College of San Mateo football coach Larry Owens has always believed in recruiting local players first.

That philosophy will never change. It’s been a source of pride for Owens that CSM is able to consistently win with local players. But it doesn’t hurt to have an influx of talent from outside San Mateo County, especially when the Bulldogs play in arguably the nation’s toughest junior college conference, the powerhouse NorCal.

This season, a host of players from the talent-rich East Bay are looking to make their mark in a CSM uniform. Sophomore quarterback Kevin Linnell, a graduate of John F. Kennedy High of Fremont, receiver E.J. Boganey (James Logan High of Union City), along with center Avery Bustamante (JFK), cornerback Justin Cain (Berkeley) and cornerback Ryan Battle are all expected to make big contributions in CSM’s quest for a top-three finish in the conference standings. Owens said that “four or five other kids who played high school ball in the East Bay” could be impact players, although he’s coy to reveal the names since the Bulldogs have yet to practice in pads.

“Everyone looks good right now in shorts, shirts and wrapped in cellophane,” Owens said. “Even with the names you mentioned, they’ll have to earn their spots, too. We’ll find out Thursday if guys are as good with pads as they are without. You just don’t know what you’re getting until players stick their nose in and grind it out. A guy can be doing well and then — boom! — he gets hit and is never the same. I’ve seen it happen.”

Programs like CSM have been able to expand their recruiting base ever since a ruling a few years ago that called for junior colleges in the Bay Area to be able to recruit in a contiguous district, i.e., areas that border your own base. For example, the Bulldogs can recruit in San Francisco, portions of the East Bay, South Bay and Santa Cruz-area. When CSM was elevated to the NorCal Conference for the 2004 season, it behooved Owens and his coaching staff to supplement its local talent with players from outside San Mateo County.

“We have to get enough talent to compete in the conference that we’re in,” Owens said. “The competition level is huge, and we’re just trying to field the best team we can.”

When you consistently win like CSM — the Bulldogs averaged nine wins per season over the last four years — high school football players take notice. Owens said he receives “a lot more calls” inquiring about the program.

“Kids are looking for the right fit,” he said. “They want to go to a place where they know they’ll get noticed. We have a lot of other things going on with the completion of our facilities, so that’s a draw as well. Any time you have success in any field, people are going to look at you.”

And it doesn’t hurt to do your homework. That’s how CSM landed Linnell, who started seven games last year and threw for nearly 1,600 yards. Bulldogs offensive coordinator Bret Pollack was scouting Evyn Roman, Linnell’s teammate at JFK, in a passing league when he asked the fleet-footed receiver, “So who threw you all those passes in high school?”

“Coach P gave me a call after he talked to Evyn and that’s how I got here,” Linnell said. “If they hadn’t talked to Evyn, I wouldn’t be here.”

While most of the CSM roster is filled with local talent, the Bulldogs can now count on a strong East Bay influence to keep them in the state’s upper echelon.