De La Salle has been – undoubtedly, undeniably, inarguably – the best team in Northern California this season.
It has a defense that features future Division I college players on the line and secondary and an explosive offense that runs the split-back veer at a level that harkens back to the legendary teams of the 1990s and 2000s.
The Spartans vanquished every other elite program in the region en route to an unblemished 12-0 record.
And yet, even one of the best De La Salle teams over the past decade will be overwhelming underdogs against Mater Dei-Santa Ana on Saturday night in the Open Division state championship game at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo.
Mater Dei has future college players seemingly at every position on the first, second and third string. It’s a level of depth no team in the state, outside of rival St. John Bosco-Bellflower, can even begin to touch.
Calpreps.com’s computer projects De La Salle to lose 44-3 in the program’s first Open Division state title game appearance since 2019, when the Spartans lost to Bosco 49-28.
Will the difference be 41 points, or will the Spartans have a shot deep into the second half?
Here are four ways De La Salle can keep it close:
Shorten the game
De La Salle’s Dominic Kelley #21 grinds out another first down run in the final moments of a 10-7 victory over Pittsburg in the NCS Open Division football championship, Friday, Nov. 22, 2024, at Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
The best defense for De La Salle will be a ball-control offense, and the Spartans have the personnel to execute that game plan.
DLS can cycle between Dominic Kelley, Duece Jones-Drew and Derrick Blanche in the veer as linemen Ace Robinson and crew try to open holes.
Quarterback Toa Faavae has big-play speed, but trading in long bursts for short but consistent gains might actually be desirable for a team that runs for an average of 285 yards per game.
If the Spartans are able to string along lengthy drives, that keeps five-star receivers Kayden Dixon-Wyatt and Chris Henry Jr. and superstar back Jordan Davison off the field.
Kelley (16), Faavae (14) and Blanche (11) have all run for double-digit touchdowns, and four other ball-carriers have at least one rushing touchdown this season.
“We’re not gonna be running all over the place or anything like that, because that never happens in a high-level game like this,” Alumbaugh said. “But we’re gonna have to be able to move the ball on the ground.”
No costly penalties
The margin of error is close to zero for De La Salle, so that means penalties must be kept to a minimum. A hold on a big run or a careless pass interference penalty could spell doom.
And in a game as hyped as the Open championship matchup, amped-up De La Salle players could be prone to late hits or other similar plays, something Alumbaugh said has been a focus of the coaching staff all season.
“We’ve talked about the margin for error across the board, and that lunatic fringe you have to play with,” Alumbaugh said. “You have to play with incredible intensity, intent and effort. But you also have to maintain your composure, and not let your aggression or excitement hurt the team by giving them an easy first down.”
Make plays in the air
De La Salle quarterback Toa Faavae (13) looks to pass the ball against Serra in the first quarter of their game at De La Salle High School in Concord, Calif., on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024. De La Salle defeats Serra 39-10. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
De La Salle is the farthest thing from an air-raid team, with quarterbacks Faavae and Brayden Knight having combined to throw for 1,000 yards and just four touchdowns all season. But while DLS hasn’t put up gaudy passing numbers, Alumbaugh knows that the Spartans can’t rely solely on the running attack to win the game.
“In every close game that wasn’t in a monsoon, we had to throw the ball effectively,” Alumbaugh said. “We weren’t throwing it 40 times a game, but we had to be able to pick up a chunk play or a chunk of yards through the air. ”
De La Salle has options on the outside if they need to make big play. Ant Dean, Jayden Nicholas and Emery Speight are all future college players at defensive back, and have the hands and track speed to turn a pass into a big play.
Against Mater Dei, which has multiple defensive linemen who tip the scales at over 300 pounds, the Spartans will inevitably face at least a few third-and-longs. For De La Salle to stay in the game, Faavae or Knight will need to complete a throw or two in high-leverage situations.
Be beneficiaries of good luck
In all honesty, the Spartans will need good fortune to smile upon them at Saddleback College.
Alumbaugh said that the team has been dead-focused on rallying to the ball, making tackles and keeping Mater Dei’s playmakers from getting into the open field. Forcing turnovers would be nice, too.
That said, Serra coach Patrick Walsh, whose Padres played in the past three Open championship games, noted that takeaways are not something a team can count on.
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“You’re hoping that really high-class, high-quality Division I football players make a bunch of mistakes,” Walsh said. “But the reason they’re high-class, high-quality and well-coached Division I players is because they don’t do that.”
Another way De La Salle could win at the margins is through special teams. In the broken field adventure that is kick and punt returns, NCS 100-meter champion Jaden Jefferson is among the fastest sprinters in the state and can outrun any team in the right situation
Alumbaugh made sure to emphasize that he does not expect his high school athletes to be flawless, and that they don’t need to be perfect to compete.
“We’re not asking them to play perfectly,” Alumbaugh said. “We’re asking them to give the best effort that they possibly can, and we have to give our finest effort across the board.”
