Top-ranked San Mateo turns back Diablo Valley in showdown of highly ranked teams; Get all scores here

3C2A Football: Standings l Scoreboard

SAN MATEO - State and nationally (Massey Ratings) top-ranked College of San Mateo survived its toughest test of the 2025 football season, turning back previously unbeaten and No. 2-ranked (Massey Ratings) Diablo Valley College, 30-24, Saturday afternoon at College Heights Stadium. 

San Mateo (6-0) had a three-score 27-10 advantage in the fourth quarter that was sufficient to hold off the explosive Vikings (5-1) in the Bay 6 League opener. The Bulldogs extended their overall winning streak to 16 games and home-field streak to 26 games, extending back into the 2022 season.

CSM, the 3C2A state (and mythical national) champion in 2022 and 2024, is ranked No. 1 in all the state and national polls at the mid-season mark. DVC was No. 2 nationally in the respected Massey Computer Rankings; also No. 2 in Northern California, according to the California Community College Football Coaches (and No. 4 in the state).

Host CSM broke a 10-10 third-quarter deadlock with three straight scores to hold the advantage. Malakhi DeMoss rushed eight yards for a TD that was set-up by Kyle Hall's 71-yard kickoff return to the DVC 27. San Mateo marched 74 yards in six plays on its next possession, with Luke Alexander throwing a 2-yard TD pass to Kai Hamilton for a 24-10 lead after the first play of the fourth quarter.

State field goal pacesetter Dieter Kelly had tallies from 47 and 46  yards to complete CSM's fourth quarter scoring. The returning all-state kicker had three goals on the afternoon and totaled 12 kicking points. He leads the state with 11 field goals and 53 total points.

San Mateo thwarted DVC's passing attack early, with two first-half interceptions of Vikings quarterback Kalani McLeod – who had only been picked off once in five previous games.

RJ Whitten had his Bay-6 leading fourth interception and Phoenix Rose returned his third season pick – this from the end zone -- 86 yards to set up Kelly's first field goal. That gave the Bulldogs a 10-3 halftime lead. Whitten is the National Division co-state interception leader. He also has a sack, two tackles for loss, and three pass break-ups this year. "He made a lot of big plays in crucial times," said CSM coach Tim Tulloch regarding Saturday's game. "He stepped up at the right time."

Defense, with turnovers and sacks, made the difference in the contest. Diablo Valley rolled up big yardage while being held short of the end zone. The Vikings totaled 369 yards to CSM's 140.

The Bulldogs started a new freshman quarterback, Luke Alexander, out of Sacramento's Grant High School. The 6-2, 210-pound freshman completed 6-of-8 passes for 73 yards (with no picks) and a pair of touchdowns: 1-yard to tight end B.J. Thurman in the second quarter and 2-yards to Kai Hamilton at the beginning of the fourth period – both completing long drives (62 and 74 yards, respectively).  

"Alexander earned the job," said Tulloch "We have open competition every week."

Jalen Arnold caught three passes for 67 yards to lead the Bulldogs.

San Mateo had to hold off the Vikings over the final seven minutes, while holding a 27-10 lead. San Mateo's defense stopped a 47-yard DVC drive on downs at the CSM 22. The Bulldogs' offense, then just running the ball, fumbled it away on the 20. Journey McCoy, a DVC defensive back, gathered the ball and took it to the end zone – giving the Vikings some life at 27-17 with 6:43 to play.

San Mateo stopped the next DVC possession with a fourth-down quarterback sack by Khayri Jett and Albert Tuakalau, and CSM took over on the Diablo 36. Four plays later, Kelly's 46-yard field goal gave the Bulldogs a 30-17 lead with 1:55 remaining.

Diablo Valley, however, then completed its only long drive of the game, starting on its own 25 after the kickoff – and aided by 45 penalty yards against the Bulldogs. McLeod completed a 9-yard TD pass to Khai Taylor with 36 seconds left and the margin was narrowed to 30-24.

DVC's onside kickoff attempt failed, and the Bulldogs took over to end it with a kneel down.

CSM faces another first-place showdown next Saturday at Foothill College (4-2, 1-0 Bay 6) in Los Altos Hills. Kickoff is at 6 p.m. Foothill opened league play with a 28-14 win at Laney on Friday night.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA FOOTBALL CONFERENCE leagues
NATIONAL BAY 6
Foothill 28, Laney 14
San Francisco 48, San Jose 6
San Mateo 30, Diablo Valley 24

NATIONAL NORCAL
American River 34, Shasta 20
Butte 27, Santa Rosa 0
Sierra 57, Redwoods 34

NATIONAL VALLEY
Modesto 20, Fresno 7
Monterey Peninsula 40, Reedley 31
Sequoias 24, Sacramento 20

AMERICAN GOLDEN COAST
Coalinga 35, Cabrillo 26
De Anza 83, Hartnell 0
Merced 27, Gavilan 8

AMERICAN PACIFIC 7
Feather River 41, Los Medanos 22
San Joaquin Delta 54, Contra Costa 19
Siskiyous 43, Chabot 3

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION leagues
NATIONAL NORTHERN
Long Beach 52, Citrus 38
Moorpark 40, Santa Barbara 7
Mount San Antonio 52, Santa Ana 0
Ventura 31, Allan Hancock 14

NATIONAL CENTRAL
Cerritos 35, Bakersfield 28
East Los Angeles 34, Orange Coast 7
Fullerton 20, Canyons 10
Golden West 28, Pasadena 21

NATIONAL SOUTHERN 
El Camino 28, San Diego Mesa 14
Riverside 41, Chaffey 27
Saddleback 24, Mt. San Jacinto 13
Southwestern 38, Palomar 24

AMERICAN PACIFIC
Santa Monica 61, Los Angeles Pierce 0
Victor Valley 39, Antelope Valley 37
West Los Angeles 14, Grossmont 13

AMERICAN METRO
Desert 24, Los Angeles Southwest 23
Los Angeles Valley 53, Compton 0
San Bernardino Valley 38, Glendale 21

(Fred Baer, JC Athletic Bureau)