Mt. SAC remains ahead of Butte in coaches' football poll with others bringing chase

SAN MATEO – Following the resumption of play, after the mid-season bye date,. Mt. San Antonio College continues to hold a slight lead over Butte College in the JC Athletic Bureau poll of California Community College Football Coaches Association members. Mt. SAC (5-0) received 11 first place votes and totaled 443 points after  a 61-14  Central League victory over formerly No. 24 Cerritos College. The Mounties host East Los Angeles College (1-5) on Thursday night.    

Butte (6-0) took the seven remaining first place ballots and tallied 437 points. The Roadrunners opened NorCal League play with a 49-14 win at Santa Rosa JC. This Saturday Butte entertains defending league champion and No. 12 American River College (3-3) in an important state showdown. The top two teams remain the state’s lone unbeatens in the National (state championship) Division.

Reigning state champion Riverside City College (5-1) took a 62-10 Southern League triumph at Grossmont and remains No. 3 with 413 points. The Tigers host Southwestern (0-5) Saturday. There was a shuffle among the rest of the top ten. 

In the poll conducted by the California Community College Sports Information Association (CCCSIA), Mt. SAC received six first-place votes to Butte's two, however, the teams each received 176 points to tie for the No. 1 spot. Riverside City is third in that poll as well.

Ventura College (5-1) moved up one place to No. 4 from the coaches following a 37-12 Northern League win over neighbor Moorpark, tallying 318 points. The Pirates host Antelope Valley (0-6) on Saturday. College of San Mateo began a successful defense of its Bay 6 League crown with a 27-14 triumph at Diablo Valley (3-3), which fell to No. 20 (from 14th) this week. San Mateo (5-1), however, dropped one place in the coaches voting, into a tie for fifth with Golden West College (5-1), each with 361 points.  GWC took a 49-10 win over Orange Coast and has a bye this week. San Mateo entertains No. 16 Foothill (4-1) on Saturday.

San Diego Mesa (5-1) vaulted two positions to No. 7 following an important 20-13 Southern League win at Fullerton (3-3), which fell to No. 18 (from 12th).  Mesa visits No. 19 Mt. San Jacinto (4-2) Saturday. Modesto JC (4-2) moved into the eighth position (from No. 11), opening defense of its Valley League crown with an impressive 31-27 victory at Fresno CC (5-2), which dropped from No. 7 to No. 9.  This Saturday it’s Modesto at Reedley (3-3) and Fresno at Sacramento CC (3-3). El Camino (4-2) completes the top ten, jumping from No. 17 following a 27-26 win at College of the Canyons (4-2), which fell from No. 8 to No. 13. This Saturday ElCo hosts Santa Barbara CC (2-4) and Canyons visits No, 21 Allan Hancock (3-3).

Two unbeaten (6-0) American Division teams are in the top 25, No. 22 Pasadena CC and No. 23 Monterey Peninsula.

(Fred Baer, JC Athletic Bureau)