But there is a long history of gridiron state champions. From 1946 through 1966, the Junior Rose Bowl Committee selected a California representative to the game and those selections are recognized as the state champions by the J.C.Grid-Wire, the national authority on community college football. From 1967 to 1974, a state playoff system produced the California champion. Polls determined the state champ in 1975, then the Junior Rose Bowl, under Los Angeles Times sponsorship, returned in 1976 and 1977. The game, by then, had lost much of its appeal, however, and after the Times' withdrawal of its sponsorship, the COA returned to using polls to determine the state champion until instituting a title game.
Selections are for large schools.
This 2001 inductee into the COA Sports Hall of Fame starred on the gridiron at Gavilan College in his hometown of Gilroy before moving on to San Jose State and the Canadian Football League. He established himself as the 49ers' top gun after Steve Young's retirement and set a franchise record for passing yardage in his Pro Bowl 2000 season. All Rights Reserved.