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PAST CHAMPIONS 2005-2011

PAST JCGRIDIRON DIRTY THIRTY CHAMPIONS
2011 - East Mississippi College Lions (MS)
2010 - Mt. San Antonio College Mounties (CA)
2009 - Mt. San Antonio College Mounties (CA)
2008 - Butte College Roadrunners (CA)
2007 - Gulf Coast College Bulldogs (MS)/ Butler County College Grizzlies (KS)
2006 - Blinn College Buccaneers (TX)
2005 - Glendale College Gauchos (AZ)

FINAL RANKINGS
1. East Mississippi C.C. 12-0
2. CC of San Francisco 12-0
3. Arizona Western C.C. 9-1
4. Riverside C.C. 11-0
5. Grand Rapids C.C. 9-0
6. American River C.C. 11-0
7. Gulf Coast C.C. 10-2
8. Mt. San Antonio C.C. 11-2
9. Navarro J.C. 10-2
10. Butler County C.C. 10-1
11. Fresno City C.C. 10-1
12. Butte C.C. 10-1
13. Iowa Western C.C. 9-2
14. Dean J.C. 7-0
15. College of San Mateo 8-3
16. Blinn C.C. 8-2
17. Saddleback C.C. 8-3
18. Trinity Valley C.C. 8-3
19. Cerritos C.C. 8-4
20. Chabot C.C. 9-2
21. Hutchinson C.C. 9-2
22. Palomar C.C. 7-4
23. Tyler J.C. 7-4
24. Hinds C.C. 7-3
25. Glendale C.C. 7-4
26. New Mexico Military Institute 7-3
27. El Camino C.C. 8-3
28. Jones County J.C. 6-3
29. Snow College 8-3
30. Scottsdale C.C. 6-4

Others on the Bubble: Nassau (NY) 6-1, Ventura (CA) 7-4, Modesto (CA) 8-3, San Joaquin Delta (CA) 7-4, Eastern Arizona 5-4, Rochester (MN) 11-1, Allan Hancock (CA) 7-4, Golden West (CA) 7-4, DuPage (IL) 5-3, Iowa Central 6-4, Coffeyville (KS) 5-4, Diablo Valley (CA) 8-3, Hartnell (CA) 8-3, Desert (CA) 6-5, Northeast Mississippi 6-4

2011 JCGridiron.com Dirty 30

The East Mississippi College Lions have won the seventh annual JCGridiron.com Dirty 30 national title. No. 2 City College of San Francisco defeated No. 8 Mt. San Antonio College in the California state title game on Saturday, 52-42, but was unable to overtake East Mississippi who becomes the first NJCAA program to win the title in four years.

East Mississippi defeated No. 3 Arizona Western College 55-47 a week ago in the NJCAA title game, and becomes the second Mississippi school to claim the Dirty 30 title after Mississippi Gulf Coast shared the title with Butler (KS) in 2007. The Lions were a perfect 12-0 on the season, winning three games against programs rated in the top-7 in the nation. They defeated No. 7 Mississippi Gulf Coast on two occasions, and No. 3 Arizona Western in the NJCAA title game. East Mississippi also defeated No. 24 Hinds College on two occasions, giving Hinds two of their three losses for the season. In addition, the Lions also defeated No. 45 Northeast Mississippi, giving them six wins against ranked programs.

San Francisco, conversely, had wins over No. 8 Mt. SAC, No. 11 Fresno City, No. 12 Butte, No. 15 San Mateo and No. 34 San Joaquin Delta, putting together a nice resume of their own. However, with no legitimate playoff structure in Northern California, were nipped at the wire by East Mississippi, who played a tougher overall schedule. A game against Northern California's No. 6 American River College could have put the Rams over the top, but ARC was not allowed into the playoffs up north due to being in a so-called lower-tier, something that continues to mystify the pollster in the year 2011. It was the highest final-season ranking ever for San Francisco in the Dirty 30 Rankings, eclipsing a No. 3 ranking in 2007.

At the end of the day, it was a very difficult decision to make, as one team is always going to feel shortchanged. However, after seeing both games, we at JCGridiron.com feel very confident in our decision in our new champion.

Congratulations to East Mississippi College, the 2011 JCGridiron.com Dirty 30 National Champions!

FINAL RANKINGS
1. Mt. San Antonio C.C. (CA) 13-0
2. Navarro J.C. 11-1 (TX)
3. Butler County C.C. (KS) 10-1
4. City College of San Francisco (CA) 11-1
5. Gulf Coast C.C. (MS) 10-2
6. Copiah-Lincoln C.C. (MS) 9-2
7. Foothill C.C. (CA) 9-2
8. Snow College (UT) 8-2
9. Grand Rapids C.C. (MI) 10-2
10. Northwest Mississippi C.C. (MS) 9-1
11. Nassau C.C. (NY) 8-0
12. Cerritos C.C. (CA) 9-3
13. Bakersfield C.C. (CA) 8-3
14. Saddleback C.C. (CA) 8-3
15. Blinn C.C. (TX) 7-3
16. Arizona Western C.C. (AZ) 8-2
17. Butte C.C. (CA) 9-2
18. Riverside C.C. (CA) 10-1
19. Hutchinson C.C. (KS) 9-2
20. Iowa Western C.C. (IA) 9-2
21. College of San Mateo (CA) 8-3
22. Santa Ana C.C. (Ca) 9-2
23. American River C.C. (CA) 10-1
24. Lackawanna C.C. (PA) 8-2
25. Fullerton C.C. (CA) 7-4
26. Palomar C.C. (CA) 5-5
27. Ellsworth C.C. (IA) 7-3
28. Fresno City C.C. (Ca) 8-3
29. Modesto C.C. (CA) 8-3
30. Trinity Valley C.C. (TX) 6-5

Others on the Bubble: San Joaquin Delta (Calif.) 7-4, LA Harbor (Calif.) 8-2*, Pearl River (MS) 6-3, Eastern Arizona 7-4, Iowa Central 7-3, Los Angeles Pierce (Calif.) 8-3, Ventura (Calif.) 5-5, Golden West (Calif.) 6-4, Canyons (Calif.) 6-5, DuPage (IL) 6-5
(* = forfeit win over El Camino)

2010 JCGridiron.com Dirty 30

Mt. San Antonio College won its second consecutive JCGridiron.com Dirty 30 national title on Saturday with a dominating 34-7 win over City College of San Francisco. The Mounties held San Francisco quarterback Steele Jantz in check, while Nick Lamaison picked up the game MVP honors in front of nearly 7,500 fans.

Mt. SAC went up early and never let up on throttle in blowing past the Rams in becoming the first back-to-back national champions in JCGridiron history. The Mounties were dominating on defense, allowing just 260 yards of total offense to one of the top offenses in the nation. Mt. SAC put a lot of pressure on San Francisco high-profile quarterback Steele Jantz, forcing him into a number of bad throws and taking away his ability to run.

Jantz entered the game with 14 touchdowns on the ground, but was sacked nine times on Saturday. Mt. SAC defensive end Bojay Filimoeatu was a consistent thorn in the side of Jantz, recording two sacks and three more tackles-for-loss in being named the defensive player of the game.

Wide receiver Michael Edwards once again was Lamaison's favorite target, catching six balls for 67 yards and a touchdown in being named the offensive most valuable player. Lamaison walked away with the best piece of individual hardware as the game MVP after completing 23-of-33 passes for 223 yards and a touchdown.

The Mt. SAC Dirty 30 national title was the second straight for the Mounties and the third straight by a team from California. The final rankings will be released on Sunday morning.

Check out the official box score from the link in the above grey box.

FINAL RANKINGS
1. Mt. SAC (Calif.) 13-1
2. East Mississippi 10-1
3. Blinn (TX) 10-1
4. City College of San Francisco (Calif.) 10-1
5. Fort Scott (KS) 10-1
6. Navarro (TX) 10-1
7. Fullerton (Calif.) 10-2
8. Mississippi Gulf Coast 9-2
9. Saddleback (Calif.) 9-2
10. San Mateo (Calif.) 10-2
11. Arizona Western 9-2
12. Palomar (Calif.) 10-3
13. Bakersfield (Calif.) 10-2
14. Snow (UT) 10-2
15. Grand Rapids (MI) 9-1
16. Ellsworth (IA) 9-2
17. Butler (KS) 7-3
18. Allan Hancock (Calif.) 9-2
19. Cerritos (Calif.) 9-2
20. Jones County (MS) 6-4
21. Tyler (TX) 7-3
22. Foothill (Calif.) 8-3
23. Grossmont (Calif.) 8-3
24. Butte (Calif.) 8-3
25. El Camino (Calif.) 8-3
26. Copiah-Lincoln (MS) 6-3
27. Eastern Arizona 7-3
28. Coffeyville (KS) 6-4
29. Fresno City (Calif.) 7-4
30. Santa Rosa (Calif.) 5-5

Others on the bubble: Canyons (Calif.) 6-5, Kilgore (TX) 4-6, Reedley (Calif.) 6-5, Los Angeles Harbor (Calif.) 9-2, Golden West (Calif.) 7-4, Ventura (Calif.) 7-4, De Anza (Calif.) 7-3, Modesto (Calif.) 7-4, Hutchinson (KS) 6-4, Glendale (AZ) 6-5

2009 JCGridiron.com Dirty 30

After a few close calls, the Mt. San Antonio Mounties have won the national championship after defeating College of San Mateo, 7-6, in the California state title game on Saturday in San Mateo. Mt. SAC claims the Dirty 30 national title after finishing 3rd in 2008, 8th in 2007 and 15th in 2006.

Mt. SAC played through monsoon-like conditions on Saturday and persevered against a San Mateo team that had three weeks to prepare and get healthy. The Mounties trailed 6-0 at halftime and things looked bleak when San Mateo controlled the ball for 10 minutes in the third quarter. It all changed on one play when Matt Faulkner found Michael Harrell for a 64-yard touchdown, giving Mt. SAC a 7-6 lead with seven seconds remaining in the third quarter.

The Mounties' defense was stifling the whole game, allowing San Mateo to complete just two passes all day while intercepting three. The Bulldogs managed only 38 yards in the final quarter, throwing three interceptions, with two to safety Malcolm Murray.

"I really appreciate the news," head coach Bob Jastrab said when hearing about winning the Dirty 30 national title on his bus ride home. "I know the guys really wanted to win it and they will be happy to hear the news when I tell them."

Mt. SAC becomes the second straight team from California to win the Dirty 30 title after Butte College collected the award in 2008. Previous winners include Glendale (AZ) in 2005, Blinn (TX) in 2006 and co-national champions Mississippi Gulf Coast and Butler (KS) in 2007.

In the end, Mt. SAC finished 5-1 against teams in the top-25 in the nation and played nine teams that appeared in the Dirty 30 rankings over the course of the season. The lone loss of the season for Mt. SAC came against No. 9 Saddleback College on a day where temperatures were near 110 degrees. The Mounties won the National Division Central Conference, considered one of the toughest conferences in the nation before beating Los Angeles Pierce, No. 13 Bakersfield, No. 12 Palomar and No. 10 San Mateo in the playoffs.

Congratulations to Bob Jastrab and the Mt. San Antonio College football team...the 2009 JCGridiron.com Dirty 30 National Champions!

FINAL RANKINGS
1. Butte (Calif.) 12-0
2. Butler (KS) 10-1
3. Mt. SAC (Calif.) 12-2
4. Canyons (Calif.) 12-1
5. Snow (UT) 10-1
6. El Camino (Calif.) 10-2
7. Fullerton (Calif.) 10-2
8. Navarro (TX) 10-1
9. Mississippi Gulf Coast 10-2
10. Harper (IL) 10-1
11. Santa Rosa (Calif.) 8-3
12. Fort Scott (KS) 8-2
13. Sierra (Calif.) 9-2
14. Blinn (TX) 8-3
15. Saddleback (Calif.) 7-4
16. Eastern Arizona 6-3
17. East Mississippi 8-2
18. Foothill (Calif.) 8-3
19. Palomar (Calif.) 8-3
20. San Joaquin Delta (Calif.) 8-3
21. Reedley (Calif.) 7-4
22. Cerritos (Calif.) 7-4
23. Kilgore (TX) 6-4
24. Jones County (MS) 7-2
25. Phoenix (AZ) 7-4
26. Glendale (AZ) 7-2
27. San Francisco (Calif.) 7-4
28. Georgia Military 7-2
29. Iowa Central 7-3
30. Hutchinson (KS) 6-4

Others on the bubble: Ellsworth (IA) 8-2, Pearl River (MS) 8-3, Allan Hancock (Calif.) 7-4, Pasadena City (Calif.) 7-4, Trinity Valley (TX) 5-4, Rochester (MN) 8-2, Modesto (Calif.) 8-3, Dean (MA) 6-1, Sequoias (Calif.) 5-5, Shasta (Calif.) 9-2

2008 JCGridiron.com Dirty 30

After an extra day of compiling numbers and cross-referencing schedules, the Butte College Roadrunners were officially crowned national champions of junior college football on Monday by JCGridiron.com. Butte edged out El Dorado (KS) Butler County College to become the first California program to claim the prestigious honor, previously won by Glendale College, Arizona (2005), Blinn College, Texas (2006) and co-national champions Butler County and Mississippi Gulf Coast (2007).

"We had a pretty good idea that whatever team won the California state title game was going to win the Dirty 30 national title," JCGridiron.com publisher Brad Hoiseth said. "We wanted to make sure we looked at things from every angle before we dotted the I's and crossed the T's."

Butte finished the season 12-0, the only team in the nation to finish the season undefeated. They defeated Walnut (Calif.) Mt. San Antonio College, 17-9, on Saturday night in Costa Mesa, California, to claim the California state title. In doing so, the Roadrunners became the first team from California to finish the season undefeated since Santa Clarita (Calif.) College of the Canyons finished 14-0 back in 2004.

"It feels good," Butte wide receiver Justin Hilton said. "That is pretty special to win a national championship."

Butte entered the game with a difficult task of slowing down a Mt. SAC offense that averaged 428 yards-per-game this season and managed to confuse the Mounties all night long. Mt. SAC managed just 218 yards of total offense, coughing up the ball three times and making some key mistakes on special teams. Meanwhile, the Roadrunners rolled up 384 yards of offense, including 119 yards rushing by running back Alex Green. Conversely, the Mounties managed just 30 yards rushing on the evening on 19 carries.

Butler County College finished second in the JCGridiron.com Dirty 30 rankings after finishing the season 10-1 and winning the NJCAA national title over Ephraim (UT) Snow College, 37-30, in double overtime on December 6. The lone loss for the Grizzlies came on opening day when they fell to No. 14 Brenham (TX) Blinn College, 23-20.

Mt. San Antonio finished the season 12-2 and ranked No. 3 in the nation.

FINAL RANKINGS
(T-1) Gulf Coast (MS) 12-0
(T-1) Butler (KS) 11-0
(3) San Francisco (Calif.) 11-1
(4) Bakersfield (Calif.) 12-1
(5) Snow (UT) 9-1
(6) Foothill (Calif.) 10-1
(7) El Camino (Calif.) 8-2
(8) Mt. San Antonio (Calif.) 10-3
(9) Canyons (Calif.) 9-2
(10) Navarro (TX) 9-2
(11) Rochester (MN) 11-0
(12) Mesa (AZ) 9-2
(13) Sierra (Calif.) 9-2
(14) Saddleback (Calif.) 7-3
(15) San Mateo (Calif.) 8-3
(16) Jones County (MS) 9-2
(17) Joliet (IL) 9-2
(18) Ft. Scott (KS) 8-3
(19) Cisco (TX) 6-3
(20) Eastern Arizona 8-2
(21) Fullerton (Calif.) 7-3
(22) Moorpark (Calif.) 9-3
(23) Laney (Calif.) 10-1
(24) Georgia Military 6-2
(25) Reedley (Calif.) 8-3
(26) Santa Rosa (Calif.) 7-4
(27) Desert (Calif.) 9-2
(28) Iowa Central 8-2
(29) Butte (Calif.) 7-4
(30) Kilgore (TX) 8-4

On the bubble: Ventura (Calif.) 8-3, Blinn (TX) 6-3, Itawamba (MS) 7-3, Garden City (KS) 6-3, Palomar (Calif.) 7-3, Antelope Valley (Calif.) 9-2, North Iowa Area 6-4, Northwest Mississippi 6-4, San Joaquin Delta (Calif.) 7-4, Cabrillo (Calif.) 7-4

2007 JCGridiron.com Dirty 30

For the first time ever the JCGridiron.com Dirty 30 national title will have co-national champions as both Perkinston (MS) Mississippi Gulf Coast College and El Dorado (KS) Butler College did everything they could to make their case. San Francisco (Calif.) City College of San Francisco finished third in the rankings after a 31-28 win over Walnut (Calif.) Mt. San Antonio College on Saturday in Fresno, California.

It seemed like a slam dunk that the winner of the Butler/Snow game in the Zions Bank Top of the Mountain Bowl last weekend would claim the JCGridiron Dirty 30 national title but Gulf Coast threw a wrench into things with a thrashing of Kilgore College in the C.H.A.M.P.S Heart of Texas Bowl.

Gulf Coast dominated every aspect of the game against Kilgore in winning 62-28 over a team that had lost to Butler by only one point on the opening week of the season. With it, the Bulldogs did enough to convince us that they indeed deserved at least a share of the crown. Butler was equally dominant in dismantling previously top-ranked Snow, 56-27.

Now, before the e-mails start flooding our inbox we would like to explain our rationale in deciding on a split between the two programs. Although Gulf Coast did indeed have a much more impressive victory over Kilgore, it is our belief that one game should not decide a national title unless it is played between the two teams vying for the crown themselves. Butler played Kilgore in week one while Gulf Coast played the Rangers over three months later.

Both Butler and Kilgore were dramatically different teams in week one than on the first Saturday in December, as Butler improved immensely down the stretch while Kilgore lost three of its final four games of the season, including the loss to Gulf Coast.

#3 San Francisco ended a three-game losing streak in the California state title game with a 31-28 win over Mt. San Antonio. However, the Rams were facing difficult odds to overcome both Gulf Coast and Butler and would have needed a blowout win to justify leapfrogging both programs. Instead, they won a hard-fought contest against a 10-3 Mounties club in a game that was anything but a work of art.

After leading 21-0 in the first quarter, San Francisco let the lead slip away with missed scoring opportunities and a couple of turnovers and had to come from behind in the fourth quarter to claim its fifth state title in the past decade. It was yet another fine season for a CCSF team that finished 11-1, with their lone loss coming against Fresno City College (16-19) in week three.

In one other contest on Saturday, Navarro (TX) Navarro College defeated Milledgeville (GA) Georgia Military College 24-21 in the Pilgrim's Pride Bowl Classic. With the win, Navarro improves to 9-2 on the season and with it climbs to No. 10 in the final JCGridiron Dirty 30 rankings. Georgia Military falls to 6-2 on the season with a No. 24 ranking.

Both Gulf Coast and Butler join previous champions Blinn College (2006) and Glendale College of Arizona (2005) as winners of the JCGridiron.com Dirty 30 national championship. Congratulations to both programs!

On one other note, JC Grid-Wire founder Hank Ives announced his retirement on Saturday during the broadcast of the California state title game. Ives has spent 45 years following JUCO football and has been a vital contributor and tremendous influence in the world of JUCO football for 4.5 decades. Our best regards go out to Hank and his family as he has always been known as the No. 1 voice in JUCO football. Enjoy your retirement Hank! You will be missed by all.

FINAL RANKINGS
1. Blinn (TX) 11-0
2. El Camino (CA) 12-2
3. Saddleback (CA) 11-1
4. Foothill (CA) 10-1
5. Snow (UT) 9-1
6. Butler (KS) 10-1
7. Santa Rosa (CA) 10-1
8. San Francisco (CA) 9-2
9. Bakersfield (CA) 11-1
10. Pearl River (MS) 10-2
11. Copiah-Lincoln (MS) 8-3
12. Grossmont (CA) 10-2
13. Lackawanna (PA) 7-0
14. Fresno City (CA) 8-3
15. Mt San Antonio (CA) 9-2
16. Nassau (NY) 6-1
17. Moorpark (CA) 9-2
18. Glendale (AZ) 9-2
19. Grand Rapids (MI) 8-3
20. Victor Valley (CA) 9-2
21. Chaffey (CA) 7-3
22. Itawamba (MS) 7-3
23. Jones County (MS) 6-3
24. Allan Hancock (CA) 7-3
25. Orange Coast (CA) 7-4
26. Mississippi Gulf Coast 7-2
27. Coffeyville (KS) 6-4
28. Diablo Valley (CA) 8-3
29. Vermilion (MN) 10-2
30. Scottsdale (AZ) 6-4

Others on the Bubble:
Eastern Arizona (6-4), San Mateo, CA (7-4), Sequoias, CA (7-4), Rochester, MN (7-4), Reedley, CA (6-4), Chabot, CA (6-4), Palomar, CA (6-5), North Iowa Area (6-4), Mt San Jacinto, CA (7-3), Glendale, CA (9-2)

2006 JCGridiron.com Dirty 30

With a dominating defensive performance, Blinn College (TX) became the only team in junior college football to run the table in 2006 with a 19-6 win over Pearl River College (MS) on Saturday in the NJCAA title game in Texas. With the win, Blinn finishes the season 11-0 and claims the JCGridiron Dirty 30 national title.

Blinn led 6-0 entering the fourth quarter in a defensive struggle before breaking open the game midway through the final frame. Bernard Scott opened up the game with an 80-yard touchdown run to give the Buccaneers a 12-0 lead with under eight minutes to play in the game. On the next possession, Pearl River fumbled and Damien Reed picked it up and rumbled 60 yards for the insurance score and a 19-0 lead. Pearl River would add a late touchdown run, but came up short on the 2-point conversion with only 3:37 left on the clock.

Pearl River struggled against a top-ranked Blinn defense that had only given up an average of 135 yards per game throughout the season. The Wildcats took a bit hit when star wide receiver Larry Freeman left the contest in the first quarter with an apparent ankle injury. He later would try to return to the lineup, but was ineffective and playing with an obvious limp.

Blinn outscored opponents 371-to-98 on the season, holding teams to under 10 points seven times during the season. The biggest challenge the Buccaneers received was a 20-14 win over Kilgore in the Southwest Conference title game.

Blinn became the second NJCAA program to claim the title in as many years as last year Glendale (AZ) won the inaugural Dirty 30 title with a perfect 12-0 season to nudge out Grossmont College (CA). The Buccaneers are in their second year under head coach Brad Franchione, son of Texas A&M head coach Dennis Franchione.

FINAL RANKINGS
1. Glendale (AZ) 11-0
2. Grossmont (CA) 13-1
3. Canyons (CA) 12-1
4. Reedley (CA) 10-1
5. Snow (UT) 10-2
6. El Camino (CA) 11-1
7. San Francisco (CA) 10-2
8. Grand Rapids (MI) 9-2
9. San Mateo (CA) 8-3
10. Pearl River (MS) 8-1
11. Butler (KS) 9-2
12. Santa Rosa (CA) 7-3
13. Trinity Valley (TX) 9-3
14. NE Oklahoma A&M 9-3
15. Bakersfield (CA) 9-3
16. Northeast Mississippi 7-2
17. Sequoias (CA) 8-3
18. Georgia Military 9-2
19. Coffeyville (KS) 9-3
20. Mississippi Gulf Coast 7-3
21. Minnesota West 10-1
22. Long Beach City 8-3
23. Dixie State (UT) 9-3
24. Chaffey (CA) 7-4
25. Iowa Central 9-2
26. Nassau (NY) 9-2
27. Foothill (CA) 8-3
28. Laney (CA) 9-2
29. American River (CA) 10-1
30. Cisco (TX) 7-4

2005 JCGridiron.com Dirty 30

Despite a valiant effort by Grossmont College (CA) in the California championship game on Saturday, Glendale College (AZ) was named the inaugural JCGridiron Dirty 30 National Champions for 2005 after finishing the season 11-0 and capturing the NJCAA championship. Glendale was the champions of the Western States Football League and defeated Grand Rapids College (MI), 50-48, in the Valley of the Sun Bowl on December 3.

"That is awesome," Glendale coach Joe Kersting said. "I think you made the right choice."

Glendale piled up impressive wins during the course of the season, outscoring opponents 485-236 along the way. They rolled up 487 yards per game on offense while giving up only 279 yards per game on defense.

"We had a very explosive offense," Kersting said. "We could score from anywhere on the field."

Glendale was led during the season on offense by the lethal combination of Tim Brockwell to Eric McCain and a potent running game led by Johnny Sanchez.

Brockwell finished the season with 2,260 yards passing and 18 TD's against only four interceptions.

"Brockwell is one of the most consistent quarterbacks I have ever coached," Kersting said.

McCain was the go-to-guy for Brockwell, standing 6-foot-5 and 200 pounds. He finished with 40 catches for 759 yards and 10 touchdowns on the season.

"McClain is the most gifted receiver I've coached in 15 years," Kersting said.

Glendale was led on defense by linebacker Torrey Huckaby who was named to the NJCAA honorable mention All-America team. Huckaby was one of four Gauchos who made all-NJCAA teams in 2005, including Brockwell, McCain and offensive lineman Brett Leeds.

"Huckaby is a really great player that is all over the field," Kersting said. "A real talent that loves to play the game."

Glendale won the NJCAA championship in a cliffhanger, 50-48, over Grand Rapids College (MI) in the Valley of the Sun Bowl on December 3. The Gauchos led 50-28 at one time, out-gaining Grand Rapids 490-267 for the game.

Grossmont College made a charge for the title by defeating perennial power City College of San Francisco, 41-38, in the California state championship game. Grossmont forced eight San Francisco turnovers in taking a 38-17 lead at one point in the game and held on for the victory.

Grossmont quarterback Reilly Murphy was named the most valuable player of the game, connecting on 18-of-29 passes for 270 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for a touchdown in the contest.

Derrell Hutsona led the Griffins on the ground with 129 yards rushing and one touchdown.

Both players were named to the JuCal Transfer All State Team two weeks ago.

NJCAA runner-up Grand Rapids finished #8 in the Dirty 30 rankings while City College of San Francisco came in at #7 in the final rankings.