The College of San Mateo football program boasts 20 reasons on its Web site to potential recruits on the benefits of joining its team.

Then the Bulldogs back up their reasons, year after year. CSM is in the midst of completing one of its biggest hauls ever in the Larry Owens era, having already transferred 17 players on scholarship to four-year universities.

That huge list doesn’t include two additional players who are currently undecided on where they’re going to play in the fall, which would bring the total to 19 when it’s all said and done.

CSM players transferring on scholarship include Bryan Powers (University of Mississippi), John Harris and Drew Ryan (San Jose State), Ray Hisatake and Francis Maka (Hawaii), Latu Moala (Oregon State), Ryan Kelly (Eastern Washington), Isa Hines and Jose Avina (Nicholls State-Louisiana), Jose Bonilla (Missouri Western), Nate Clements (Benedictine College-Kansas), Ian Freeman (Cal Lutheran), Gil Hernandez (Virginia Union), Evyn Roman (North Texas), Shaman Thompson (Central Arkansas), Kenny Walker (Southern Illinois) and James Williams (Truman State-Missouri).

Bulldogs coach Owens and offensive coordinator/assistant head coach Bret Pollack said they were most proud of the fact the program has combined athletics and academics with stunning success.

“All these kids, it’s not just signings,” Pollack said. “These are 19 kids who have transferred because they have completed their academic coursework. Eighteen of these 19 kids who came to CSM did not have a scholarship coming out of high school. The kids supply the effort, we supply the structure.”

CSM’s football juggernaut averages approximately 15 transfers on scholarships every year, which is on par to the top junior college programs in the nation.

“It obviously says a lot for the kids that they took the opportunity that was presented to them,” Owens said. “You always hear about local kids not going anywhere, but shoot, 19 scholarships is a lot of money.

“They did well in school and it obviously says good things about our school, the teachers and the administration. Nineteen of the 23 guys received an Associate of Arts degree, so we’re not only doing it on the field but taking care of business in the classroom.”

Of that, there is little doubt. There are a number of great stories, headlined by Hisatake, who is one of the more remarkable stories in CSM history. The 6-foot-4, 320-pounder came to CSM three years ago having never played organized football.

He attended Westmoor High, which doesn’t field a team. In three short years — he grayshirted his first year to learn the game — Hisatake went from novice to getting Division I offers. He became a force and was particularly effective against the run. Football was so new to Hisatake that he had to learn his hip pads from his knee pads and everything in between.The biggest name signing involves Powers, who prepped at Terra Nova High. Powers was arguably the state’s best punter in the 2006 season. Mississippi is a member of the powerful Southeastern Conference, the toughest league in the country. Period. When a player is picked to go to an SEC school, its speaks volumes.

“When you have a person going to the SEC, that’s big-time,” Owens said. “I told Bryan ‘you’re in the big show now.’ Mississippi put him on full scholarship and he’s going to do well. He’s got a strong leg and great potential. He consistently got the job done.”

Just like the CSM football program.