the CSM offense struggled early in the season, the Bulldogs averaged 30 points per game in five non-conference games, it seems they hit another gear once they got to Bay 6 Conference play. Over the final five weeks of the season, their points per game increased to nearly 34 points per game. That number was taken down by a 6-point performance in CSM’s only loss of the season, 13-6 to City College of San Francisco, but it was also boosted by back-to-back, 52-points performances to close the season.

They carried that momentum into last week’s semifinal game against No. 5 Fresno, beating the Rams 34-13.

The one thing that can not be questioned this season has been the CSM defense, which is playing at a championship level. The No. 1-ranked defense at the end of regular season, the Bulldogs lived up to that status by shutting down Fresno last week, holding the Rams to just 200 yards of offense. CSM has allowed double-digit points in six games this season, but no more than 24 in any game.

CSM will face a Modesto team that has been on a roll since that September loss to the Bulldogs, having reeled off seven wins in a row as the Pirates went undefeated in winning the Valley Conference championship.

And like the Bulldogs, Modesto has been dominant in doing so. On offense, the Pirates are scoring an average of 35 points. Defensively, they are giving up 12 and held opposing teams to single-digit scoring four times, including a 35-7 win over Diablo Valley in a Nor cal semifinal game last weekend.

CSM cleans up conference awards

The Bulldogs, which finished in a three-way tie for the Bay 6 Conference title with City College of San Francisco and Diablo Valley, still had a number of players earn all-conference honors.

Sophomore defensive back was a unanimous Defensive Player of Year. Defensive linemen Nate Abbott and Malakai Ross-Graves, along with linebacker Jeremiah Lewis, were unanimous first-team selections. Also earning all-conference honors on the defensive side were defensive back Kyle Hall and Linebacker Albert Tuakalau.

Offensive lineman Markus Fetcho was a unanimous first-team selection on offense, with linemen Tony Alejo and Tyrell Miller, along with running back John Stowers and receiver Kenyon Shabazz were also all-conference offensive selections.

Dieter Kelly, who led the state in kicking this season, repeated as Kicker of the Year, while head coach Tim Tulloch shared Coach of the Year honors.

Two player shared Player of the Year honors: San Francisco quarterback Darius Clark-James and Diablo Valley running back Ferrari Miller.