SAN MATEO — That loud smack you heard last season during College of San Mateo football games came when Francis Maka put a hit on somebody on special teams. Like a bull on the streets of Pamplona during that annual run, Maka huffed and puffed and pulverized anyone in his path.

Consequently, Maka, a 6-foot-3, 250-pound linebacker out of Bellarmine Prep, has seen his role grow exponentially this season. He's now a standout on one of the state's top-ranked defenses.

Riding a six-game winning streak that dates to last season, the Bulldogs (3-0), ranked fourth in the state, travel to Saratoga to play West Valley (2-1) in a non-conference game Saturday at 1 p.m.

CSM coach Larry Owens said they built the defense this season around Maka, a fierce outside linebacker and excellent athlete who transferred to CSM after trying to walk-on at the University of Arizona.

"Francis brings toughness to our team," Owens said. "Last year he made the plays on special teams."

Asked about what went wrong at Arizona, Maka said, "I was not doing the job there, and CSM gave me the opportunity to do it better."

Without much frill or fanfare, the Bulldogs' kicking game has also been pretty special. Freshman punter Brian Powers (Terra Nova) has provided a huge upgrade at the position, with three efforts ending inside the 20. Kicker Gil Hernandez (Woodside) ranks fourth in the state in scoring with 22 points.

CSM's improved secondary figures to be tested by West Valley sophomore Kiel Trudeau, ranked

11th in the state with 668 yards passing. He is 56-for-92, with six touchdown passes and one interception. His favorite receiver, Shama Prentice, is ranked seventh in the state with 22 receptions for 347 yards.

CSM quarterback Jose Avina has rushed 27 times for 265 yards and two TDs, also completing 37 of 66 passes for 417 yards and four TDs.

Last week, CSM's Joey Ah-mu and Ryan Kelly highlighted the 44-12 win over West Hills of Coalinga with interception returns for touchdowns.

Coach Owens is wary of the West Valley challenge. He still has nightmares about blowing a lead against West Valley in a crushing loss three years back.

"West Valley is not a team to mess around with," he cautioned.

The Bulldogs defense has surrendered only 26 points in three games, but even that number is deceiving; few points have come when it has mattered. In the win over West Hills, the visiting Falcons scored two late touchdowns when CSM defensive players were being shuttled on and off the field. The week before, Chabot scored its lone TD in a 30-7 loss to CSM with 2:45 remaining.

In CSM's season-opening 41-7 blowout win over American River, the lone TD by the host Beavers came after a controversial fumble on the CSM 25.