El Camino wins COVID-19 delayed Bell Game, 49-12

South City quarterback Elijah Avegalio (left) looks for an opening as the El Camino defense, including Jovaughn William (4), looks to pull him down in the Bell Game, April 17, 2021. Photo by John Baker.

What was either the longest high school football season in modern times or the shortest, depending on your definition, came to an end on Saturday as El Camino defeated South San Francisco High 49-12 in the 59th edition of the local rivalry known as the Bell Game.

With both schools only playing their fourth contest because of a truncated schedule (and one mutual opponent dropping its team), the number of games played was the fewest since at least the 1960s. But considering the COVID-19 pandemic postponed the 2020 football season to spring 2021 and these teams had started practicing in February 2020, the 14 months together meant these playing units have had more time together than most.

“Everybody’s just happy the seniors had a season,” said El Camino coach Archie Junio. “It was definitely tougher this year. We lost a lot of people to COVID, with people not wanting to come out. Mentally it was one of the toughest years, but as far as appreciation, it’s probably one of the best we've had.”

Saturday’s win was the Colts’ third straight Bell Game triumph, although the Warriors still lead the all-time series, 47-12. Prior to 2018, South San Francisco had won 14 straight.

South City’s last win overall remains a one-point squeaker in the 2017 Bell Game, and the Warriors have lost 24 in a row. But first-year South City Coach Dion Evans, who said he only had 15 players suited up on Saturday, said seeds have been planted to grow success on B Street.

“There’s a wave of players, because I’m coming back, I’m not going to abandon them,” said Evans, the Warriors’ fourth coach in as many seasons. “As a man and a football coach, this is very tough to deal with.”

The outcome of the game was never much in doubt. South City started with the ball, but the second play from scrimmage resulted in El Camino’s Elijah Vazquez picking off an errant pass at the 32-yard line and running it back left to put the Colts up 7-0 after the extra point.

“I was supposed to read the second guy on the right, I peek over … I looked back at the QB, and the ball was right in my face,” Vasquez said. “I took the ball and hauled ass to the end zone.”

South City punted on its next possession, then the Colts scored on theirs with a four-yard Jared Turcios run. The Warriors punted again on their next turn, but Toby Woodworth took the punt back 91 yards on the right to put El Camino up 21-0 after a quarter.

“It started the Bell Game off right,” Vasquez said. “We were tired of losing after all those (14 straight) years and wanted our respect.”

South City (0-4) looked to make a game of it on the next possession, when Elijah Avegalio hooked up with Carlos Marquez on a 28-yard touchdown pass on the left side.

But El Camino (2-2) got three more touchdowns in the second quarter: a nine-yard Jovaughn Williams run, a 40-plus-yard fumble recovery by Joey Pierotti, and an 18-yard pass reception from quarterback Vasquez to Woodworth. The Colts led 42-6 going into the break.

“We tried not to pass as much as we could have,” Junio said. “I know they’re our rival, but I still wanted to be classy. I respect them as a group and I respect coach Dion for what he’s doing.”

With a running clock in the entire second half, both sides only got one score: Noel Valdez scored on a seven-yard run five minutes into the third quarter for El Camino and Carlos Garcia ran the ball in three yards for a South City touchdown with 8:38 left in the game.

In total, the Warriors tallied only 127 yards of net offense, 65 on the ground (led by Avegalio’s 43 net rushing yards, which were offset by about another 40 fumble yards) and 62 in the air. The Colts tallied 208 yards on the ground, paced by 121 yards from Williams, and 40 via the pass.

“We knew that El Camino was a better team right now,” Evan said. “We told (the Warriors) that El Camino was a better team right now, but they could fight and score.”

Practice for the fall season starts in about six weeks, pandemic permitting.

El Camino dominates Bell Game, 39-0

El Camino and South City players line up for a second half snap in the Bell Game on Nov. 9, 2019. The Colts beat the Warriors, 39-0 for their second straight win in the series.

After time ran out on more than a decade of frustrations ended for El Camino in last year’s rivalry against South City, the Colts made time move even faster on Saturday by dominating the Warriors, 39-0, in the first ever Bell Game featuring a running clock.

It was the Colts’ second straight Bell Game triumph, although the Warriors still lead the all-time series, 47-11. Prior to 2018, South San Francisco had won 14 straight.

“Every El Camino program before us, this is revenge for them,” said El Camino senior Javion Tarusan, who had five touchdowns last year and two on Saturday. “Even though the season was hard, this is a good group of fellas and we worked really hard as a team.”

South City finishes 0-10 for the second straight year and was shut out for the seventh time this season.

“The energy was there, I’m not going to blame it on a lack of experience,” said first-year South City head coach Taulaga Elisaia. “They’re all athletes, they know how to get out there and compete.”

El Camino (2-8) received the kickoff and scored on its first possession on a 7-yard run from sophomore Sonnie Terreros. But the Colts were only in position to score after Noel Valdez converted a fourth-down quarterback sneak at midfield a half-dozen plays earlier. Tarusan caught a PAT pass to put El Camino up 8-0 with 5:27 left in the first quarter.

“We ran a pitch to the left,” Terreros said. “I saw the corner go out, so I cut in and the safety was already beat.”

South City (0-10 for the second-straight season) just couldn’t get it going offensively, tallying only 78 yards on the day, 70 of them on the ground. The Warriors were paced by Elijah Avegalio’s 29 yards on six carries, followed up by Christopher Garcia Magallon’s 27 yards on nine carries.

The lack of offense also indirectly contributed to the Colts’ second touchdown, when Tarusan received a South City punt exactly at midfield and ran it 50 yards, right up the middle, to put El Camino up 16-0 after the PAT midway through the second quarter.

“My blocks helped me out. That was it,” Tarusan said.

Tarusan added a second touchdown – his seventh career Bell Game TD – with 1:06 left in the half, on a 57-yard rush up the right side. Valdez again passed for a two-point conversion, making it 24-0 going into the break.

El Camino kicked off the second half with a bullet into the South City frontline, but the Warriors frontmen muffed the kickoff and the Colts had the ball on the South City 45 to start the second half. A couple plays later, El Camino’s Thomas Haysbert pulled down a 44-yard Valdez airstrike to put the Colts up 32-0 after a fourth two-point conversion pass.

The Colts scored one final time four seconds into the fourth quarter on a one-yard Elijah Vasquez run, and for the first time ever, the Bell Game went to a running clock.

The closest the Warriors came to the end zone was on their very first drive when South City got to the El Camino 23, but turned over on downs. It was a disappointment for the all-alumni South City coaching staff, of whom only the head coach is over age 23.

“We have to be consistent,” Elisaia said. “We were not able to keep up the momentum.”

Valdez completed 5 of 6 passes for 107 total yards for El Camino, while Ferdinand Galang completed 2 of 9 for 8 net yards for South City. The Colts tallied 274 total yards to South City’s 78. There were no turnovers.

Terreros, who rushed for 62 yards on nine carries, transferred from Hillsdale to El Camino for his sophomore season, but said he already could feel the rivalry.

“Even in the locker room and walking up, you could feel the pressure, you could feel the hate on the field,” he said. “During the season, it was bad; we were stressing over the record. But today we feel like a whole new team.”

Colts and Warriors shake hands following the completion of the Bell Game.

El Camino wins Bell, snaps South City's streak at 14

If history proves a kind judge, the 57th Bell Game on Saturday will not be remembered by HOW it ended, but by WHAT it ended.

For the first time since 2003, El Camino defeated South City High in the annual rivalry, buoyed to a 41-15 margin by five Javion Tarusan touchdowns. The win ended a 14-game losing streak by El Camino, which has freshmen on campus that had not been born the last time the Colts won a Bell Game.

But, as sometimes happens in rivalry game, emotions ran high -- a little too high. Officials ended the game early, expressing their dismay with seven fourth-quarter personal fouls by symbolically walking off the field with 2:36 left on the clock. It was an anti-climatic finish to a game that the Warriors had led at the half.

“I’ve never seen it,” said El Camino coach Archimedes Junio. “It’s a rivalry game and there were a lot of personal fouls, but a seven-man crew walking off the field because of a taunting penalty is pretty outrageous. The last thing they did was they pointed at the scoreboard and walked off.”

Tarusan was the hero in El Camino’s win, scoring two touchdowns on kick returns, two on interception returns, and one receiving.

“Amazing. I don’t remember anything like that,” Junio said. “He’s been doing that all year, leading us in touchdowns, leading us in interceptions, everything.”

Tarusan, a junior captain, said the win would hopefully start a new streak.

“We’ve just got to keep it there (at EC) for years, just like South City had it,” he said. “For the next 14 years, the next 30 years, we’ve just got to keep it.”

The final score did not reflect the back-and-forth nature of the first half. The Warriors got on the scoreboard first, with a 43-yard field goal by Nelson Ramirez capping an eight-play opening drive, which was the only score of the first quarter.

Early in the second quarter, Tarusan worked the first of his magic: first fumbling, then picking up a South City punt and taking it through the approaching Warriors line 60 yards to put the Colts up 7-3 after the extra point.

“It was my blocking,” Tarusan said. “I saw a hole and i just ran through and I ended up with a touchdown.”

After a trade of punts, South City got a big play when Frank House, well… took it to the house, taking a Demetrius Gutu pass 75 yards up the left for a touchdown with 5 minutes left in the second quarter.

How long did it take El Camino to respond? About the 14 seconds it took Tarusan to pull the ensuing kickoff down at the six and run 94 yards up right for another Colts touchdown. EC led 14-9 with 4:46 before halftime.

Two minutes later, Noel Elasia burst through the middle for a 21-yard touchdown run for the Warriors. Although South City could not convert the two-point PAT try, its defense did have a three-play goal-line stand on EC’s next drive and led 15-14 going into the half. When El Camino running back Jonas Junio was injured early in the second half, there was some trepidation on the Colts sideline.

“I was nervous, but I knew that with the adjustments we were going to make, we’d be OK,” Junio, the coach, said regarding the feeling he had when Junio, the player (and coach’s nephew), went down.

There indeed was no real need to worry, as El Camino scored four unanswered touchdowns after the break. The first came on the same series Jonas Junio was hurt on, as Tarusan pulled down a 24-yard pass from sophomore quarterback Noel Valdez and carried it 24 yards for a touchdown. The Colts, or rather, Tarusan stopped South City’s next drive with a 90-yard interception return when the Warriors threatened the red zone.

Senior running back Ivan Pineda scored on a three-yard rush midway through the fourth quarter to cap a long El Camino drive, then Tarusan stopped the Warriors’ next drive with a 51-yard pick-six interception.

“Right before that play, this guy targeted me and it just fired me up,” Tarusan said. “I had to go out a play, I came back in and got the pick-six. It was just destined.”

The loss capped a tough year for South City, which finishes 0-10 under first-year coach Jerome Lee. The Warriors tallied 195 yards on the ground, led by Elasia, who had 16 carries for 102 yards. Romeo Alapati added 67 yards on 12 carries. Gutu completed 7 of 19 yards for 149 yards, with one touchdown and two interceptions.

El Camino finishes 4-6 under first-year coach Archie Junio. The Colts tallied 102 yards on the ground, paced by 60 yards on 13 carries by Jonas Junio prior to his injury. Valdez completed 9 of 11 passes for 105 yards.

“This is amazing,” coach Junio said, savoring the win. “We’re trying to change the culture of this whole rivalry and we’re trying to do the right things. I’m just so glad it happened on my first year here.”

Below: Halftime entertainment from the South City Spirit Squad and the teams shake hands at the end of the game.

In defense of high-density housing near SSF BART

(There are proposals to build housing on a vacant lot down the trail from South San Francisco BART station. The fact that some alternatives promoted by potential developers are up to 15 stories tall has upset many residents. Here, resident John Baker makes a plea for more housing on the location.)


South San Francisco is an older city, and I’m not talking about the fact it recently celebrated its 107th anniversary.

What I mean is that it is a community where the median age of a resident has risen from 26.8 in 1970 to 38.1 in 2010 as home-owning adults aged in place and younger people moved away to start families in more-affordable locales. In fact, South San Francisco has almost 3,500 fewer school-aged kids than it did when I was born, despite the city’s population increasing by more than 20,000 in that time. (Note, I’m talking the physical existence of children, not just enrollment in our public schools.) Families increasingly cannot afford to stay in this city.

That’s why meaningful housing construction, like the proposals for homes on the former SFPUC location just south of the South San Francisco BART station, are important for South City’s future.

I recently completed a seven-year stint as a commissioner on the South San Francisco Public Housing Authority. I’ve seen the damage done to families by a housing supply that is far short of demand: runaway rents, soaring housing costs, and an influx of money that is both directly and indirectly leading to displacement of some of our most vulnerable. The waiting list for our Public Housing is so long that the Authority won’t even quote wait times. The waiting list for a Section 8 voucher is long as well, and good luck finding a landlord that will accept one.

We have a profound need to increase housing supply. I think many people in South City agree on that. However, some people say, “I support more housing, but this is not the right place.” To me, this location is the absolute best place to build housing on the Peninsula: Hundreds of units, up to 160 of them affordable, literally right next to a BART station and a heavily used bicycle/pedestrian path, right next to the Peninsula’s longest street, and within blocks of schools and grocery stores. It will be adjacent to what will soon be the newest, most advanced-technology library in San Mateo County. This is the place.

There’s reasonable discussion to be had as to how tall these buildings need to be. I’m guessing we initially had proposals of up to 15 stories because developers realize they will likely be trimmed down to seven (which is how tall the tallest new proposals appear to be). They didn’t ask for seven, because then it would be trimmed down to four. Personally, I think we need far more publicly subsidized housing – not just BMR housing. But anything a project in this location can do to help our supply is appreciated.

I’ve heard or read many of my neighbors says something to the effect of “No one asked for this,” Well… (raises hand) … I’m asking for this.

• I’m asking for this because I don’t want wetlands and farms in the Central Valley turned into blacktop.
• I’m asking for this because I do not want any more homes on San Bruno Mountain. Or on landfill in the Bay.
• I’m asking for this because helping people get homes, or at least having homes for newcomers so those current renters are less likely to be displaced, is the right thing to do.

The single-most meaningful challenge for our younger generations will be climate change. Building high-density infill housing near transit is an impactful way to meet our state’s ambitious climate goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 40 percent of their 1990 levels. The days of the super-commute have to end. And, I would suggest, if cities want to ensure people in such buildings actually take mass transit, reduce or eliminate parking minimums for such projects.

I’ve read residents online complaining that “The Hillsboroughs of the world aren’t building their share of housing, so why should we?” To me, that’s like asking why I have to sort my recycling from the trash if my neighbors don’t. We should make sure there’s more housing, even if some of our neighbors don’t because we’re more ethical than them. We’re more environmentally conscious than them.

And finally, the leadership of this city is more responsible for the mess than them. The predecessors of the current city council promoted policies that created thousands more jobs than housing units between 2000 and 2010. And you know what? Downtown South San Francisco is more active, our streets are a little cleaner, and extra policing has made our gang problem less acute. But — and I’m not saying this is unique to South City by any means — we have fallen behind on our responsibilities to keep housing supply and demand balanced.

So I am asking the City to build this. The more units, the better. Please.

John Baker is a former chair of the South San Francisco Public Housing Authority and current trustee for the South San Francisco Unified School District. This essay is his own opinion as an individual and not necessarily representative of any organization of which he is a part.

South City wins 14th straight Bell Game, 36-6

Spencer Eugenio scores on a five-yard second quarter run for South City High in the Bell Game, on Nov. 4, 2017.

For the 14^th straight season, the Bell tolls for South San Francisco High School.

With no end to the streak in sight, the Warriors topped El Camino, 36-6, on Saturday in the 56^th annual matchup of the crosstown rivals.

“It’s not that difficult (to keep the intensity up), it’s the Bell Game” South City coach Jay Oca said. “These guys are neighbors, they’ve know each other since they were in elementary school. Both teams are going to fight, crawl and scratch to get into the end zone.”

South City’s Spencer Eugenio was the unofficial player of the game, tallying the majority of the Warriors’ offensive yards by rushing for 235 yards on 30 carries and scoring two touchdowns.

“He’s an explosive athlete,” Oca said. “He does everything; he runs the ball, he passes, he catches, he kicks the ball — he does whatever you want him to do.”

El Camino started with the football, but fumbled it away four plays into the game. In a preview of the impact he would have later, Eugenio picked it up for the Warriors. Twelve plays later, Eugenio capped a 58-yard drive with a four-yard touchdown run with 5:29 left in the first quarter, after which he also took in the two-point conversion.

The fumble set a bad tone for El Camino, according to Colts coach Eric Jacobson.

“I felt really good on that first drive and then we put the ball on the ground,” he said. “You can’t have these little things happen in a big game; they multiply.”

Oca agreed.

“That was huge,” he said. “They we kind of driving on us they were eating up yardage, and real quickly that (recovery) emotionally turned us around.”

Eugenio scored again 7:35 before halftime on a five-yard run. Kalvin Pua also scored a touchdown 1:36 before the break to put South City up 24-0 after two quarters (the Warriors tallied a two-point conversion after all three touchdowns).

“I felt it was good to be quick and out, and come out with a boom,” Eugenio said. “Having a hard week of practice went well for us and everything our coaches did prepared us for this.”

While El Camino (3-6) held South San Francisco (also 3-6) scoreless in the third quarter, Pua — who had 122 yards on 25 carries — scored his second touchdown of the game with 6:23 remaining on an eight-yard run. Quarterback Tyson Alapati scored with 2:41 left on a five-yard keeper.

“We just didn’t make plays,” Jacobson said. “They came to play and we didn’t. I think you can tell that by the way they were running the ball.”

El Camino’s only score came with just 28 seconds left in the game, when quarterback Jonas Junio hit Ian Dugas on the right side for a 30-yard scoring pass.

Emilio Urrutia had 38 yards on seven rushes to pace the Colts’ ground game. Junio completed four of 13 passes for 65 yards. South City’s Demetrius Gutu caught the only pass Alapati attempted for a 12-yard gain. In all, South City outgained El Camino with 400 total yards of offense to the Colts’ 173.

“What kept us moving was wanting to run the ball as hard as we can in the last Bell Game for our seniors,” Eugenio said. “There’s a lot of pressure on it, but I feel that us being a team keeps us focused.”
The Colts' last win in the series remains a 35-19 upset in 2003. Jacobson’s disappointment was apparent.

“I thought we had them really well prepared, especially after Capuchino, but another year has gone by,” he said. “Sometimes I hate Novembers. I’ve hated the last 15 Novembers for sure.”
Both teams do get a rare bounce-back week after the Bell Game next Thursday, making up for games that were postponed because of poor air quality caused by last month’s wildfires. El Camino will host Jefferson at 7:30 p.m., while South San Francisco will travel to Woodside.

South City defeats El Camino, 28-27, in new Bell Game classic

El Camino's Ian Dugas (No. 3, right) runs away on a 60-yard scoring pass in the first quarter of Saturday's 55th Bell Game at South San Francisco High. Click to enlarge.

What defines a classic?

Art? Universal appeal? Something that stands the test of time and influences what comes after it?

If those are the definitions, then Saturday’s 55th edition of the Bell Game between South San Francisco and El Camino highs was truly a classic.

The game featured art in the skillful execution of trick plays. It featured universal appeal in the grit of its competitors grinding it out in the face of shifting odds. Finally, its back and forth nature will stick forever with those who played in it, teaching lessons that will influence major decisions in their lives about dealing with pressure and not taking things for granted.

So, it that regard, South City’s 28-27 victory over El Camino at Clifford Field will go down as a classic.

“I’ve been at every Bell Game since 1983,” said El Camino head coach Eric Jacobson. “I’ve seen scoreboards blow up, streakers, a couple nice wins by El Camino, but this was a heart-breaker.”

The game wasn’t decided until time expired and a tackle was made on El Camino’s last-gasp pass play at midfield. The fact that the Colts had even gotten to that point was an achievement.

South City had taken a 28-14 lead with just under 10 minutes left in the game on Jeremiah Lupe’s third touchdown of the game, a 42-yard run up the left side.

“It feels great man, we finally showed up and did our thing,” Lupe said. “I want to give credit to my line. Without them, I wouldn’t have had those touchdowns — they opened some big gaps.”

Lupe’s score had seemed initially to take the wind out of El Camino’s sails. In fact, the Colts looked done after a fourth down passing pass went incomplete at midfield with 8:55 left in the game. But as EC quarterback Jimmy Bakshi got back up on his feet after being knocked down, he was happily surprised to be the beneficiary of a roughing the passer penalty. El Camino then capitalized a few plays later when Bakshi stretched over the goal line on a one-yard keeper to get the Colts within a touchdown with 5:12 left.

Then a little art: El Camino dribbled the ensuing kickoff just a few yards upfield and masterfully recovered. A handful of plays later, Bakshi connected with Ian Dugas for the latter’s third receiving touchdown of the day — a 25-yard lob into a crowd in the right side of the end zone. The Colts were within a point.

At that point the Colts lined up for two. Bakshi rolled left on the snap and threw a line drive. South City linebacker David Alapati burst through the line, however, and intercepted the PAT try, all but giving the Warriors the victory.

“I knew I had to go and get that interception,” Alapati said. “My eyes went hella big when I saw him roll (my way).”

Jacobson said he decided to put everything on the line and go for two under the assumption that El Camino would never have as good a chance.

“I was always going to go for two,” Jacobson said. “We know there’s overtime, but I didn’t like our chances going in there because we were getting beaten up on the defensive side of the ball. When you get a chance to win the Bell, you’re going to take that shot.”

With the win, South City finishes the season 3-7, while El Camino finishes 1-9. The Colts' last win in the series remains a 35-19 upset in 2003.

The game’s first score came about five minutes into the contest on a 38-yard left run by Lupe. Just two plays later, a wide-open Dugas scored his first touchdown on a 60-yard pass from Bakshi. After a quarter, it was 7-7.

Dugas (four receptions for 161 yards) put El Camino up 14-7 34 seconds before halftime with a 49-yard score set up by a successful fake punt. Lupe tied the game on a 40-yard run with 3:47 left in the third quarter, then quarterback Tyson Alapati scored on a one-yard keeper with 14 seconds left in the third, setting up the momentous fourth.

“Ian made some incredible catches today,” Jacobson said. “He singlehandedly kept us in the game today.”

Lupe led all rushers with 186 yards on 13 carries, followed by teammate Kolson Pua, who carried 20 times for 90 yards. The Warriors generated 349 combined yards of offense.

El Camino was led by Bakshi, who completed seven of 12 passes for 161 yards. El Camino only tallied 61 yards total on the ground, spread amongst seven rushers. The Colts tallied exactly 100 fewer total yards than South City.

Defensively, RJ Aquino tallied a fumble recovery and an interception for El Camino. For South City David Alapati had another interception beyond the one on the PAT, and Jacob Martinez recovered a fumble.

“There was a lot of pressure,” Lupe said. “Both teams came out to play. We played to our fullest potential and I have to give props to El Camino — they really came out.”

In other words, it was a classic.

Fourth quarter action during the Bell Game, Nov. 5, 2016. South San Francisco High beat El Camino, 28-27.

Victorious South City players perform a haka-like ceremonial dance after their victory.

Kamelamela leads South City to 12th-straight Bell Game victory, 53-22

South City quarterback Kolson Pua rolls out on a six-yard run in the second quarter of the Bell Game, on Saturday, Nov. 14, 2015. Photo by John Baker.

It’s now an even dozen in a row for South San Francisco High, which won its 12th straight Bell Game on Saturday against rival El Camino, 53-22, in the 55th edition of the rivalry.

One of the reasons South City now has a dozen straight Bells was the play of senior running back Eric Kamelamela, who tallied 223 yards on 33 carries, and scored four touchdowns.

“It’s the best feeling in the world,” Kamelamela said. “(The Bell) is staying at South City — for many years to come, also.”

Kamelamela’s efforts were a key part of a Warriors attack that compiled an impressive 483 total yards of offense (330 on the ground and 153 passing), compared to a net total of just 68 total yards for El Camino.

South City finishes the season 4-6, while El Camino finishes 1-8. The Colts' last win in the series remains a 35-19 upset in 2003.

"We gave it a good shot, but they were too much for us,” said El Camino coach Eric Jacobson. “The one thing I can say about the kids on this team is that they’re very good kids. I really had a good time with all of them.”

After the Colts stopped South City on their first two drives, the Warriors finally broke through on their third try. Tavaimanu’uliletiuoali’I Tuitasi capped a long South San Francisco drive with a one-yard barrel across the goal line to put the Warriors up by six with 45 seconds left in the first quarter.

South City scored again four minutes into the second quarter when Juan Borrego pulled down a 44-yard pass from quarterback Kolson Pua.

El Camino got on the board on a defensive play 2:05 before halftime when CJ Bautista picked up a loose ball on a South City lateral attempt and ran it back nearly 80 yards for the Colts’ first touchdown.

“It was like 3-and-18, so we had to do something,” said South City coach Jay Oca on the lateral attempt. “They had picked us off on one of our deep balls and that play is usually money for us.”

It was the fourth week in a row SSF had given up a touchdown on an offensive fumble or turnover.

The teams exchanged touchdowns in the final 1:13 before the break, with David Miller scoring for South City on a 60-yard pass from Pua just two scrimmage plays after EC’s score, and the Colts’ Armin Webb throwing up a halfback option that receiver Efrain Ramon pulled down for a 21-yard score right before the break.

In the second half, Kamelamela stepped up, gaining the majority of his yards and scoring all four of his touchdowns (on runs of 3, 37, 20, and 46, respectively). Oca said Kamelamela “got stronger as he went on,” but Kamelamela said he just played smarter.

“Throughout the game, I learned what they were doing,” he said. “I saw what they were doing on different plays, reacted to that and did my thing.”

In the third quarter, El Camino briefly got within a touchdown on Jordan Ebalo’s 9-yard TD pass reception and a 2-point conversion (also from Ebalo), but Kamelamela helped extend South City’s lead from there.

Besides Kamelamela’s scores, the Warriors also got a 23-yard field goal from Angel Nevarez in the second half.

“In the first half, a lot of penalties brought us back; We had to do a lot of things to try to get first downs,” Oca said. “Once we settled down, we were able to run our offense and pound the ball, which was our game plan.”

Lua completed five of 13 passes for 124 yards for South City, which also got 55 yards on 11 carries from running back Peter Lopez and an interception from David Alapati.

El Camino tallied only seven yards rushing, but made some progress through the air. Junior quarterback Heinay Keller completed six of 11 passes for 40 yards, and Webb both made his single pass attempt, but also picked off a South City pass.

Jacobson takes some solace in the fact that the junior varsity won their game 41-7.

“One thing we have going for us is that we’re very junior oriented and our JV team is very talented,” Jacobson said. “They won a big one today, so the future looks bright.”

It will look even brighter next fall, with permanent lights installed at Colts Field. Ground-breaking for the lights’ installation is scheduled for April.

Click arrows below to scroll through a slideshow with photos from the game:

The costs of running for office (or, What I learned in the SSFUSD race)

(Note: I ran for the South San Francisco Unified School District's Board of Trustees in the November 2014 election. I know it may not seem so, because I didn't mention it on this blog, but I did. I had a website and everything! I didn't win, BTW. This time.)

Top vote-getter Rick Ochsenhirt (center) is formally sworn in by former Assemblyman Gene Mullin at the SSFUSD Board meeting on Dec. 17, 2014. Photo by John Baker.

Early on Wednesday, I filed papers with the Secretary of State to officially close my campaign committee (closing it by the end of the year allowed me to avoid a $50 fee).

It’s a bit of closure on what was an illuminating, unusual experience that was both disappointing and rewarding. More thoughts on that below. But first, let’s look at the math…

In the latest (and likely final) tally from the San Mateo County Elections Office, I got 2,801 votes (thanks to all!). For those votes, my campaign spent a grand total of $2,228.10. For those counting, it means I spent roughly 79.5 cents per vote. (For reference, my last three campaign finance reports are available here. Final filing starts on page 27 of the pdf document.)

To put that number in perspective, in the 2012 US Presidential election, Barack Obama’s campaign spent $10.37 per vote (or $16.73 when independent, outside money is included) and Mitt Romney’s campaign spent $7.11/$20.09).  In other words, I ran a campaign about 13 times more efficient than the president’s!

I have no idea (officially) how well how the other candidates did, as no other candidate has posted their campaign finance data online (despite at least one promise to do so), and I’ve no inclination to take a bus or car down to the elections office on remote Tower Road in unincorporated San Mateo to pull campaign finance papers and find out. But I’d guess that I’d be slightly below the median in terms of cost per vote.

Anecdotally and observationally, I’d guess candidates Sue Olinger (who seem to have spent next to nothing), Monica Peregrina-Boyd (who dropped out of the race after filing) and possibly Phil Weise may have been marginally more efficient. I’d guess each of the other four candidates were less efficient.

My three biggest expenditures were signage ($600.84), filing fees with both the County and State ($529.36), and my share of the printing costs for the countywide Democratic Party mailer ($450).

My three biggest donors were myself ($788.10), my father-in-law ($300), and fellow candidate Patrick Lucy ($200 – donated after the election {Thanks Patrick!}). About 20 other donors, with contributions ranging from $25 to $150, made up the difference.

From a candidate’s prespective, and as someone who’s covered local elections in San Mateo County since 1998, I really don’t think the lessons learned this election are really that surprising. Some old observations again proved true. For example:

• Some voters rely more on candidate name recognition and occupational titles rather than looking at a candidate’s education and experience;
• Who supports a candidate is sometimes more important than what the candidate supports;
• And, above all, money makes the difference in a low-information campaign. I may throw almost all my campaign mail in the recycling, but many other voters learn nothing about an election other than what they see on slick, glossy mailers. (That said, my 100 or so personal letters to voters, many with Batman stamps, got a very good response rate according to my informal exit polling). 

Policy-wise, I don’t think I’d change much about my election platform if I could go back. I probably would’ve hit the walking and writing trail earlier in an effort to sway early voters. But in terms of time, as a full-time employee with two young kids, it would’ve been hard to offer more. Still, lessons learned.

(Left: Former Trustee Phil Weise, who had just ended a 17-year-run on the Board, addresses the audience at the Dec. 17, 2014, SSFUSD meeting.)

While getting elected was the immediate goal, it wasn’t the ultimate one. The ultimate goal is to improve our kids’ education in the South San Francisco Unified School District. I think the spirited, active campaign with policy at the forefront that we just saw was a good step in that direction.

The winners in this election are all dedicated, caring people with experience in reaching out to the population. Maybe they're all a little more toward the social side of the scale and I'm more to the “policy-wonk” side than they are, but I still have faith in them.

And I will still be watching. I’ve redirected my campaign Facebook and Twitter accounts into watchdog status. I will still observe what I see in the District with a critical eye and put my analysis online.

And who knows? My campaign signage and business cards didn’t have an election year on them and I have plenty left of both, ready to be used again. You may see me again in two-to-four years if the current SSFUSD Board doesn’t do sterling work.

El Camino learns lessons, but South City keeps Bell, 36-0

South City's Eric Kamelamela is brought down on a run during the first half of the 2014 Bell Game. Photo by John Baker.

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO -- If sports are a microcosm of life, the El Camino High football team did a lot of living this fall.

The Colts lost a head coach due to criminal allegations, program members were alleged to have participated in racially based hazing (a charge those affiliated with the program dispute), the team was beset by injuries, and -- to top it off -- rival South San Francisco High shut out El Camino, 36-0, in Saturday’s Bell Game.

But if you ask Eric Jacobson, who took over the program in the fourth week of the season, the adversity the Colts faced this season will make them better men in the long run.

“They learned a lot about life this year … these guys were reading stuff in the paper that was not true. It kind of gave us a black eye, but I really think it made us stronger,” Jacobson said. “The guys should really be commended for the effort they made.”

On Saturday, however, it was the Warriors whose effort paid off the most. The tone was set early. El Camino went three-and-out on its first possession, then South City started its drive on its own 46 yard line. On his team’s second play, Eric Kamelamela took a handoff and busted out a 49-yard run up the right sideline for a score.

“I was just doing it for my team; it was the Bell Game,” Kamelamela said. “I think it set the mood for the rest of the game.”

The Colts again went out on downs on their next possession, in fact El Camino punted five times in the first half to just once for South City. The Warriors took advantage and showed a little trickery, scoring on a 40-yard running back option pass from Tommy Miller to Jose Galban with 2:48 left in the first quarter.

“The (South City) quarterback doesn’t throw the ball very often -- it’s the backs and the other people,” Jacobson said. “That’s why those plays are so good; you’re focusing on the running back so much.”

Galban said the play helped buoy his team

“It feels great to win,” Galban said. “We executed today and played very well -- that’s what we were planning to do all season.”

South City (4-6) got two more rushing touchdowns in the second quarter, one from Cesar Torres (two yards) and the other from Kamelamela (eight yards). The Warriors took a 29-0 lead into halftime, having outgained the Colts 248-24 in yardage at the break.

El Camino (3-7) stepped up better in the second half, with Jaqari Taylor and CJ David pulling down interceptions. But South San Francisco also put up an effective defense, with Galban pulling down an interception just in front of the goal line late in the third quarter to kill EC's best scoring chance.

South City's Terrell Townsend knocks down a pass from EC's Andrew Pierotti late in the first half. Photo by John Baker.

After South City’s Mauricio Mabutas ran the ball in 16 yards for a touchdown with 8:21 left in the game, making the score 36-0 after the extra point, the contest transitioned to a running clock, and the Warriors’ victory came quickly.

Kamelamela, just a junior, led all rushers with 21 carries for exactly 200 yards. Teammate Alex Benevides had 67 yards on 11 carries. Terrell Townsend had two sacks defensively for the Warriors. El Camino’s longest play of the day was a 33-yard pass from quarterback Andrew Pierotti to Anthony Graham.

Jacobson, who started his second stint as the Colts’ head coach midway through this season, hopes to return next season to give the team stability.

“I plan on being back,” he said. “I’ve been here a lot of years and I want to be here.”

It was South City’s 11th straight Bell Game victory and 43rd overall in the series.

Below, a slideshow from the 2014 Bell Game:


Like this story? I also covered the Bell Game in 2013 (click here), 2011 (click here) and 2010 (click here).

Dons shut out Colts, 19-0

El Camino receiver Andres Abarca (in red) is swamped by Aragon defenders as he tries to make a catch late in the game on Sept. 13, 2014. Photo by John Baker.

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO — A close game got away from El Camino High on Saturday, as Aragon took advantage of a couple trick plays and a stifling secondary to beat the Colts 19-0 on El Camino’s gridiron.

El Camino (1-1) just couldn’t get much going. Its pass-heavy offense, which performed well the week before in a victory at Washington, wasn’t enough on Saturday. Quarterback Andrew Pierotti completed nine of 25 passes for 108 yards, for an El Camino team that was only able to manage 122 yards of net offense, but was intercepted four times.

“A couple of them were great plays (by Aragon defenders),” said El Camino coach Mark Turner, “and a couple of them were bad throws.”

Aragon coach Steve Sell said his secondary is all second-year starters.

“Those guys are all great athletes and now they’re experienced,” Sell said. “They take pride in their ‘no-fly zone.’ Our defense kept us in the game because we were not very good offensively in the first half.”

Aragon (2-0) got on the board with 6:37 left in the second quarter, when halfback Devin Grant took a handoff, then threw a pass as the El Camino secondary rushed in after him to Tyee Stokman, who scrambled 60 yards up the right side to make it 6-0.

“We played them last year, and their safeties crashed on the outside,” said Aragon coach Steve Sell. “We tried to take advantage to how hard they react. We needed something; we were kind of desperate.”

That score held up to halftime. It could have been worse for the Colts, who were bolstered by two key first-half defensive plays — a sack by Elton Vargas that led to a turnover on downs and a big fumble recovery by EC's Gabe DeOlivera right before the break to stop an Aragon drive. Additionally, the Dons were penalized eight times for 90 yards, making it difficult for them to get much momentum.

A second throw from a running back set up a five-yard Grant touchdown run four minutes into the second half. Like the big play in the first half, the Dons took advantage as the Colts’ secondary rushed the ball carrier.

“When guys get antsy they want to be making a play,” Turner said. “Sometimes they make a play that’s not supposed to be their play.”

(Story continues below picture.)

Devin Grant scores in the third quarter for Aragon.Photo by John Baker.

Grant led all rushers with 82 yards on 11 carries. Andres Abarca was El Camino’s leading receiver with three catches for 43 yards.

Grant also took in a 19-yard touchdown with just under a minute left in the third quarter. El Camino got into the Aragon red zone in the game’s final minutes, but could not cross the goal line.

Both high schools in South San Francisco are still winless at home on their new Measure J-funded artificial turf fields. Visiting South San Francisco High beat El Camino, 29-28, in the Colts’ field debut on Nov. 16. Visiting Capuchino beat South City, 14-7, in the first game at the Warriors’ new digs on Friday night. El Camino hosts Lincoln High of San Francisco next Saturday at 2 p.m. in an effort to beat the dry spell.

SSF Ferry ridership getting better, but still not quite up to par

The South San Francisco ferry terminal. Photo credit: Chris Stevens, via Flickr.

Ferries are great. They're one of the best bargains with which to tour a waterfront city.

In some areas -- such as Sydney, Seattle, New York City -- they're also a vital link in regional mass transit systems. Not so much in the San Francisco Bay Area. Here ferries may be convenient, but they're also expensive and redundant.

With BART, multiple bridges and an active bus system crossing the Bay, ferries are mostly a novelty -- and a costly one at that.

While Oakland and Marin ferries to San Francisco get decent passenger numbers, an 18-month-old ferry from Oakland to South San Francisco has been struggling to find riders. It started off with much fanfare, but once the novelty (and free first-week rides) wore off, ridership dropped and costs continued to mount.

One reason is that because the service is heavily geared toward those commuting to SSF from the East Bay, those who live in South San Francisco itself find it quite difficult to board the ferry. There is no real transit service from the bulk of South San Francisco to the ferry terminal, located on the far east side of the city, save for an inconvenient, infrequent shuttle that does not share any stops with mainstream SamTrans lines. Nor are there any sidewalks on the main walk to the terminal.

Ridership, as one might expect suffered, dropping to an average of just 136 passengers per day -- subsidized to the tune of more than $80 per trip -- in the ferry's second financial quarter.

So far the ferry, which costs commuters $7 each way, has tallied big bills. These include a new ferry terminal that cost about $26 million and a $2.6 million annual operating subsidy funded mainly by San Mateo County Measure A sales taxes. And, whether it hemorrhages money or not, the ballot measure authorizing the SSF Ferry requires it be funded for a minimum of five years, according to Joe Hurley, director of the San Mateo County Transportation Authority.

But in the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2013-2014, a couple exogenous events bumped up ridership. First, a short strike by BART workers in July, then a brief closure of the Bay Bridge during the week leading up to Labor Day. Also in July, a big change as Genentech, the biotech titan that dominates the east side of South City, began to offer fully subsidized rides for all its employees.
The results?



As this graph shows, ridership has grown to about 332 riders daily, on average -- about double what it had been a year earlier.

"I think we're moving toward the right direction," said April Chan, a planning a development officer for the San Mateo County Transportation Authority, which partially funds the SSF Ferry. "It's not there yet, but much better than in our last report."

Some members of the Authority's Citizen's Advisory Committee (disclaimer, your blog author is a member of said committee) said that the progress has been insufficient.

"This is not even close to acceptable," said CAC member Jim Whittemore at the CAC's monthly meeting on Tuesday. "I understand it's new and they're trying things ... but it's not good enough and needs to get better soon."

With the jump in ridership, the government subsidy has effectively fallen to "just" $33.72 per rider, per trip (below). By contrast, the median subsidy for a bus ride in San Mateo County is around $8 per passenger, with the largest subsidy for a regular SamTrans route being about $19 (for line 359, which is about to be cut).



Fringe benefits that come from a ferry system shouldn't be overlooked, said CAC member John Fox. For example, Fox pointed out that the agency that coordinates ferries in the Bay Area is called the Water Emergency Transportation Authority.

"I don't think you can compartmentalize this as a farebox recovery ratio," he said. "You have to fold in that this was for natural disaster preparedness."

The upward ridership trend is promising, but it remains to be seen how much of it was permanent and how much was the result of the BART strike. Moreover, unless Genentech keeps up its subsidy, ridership will drop precipitously. I like the concept of a ferry to the town I live in, but I'd rather see the money invested in a more cost-effective manner.

Update (Jan. 21, 2014): The Transportation Authority released addition figures after the initial blog post showing that ridership has dropped even further post-BART strike resolution. In December, the South San Francisco Ferry averaged fewer than 250 riders per day. Granted, December is a light month in most transit systems, but ridership had also dropped significantly in November, as shown in the graph below:

South City beats El Camino, 29-28, in first game on new EC Field

El Camino football players burst through a banner prior to the second half of their game against rival South San Francisco High on Saturday. Photos by John Baker.

New field, same result.

Behind two late touchdowns from Dupra Goodman, with the running back taking in his own two-point conversions on both, South San Francisco High won its 10th-straight "Bell Game" on Saturday, edging crosstown rival El Camino High, 29-28. The Colts' last win in the series remains a 35-19 upset in 2003.

It was the first game on El Camino's brand new turf field, the first time the Bell Game had ever been played at the El Camino campus, and all the more heartbreaking for the hosts because the Colts missed a potential game-winning 24-yard field goal just before time expired.

“We told ourselves as coaches, 'We can’t lose this game,'” said former El Camino head coach and current assistant Eric Jacobsen, a key advocate for installing the school bond-funded new field. “It would hurt if it were week one, but this is the Bell Game.”

South City (3-7) scored first on a one-yard Maligi Maluia keeper with 9:36 left in the second quarter. El Camino (6-4) equalized 5:54 before halftime when Brandon Gip (a game-high 249 yards rushing on 24 carries) took a fake punt in 67 yards for the score.

The Warriors went ahead on their next possession, an eight-yard Cesar Torres run capping a short touchdown drive. But El Camino roared right back, taking a 14-13 lead into halftime after a 19-yard touchdown pass from Michael Keegan to Andres Abarca with 11 seconds left.

 

El Camino's Andres Abarca (right) scores on a 19-yard pass from Michael Keegan just before halftime. 

El Camino then scored on the first play from scrimmage in the third quarter, with Gip again doing the damage, this time with a 63-yard touchdown run up the left side. But the Colts kicker shanked the PAT try, setting an ominous tone for later.

The teams exchanged scores early in the fourth quarter, with Goodman tallying an 32-yard scoring run for South San Francisco and Keegan a one-yard keeper to put El Camino up 28-21 after the two-point conversion with 5:06 left to play. On the ensuing Warriors possession, Goodman scored again, this time on an eight-yard run, then added his own extra two points on the PAT, with 1:28 left in the game.

“I said if we’re going to keep getting five, six yards a crack, we’re going for two,” said South City coach Frank Moro. “I just had the confidence that we could do it.”

El Camino advanced all the way to the SSF 2, but two runs and a pass went nowhere. After a delay of game penalty, the Colts tried a 24-yard field goal on fourth down, but it went wide left.

While the Colts were gutted by the narrow loss, Jacobsen said the new field would still be a source of pride for El Camino.

“It was definitely the biggest thing to happen to El Camino athletics in the 22 years that I’ve been here,” he said. “And I’m really proud of the facility. The kids love it and everybody who sees it will be really, really happy.”

Below: a slideshow from Saturday's Bell Game.

International Spam, in South City

A new Grocery Outlet store opened last year in South San Francisco, and I've had the opportunity to shop there a few times. They prices are generally pretty good, although selection can be limited (and be mindful of expiration dates -- things are often being sold just days before the sell by dates).

The store saves money by buying in bulk, overstock, etc. Another way it saves money is by having export-marked food items whose order has apparently fallen through. I recently bought some Welch's grape juice marked for overseas sale, for example.

But the most apparent example was when I last month bought two cans of Spam (yes, I enjoy Spam in non-emailed form).

One (above, right) had markings in an Asian language (possibly Japanese). The other (above left) had what appeared to be Arabic markings and the warning "Pork — Not for Muslims." I'm not sure where that latter can is intended to be sold — maybe India because of the English markings, or Saudi Arabia for the Filipino guest workers (Spam is apparently popular in the Philippines).

Some may worry about "export-quality" items, but I think buying items such as the above is an interesting look into how the outside world sees American product.

El Camino falls, 71-53 in CCS championship game, but comes away with school pride

El Camino's Anthony Knight tries to drive past Sacred Heart Cathedral's Herman Pratt in the first quarter of the CIF-Central Coast Section Division III championship game Saturday at Santa Clara University. Photo by John Baker.

From CCS Chamipionship game

After opening its doors in 1961, it took 51 years for El Camino High School to earn its first league championship and get to its first Central Coast Section boys basketball championship game. After Saturday, the Colts are raring to get right back next season.

Despite being significant underdogs to top-seeded Sacred Heart Cathedral of San Francisco, who play in the powerful West Catholic Athletic League, El Camino came into Saturday night's Central Coast Section Division III championship game with high hopes.

Those hopes were dashed, as the Irish (ranked 14th in the state by Maxpreps.com) took advantage of a sluggish El Camino second quarter to win the championship, 71-53, at Santa Clara University.

Coach Archie Junio (right), who took over the program again this season after coaching the Colts in the early 2000s, will get serious consideration for CCS basketball coach of the year after leading El Camino -- which had never gotten past the quarterfinals -- to a championship game and state playoff berth.

"It was the (SHC) guards shooting lights out," Junio said. "We were banking on them missing some shots, but they weren't missing many shots, especially from the outside."

The Colts were handicapped by playing without starting point guard Elijah White, who was suspended for unrevealed reasons. El Camino could have used his nearly 16 points per game average and floor leadership.

"We didn't have the full force of our arsenal," Junio said. "And even with Elijah, who knows? We needed to be clicking on all cylinders and we weren't -- especially defensively."

Sacred Heart Cathedral coach Darrell Barbour, who had faced a weaker El Camino many times when he coached Woodside, said the El Camino players will always remember this year, regardless of the final result. Barbour should know, as his Irish have made the finals five straight years.

"It never gets old, it can't," he said. "It's just a blessing for these kids to have this experience. I tell them all the time to be humble about everything that happens to us because not every high school kid gets this opportunity."

Indeed it was a special year for El Camino's sports programs.

"We won our league in football, we won our league in basketball," Junio said. "It was just overall a great year thus far for the entire school and the population."

Colts football coach Mark Turner, who also assists Junio on the basketball squad, says more will come for El Camino.

"As far as I'm concerned, we've always been the best school in the city of South San Francisco," Turner said. "We haven't been the winning-ist program, but we're building. It's an everyday process."

For Sacred Heart, the win was the school's third CCS championship just on Saturday, as the Irish won titles in boys soccer and girls basketball earlier.

El Camino still has at least one more game in the State basketball tournament. Pairings will be released late Sunday on the California Interscholastic Federation's website.

SamTrans plans radical service adjustments in 2012

Most SamTrans lines are beneath industry standards for both amount of trip subsidized and boardings per hour, according to officials at the transit system.

SamTrans, San Mateo County's mass transit authority, has been bleeding financially for years. In 2009, the agency cut service by about seven percent (down from the 15 percent initially proposed) and raised fares by 25 cents each way in order to trim about $7 million from its budget.

Even so, the cuts have not been enough. SamTrans has been running a "structural deficit" (one in which even in good economic times, expenditures exceed revenue) for almost a decade. This past fiscal year, that deficit initially amounted to nearly $30 million, leading to -- among other things -- a two-thirds cut in the District's contribution to Caltrain (which almost doomed the latter agency). SamTrans Chief Executive Mike Scanlon told me last year that while reserves had covered losses in previous years, it was "only a couple" more years until those reserves were depleted. Some have even theorized that SamTrans is on the brink of dissolution because of its poor financial state.

So it's no surprise that the agency is looking to completely revamp its service. The district is formulating what it calls the "SamTrans Service Plan," using a combination of professional planning, consulting and public input at a series of public workshops along the Peninsula.

The objective, according to SamTrans documents is to identify both service strengths and areas for improvement, as well as seek to improve ridership over the next five to 15 years. Ultimately, the agency seeks to become a more "market-responsive" entity.

"Our goal is to increase ridership and respond to the different markets in our community," said SamTrans planner Marisa Espinosa to about 20 members of the public and a number of transit officials gathered Wednesday at SamTrans headquarters.

SamTrans facts:
Vehicles: 399
Bus stops: 2,564

Employees
Bus operators: 294
Mechanics: 90
Administrative*: 301
Total: 685
*(Shared with Caltrain and San Mateo Transportation Authority)

Each weekday, according to the National Transit Database, more than 51,300 trips are taken on SamTrans -- less than one-tenth the number handled by San Francisco Muni. Passenger fares cover only about 18.6 percent of SamTrans' operating costs (actually an above-average figure for a suburban bus district), meaning that each bus rider's trip is subsidized about $5.14 from tax dollars.

In a series of public meetings culminating in a Wednesday workshop at the District's headquarters in San Carlos, officials gauged public reaction to three different alternatives for SamTrans' future. SamTrans planners and consultants briefed attendees about the process, including a summary of recent ridership studies, and collected instant feedback from clicker devices supplied to audience proposals about a series of proposed service adjustments.

The first alternative was simply to leave service more or less as it is now. While most of the audience liked that such an alternative would not drastically cut service, a full 50 percent of those voting thought the biggest drawback of that scenario was that it reduced opportunities for investment in new or productive service. Support for the "stand pat" alternative was lukewarm, with only 23 percent of the voters strongly supporting it.

Scenario number two would drastically increase service on the heavily traveled routes on El Camino Real, to as little as 10 minutes peak service between Daly City and Redwood City and 15 minute (all day) between Redwood City and Palo Alto. But such an increase would come as the price of reducing service on local, cross-town routes in San Mateo County. Some poor-performing routes (specifically lines 53, 58, 72, 132, 141, 280 and 294) might face elimination altogether.

While 73 percent of those voting thought that more-frequent service on El Camino Real would be the best outcome in this scenario, 7/12ths of those voting were not happy with the trade-off of cutting service to other routes. Only 19 percent of the voters strongly supported scenario number two, while 50 percent either somewhat or strongly did not support the scenario.

The problem with an El Camino Real emphasis, in my opinion, is that it is based on a false premise. Certainly the ECR routes are the most crowded, but that's because service is already so geared to serving the ECR corridor -- going back to at least the 1998 reorganization of SamTrans' service, which forced most service onto El Camino Real. I believe that if SamTrans is to attract the discretionary rider, it needs to have significant service near people's homes then get them onto ECR or to a train station for a longer commute.

The third scenario may be the most revolutionary, and potentially shows the most promise. This scenario would invest in the productive El Camino Real corridor, but also invest services in the "core market" areas (where housing denisty and transit use are greatest) of Daly City, South San Francisco, San Mateo, Redwood City and East Palo Alto. While some areas of the county might see reduced service (sorry Belmont) and there would be less service into downtown San Francisco, other services would gain.

To me, the best part of this plan is a service I have long advocated for: a limited-stop bus along El Camino Real. For nine years on the SamTrans Citizens Advisory Committee, I told administrators that it shouldn't take almost two hours to get from Daly City to Redwood City on the bus (some rush hour trips hit this mark). A bus that stops only once a mile or so (instead of the 1/4-mile between most stops) would cut a significant portion off that time. Santa Clara County VTA's line 522, which I took frequently while working in Santa Clara over the summer, has been a great success.

Besides the limited stop service, the frequency of regular buses on ECR would increase and important cross-town routes, like the 130 in Daly City/South San Francisco and the 296 (from East Palo Alto to Redwood City), would also come more often. Fully 58 percent of the audience somewhat or strongly supported scenario three (I was in that latter group).

Based on public input during the recent workshops, planners are scheduled to come out with a preliminary proposal over the winter. Following another round of public comment, a final proposal for service adjustments should be before SamTrans' Board of Directors in Spring 2012. SamTrans officials said they welcome continuing public input. Comments can be made online at samtrans.com, SamTrans on Facebook, or by calling (650) 508-6338.

Some of SamTrans' most heavily subsidized routes may face elimination under new service proposals. The route with the largest subsidy, Line 38, is used to transport homeless individuals to the Safe Harbor shelter near San Francisco International Airport.