CSM Embraces Standard Set by 2009 NorCal Champs

You might think the current crop of College of San Mateo football players would grow weary of talk about the program’s state runner-up finish in 2009. After all, not only did these Bulldogs have nothing to do with that spirited run to the Northern California title, but many of them played for last year’s CSM team that fell well short of those exploits.

But instead of balking at talk of that dream season, this CSM team clearly embraces it. It’s a source of great motivation. And beyond that, multiple Bulldogs said on the eve of their opener at Fresno on Saturday night that a trip to the state title game is now the expectation.

“For sure, that’s the standard,” sophomore defensive end Barrett Wangara said. “We want nothing less than what they gave us.”

“That’s where the bar’s held,” added second-year quarterback Miles Freeman, who, like Wangara, had an up-close view of the 2009 team during his grayshirt season.

It’s a lofty expectation, to be sure. CSM would need to win the NorCal Conference to earn a berth in the Northern California championship game, and the Bulldogs have posted a winning conference record just twice in the last seven seasons.

CSM, No. 10 in the state’s preseason poll, has gone winless against both CCSF and Butte in three of the last four years. The Bulldogs haven’t beaten Foothill at all in that span.

As such, CSM’s everyday focus is on mastering the nuances that will lead to conference glory.

“Every action that happens in our program,” third-year head coach Bret Pollack said, “is that action helping or hurting us in achieving that goal? Things become very clear.”

There are very few ways to simulate the pressure-cooker environment that CSM will face in a three-week doozy when it plays No. 4 Foothill, second-ranked CCSF and No. 3 Butte Oct. 22-Nov. 5, but Pollack has lined up a stiff opening act for CSM this year.

The Bulldogs hit the road to face ninth-ranked Fresno, a team that has won a share of the title in the tough Valley Conference the last two years. CSM won the matchup 32-24 last year, but that was in the comforts of its College Heights Stadium. Saturday’s forecast is for a sweltering temperature of 93 degrees at the 6 p.m. kickoff, with a chance of thunderstorms.

With a nod to the trial-by-fire nature of a difficult opener, Pollack said he wants his Bulldogs to be exposed in some ways.

“Let’s find out what we need to work on,” he said. “I want to see where we’re at. I want to see what we’ve got. You can’t talk about being on a high level if you’re not willing to play people on a high level.”

Freeman expects a “more mature” CSM team to benefit from some hard lessons learned late last year, including heartbreaking losses to Foothill and Butte sandwiched around a 33-0 humbling at CCSF. He likens the sophomore leadership group to that of the decorated team of two years ago, and said he believes that the experienced players are already helping build the confidence of the first-year Bulldogs.

“Our program, it’s proven to work in 2009. It’s about the players. It’s about our effort and whether or not we come mentally ready to play every day,” Freeman said. “It’s not about Fresno. It’s not about any other teams we’re going to play. It’s about us.”