Game is a driving force in Bay Area
SAN MATEO, Calif. -- On this day -- Game Day -- the feeling is the same as it would be in Athens, Ga., or South Bend, Ind. Sights, sounds, and smells of a football locker room have their own signature, no matter the level.
For the Bulldogs of the College of San Mateo, yesterday's NorCal Conference game against Foothill College was the start of the always competitive junior college conference season. That both teams came into the game with 5-0 records and ambitions of postseason play added to the spice on a sunny afternoon at College Heights Stadium, set in the foothills of San Mateo, 20 miles south of San Francisco but with a postcard view of San Francisco Bay.
College of San Mateo is now 5-1 following a wild 44-21 shootout that produced 336 yards of total offense in the first quarter before Foothill pulled away.
But the day was also characterized by what was missing. No pep rallies. No bands. No students coming out of their dorms, because there aren't any dorms.
Players arrived in their cars as commuters, just like the other 12,000 students who fill the parking lots each morning and leave them empty at night. Freshman quarterback David Singleton made the commute from his home in the East Bay, almost an hour away on good traffic days. Sophomore running back Ryan Faumuina had a shorter trip from San Leandro, another East Bay community.
Nor are there perks such as scholarships. In the 72-school California community college system, scholarships come only if the players make it to the next level after a two- or three-year apprenticeship.
Not that attending CSM is a financial burden for California residents. The cost for a semester, including books, averages around $350. For nonresidents, it is 10 times that, which is still a bargain, although housing in Northern California ZIP codes can get pricey.
Singleton and Faumuina are more the exception than the rule, because the majority of players live in the San Mateo area, an extended version of a high school commute.
CSM, which opened its doors in 1922, has an extraordinary alumni list for an otherwise ordinary community college. It was a pit stop for John Madden and Bill Walsh, who played here in the 1950s, and Dick Vermeil, who was an assistant coach here. That's five Super Bowl rings as head coaches. Walt Harris, who was working down Highway 101 yesterday as the Stanford head coach, also played here.
If you want a Boston connection, check the résumé of former coach (in three sports) Tom Martinez, who discovered an eighth-grader named Tom Brady almost 20 years ago and has maintained a strong connection.
CSM has also produced comedian Dana Carvey, who ran cross-country, and musician Lindsey Buckingham, who was recruited as a swimmer and told by former swim coach Rich Donner there was no future in music. When Buckingham hit it big with Fleetwood Mac, he sent Donner a picture of himself in front of his
The football at CSM, however, is remarkably pure. No scholarships, and no one gets cut, either.
``Everyone that comes out for the team dresses [for home games]," says coach Larry Owens, who has been running the show since 1991. ``I only say no if I feel they are going to physically be in jeopardy. We had 125 kids come out for football this year. We dress 85 or 90."
Of that group, Owens, who spent a few seasons coaching in NFL Europe, says between eight and 10 players ``might get 1A scholarship offers."
The process of finding talent can be daunting. Word of mouth is a big factor. Singleton heard about CSM through a friend.
``I came here, took a look at this place, and said, `Where do I sign?' " says Singleton.
Faumuina was recruited by Owens and his staff, which includes only one other full-time coach, assistant head coach Bret Pollack. The rest of his assistants have full-time jobs in other fields.
``I didn't know a thing about the place," says Faumuina. ``But the coaches were persistent and it gave me a chance."
Now midway through his second season, Faumuina has some Division 1 schools looking at him, including Utah.
``For most of these kids, this is going to be the last stop [in terms of football]," says Owens. ``We want to give them the opportunity to say they played college football.'
Yesterday, at their own level and before a crowd of mostly family and friends, they did just that.
Mark Blaudschun can be reached at blaudschun@globe.com 