Offers Come at a Premium Lately for Freedom RB
By Chris Jackson Saturday February 2, 2013
OAKLEY-Not too long ago, Freedom junior running back had a
couple of offers, but these last few weeks the offers have been sweeping in for
the four-star Joe Mixon.
Michigan has been showing a lot of interest in Mixon lately, but
they aren’t the only ones.
So far Mixon has offers from Arizona State, Arkansas, Boise
State, Cal, Colorado, Fresno State, Houston, Idaho, Louisville, Michigan,
Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon State, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Utah, Washington,
Washington State and Wisconsin.
Don’t expect the offers to stop coming for Mixon. He is one of
the premier backs on the west coast and the top running back in the Bay Area for
the class of 2014.
Mixon will be the leader for Freedom next season, especially
after quarterback Dante Mayes, a Nevada commit, and receiver Darrell Daniels, a
Washington commit, are graduating this year.
Last season, Mixon rushed 1443 yards and 20 touchdowns while
helping lead Freedom to the North Coast Section Division I Playoffs and becoming
the BVAL champs.
Those 20 offers Mixon has so far aren’t anywhere near the last
ones he will receive. Expect many more schools to reach out to him and offer him
a scholarship.
Luckily for Joe Mixon is that he’s only a junior and he has
another year to weigh his decisions and figure out what school is the best fit
for him.
OAKLEY-Not too long ago, Freedom junior running back had a
couple of offers, but these last few weeks the offers have been sweeping in for
the four-star Joe Mixon.
Michigan has been showing a lot of interest in Mixon lately, but
they aren’t the only ones.
So far Mixon has offers from Arizona State, Arkansas, Boise
State, Cal, Colorado, Fresno State, Houston, Idaho, Louisville, Michigan,
Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon State, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Utah, Washington,
Washington State and Wisconsin.
Don’t expect the offers to stop coming for Mixon. He is one of
the premier backs on the west coast and the top running back in the Bay Area for
the class of 2014.
Mixon will be the leader for Freedom next season, especially
after quarterback Dante Mayes, a Nevada commit, and receiver Darrell Daniels, a
Washington commit, are graduating this year.
Last season, Mixon rushed 1443 yards and 20 touchdowns while
helping lead Freedom to the North Coast Section Division I Playoffs and becoming
the BVAL champs.
Those 20 offers Mixon has so far aren’t anywhere near the last
ones he will receive. Expect many more schools to reach out to him and offer him
a scholarship.
Luckily for Joe Mixon is that he’s only a junior and he has
another year to weigh his decisions and figure out what school is the best fit
for him.
Griffith Gates Commits to Pennsylvania
By Chris Jackson Friday January 18, 2013
Foothill fullback/defensive end Griffith Gates has committed to
the University of Pennsylvania to play football.
We favorited and retweeted his tweet yesterday morning on his commitment. Here is
what he said over Twitter:
“Officially going to University of Pennsylvania
for Football admitted into Wharton School of business!”
From what it looks like, Gates will play
defensive end at Penn. But he not only had to be good on the field. To get
accepted into Penn, he had to have boasted a very high GPA.
Gates made our 2nd Team All-Area defense and was a first team EBAL defensive end. He helped carry Foothill to a
6-6 record his senior season and to advance to the North Coast Section-Division I playoffs, semifinals.
On our site, Gates is a one-star defensive end
and was also a bruising fullback for Foothill this season.
Foothill fullback/defensive end Griffith Gates has committed to
the University of Pennsylvania to play football.
We favorited and retweeted his tweet yesterday morning on his commitment. Here is
what he said over Twitter:
“Officially going to University of Pennsylvania
for Football admitted into Wharton School of business!”
From what it looks like, Gates will play
defensive end at Penn. But he not only had to be good on the field. To get
accepted into Penn, he had to have boasted a very high GPA.
Gates made our 2nd Team All-Area defense and was a first team EBAL defensive end. He helped carry Foothill to a
6-6 record his senior season and to advance to the North Coast Section-Division I playoffs, semifinals.
On our site, Gates is a one-star defensive end
and was also a bruising fullback for Foothill this season.
Former Bay Area Stars Are Competing for Cal's Top QB Spot
By Chris Jackson Thursday January 17, 2013
BERKELEY-With spring practices getting closer, this past seasons
star for Marin Catholic, Jared Goff is, one of the candidates to start competing
for the top quarterback spot at Cal. One of the others is former San Ramon
Valley star and 2011 California High School Player of the Year, Zach Kline.
Goff is enrolling early at Cal and is starting classes there by
the end of January. He graduated early and is excited to compete. Even though
Jeff Tedford and his coaching staff are gone, he likes the new staff under new
head coach and former Louisiana Tech head coach, Sonny Dykes.
"I like them (the coaching staff) a lot,” said Goff. “They are
going to do a lot of great things for the program and I’m really excited to get
over there and get a chance to work with them.”
Cal is looking for someone to replace Zach Maynard, who finished
his college career this past season. Allan Bridgford, who will be a senior next
season, is looking to be probably the leading candidate for the starting job.
That might be beneficial to Kline and Goff to watch and learn from him for a
year. But it wouldn’t be a surprise if Kline beats out Bridgford for the
starting job.
Jared Goff also has a chance to win the starting job. He is the
only quarterback in Cal’s recruiting class this season. While there might be a
possibility of him redshirting, that seems highly unlikely even though h will be
a true freshman. Enrolling early will help him gain more experience with the playbook.
Like Goff, Kline also enrolled early to Cal last season. That
helped him learn the playbook and help him gain valuable experience and
knowledge with it. That is something that looks promising for Goff. But both
will be learning a new playbook as Kline was coached by Tedford last season and
Goff was still a senior in high school.
“It’s going to be fun for me to go in there in a clean slate
with everyone else besides them having more experience over me which will play
an effect and it’s going to be exciting to go over there and get a chance to
compete for the starting job,” said Jared Goff about competing for the starting
quarterback spot.
Dykes brings an air-raid offense, which will lean heavily towards
the passing game. That will help both Kline and Goff who both have great arms
and are both well-suited to Dykes’offense. Both are very accurate on their passes.
In his senior season (this past one) with Marin Catholic, Goff
passed for 3692 yards and 40 touchdowns and helped lead them to the California
Interscholastic Federation’s Division-4 state championship, which they lost to
Madison of San Diego in a thriller. He finished the season on our first-team
offense and as one of our top-15 players in the North Coast
Section.
The quarterback spot is up for grabs next season in Berkeley. We
will just have to wait and see who will win the battle and if either former Bay
Area stars Zach Kline and Jared Goff. Both were 4-star recruits in high school
and it would not surprise us if Cal’s quarterback battle will even go through
the whole entire summer.
· Zach Kline didn’t play last season as it appears he redshirted. He will be a redshirt
freshman this season, from what it seemingly appears he will be and Jared Goff
will be a true freshman.
BERKELEY-With spring practices getting closer, this past seasons
star for Marin Catholic, Jared Goff is, one of the candidates to start competing
for the top quarterback spot at Cal. One of the others is former San Ramon
Valley star and 2011 California High School Player of the Year, Zach Kline.
Goff is enrolling early at Cal and is starting classes there by
the end of January. He graduated early and is excited to compete. Even though
Jeff Tedford and his coaching staff are gone, he likes the new staff under new
head coach and former Louisiana Tech head coach, Sonny Dykes.
"I like them (the coaching staff) a lot,” said Goff. “They are
going to do a lot of great things for the program and I’m really excited to get
over there and get a chance to work with them.”
Cal is looking for someone to replace Zach Maynard, who finished
his college career this past season. Allan Bridgford, who will be a senior next
season, is looking to be probably the leading candidate for the starting job.
That might be beneficial to Kline and Goff to watch and learn from him for a
year. But it wouldn’t be a surprise if Kline beats out Bridgford for the
starting job.
Jared Goff also has a chance to win the starting job. He is the
only quarterback in Cal’s recruiting class this season. While there might be a
possibility of him redshirting, that seems highly unlikely even though h will be
a true freshman. Enrolling early will help him gain more experience with the playbook.
Like Goff, Kline also enrolled early to Cal last season. That
helped him learn the playbook and help him gain valuable experience and
knowledge with it. That is something that looks promising for Goff. But both
will be learning a new playbook as Kline was coached by Tedford last season and
Goff was still a senior in high school.
“It’s going to be fun for me to go in there in a clean slate
with everyone else besides them having more experience over me which will play
an effect and it’s going to be exciting to go over there and get a chance to
compete for the starting job,” said Jared Goff about competing for the starting
quarterback spot.
Dykes brings an air-raid offense, which will lean heavily towards
the passing game. That will help both Kline and Goff who both have great arms
and are both well-suited to Dykes’offense. Both are very accurate on their passes.
In his senior season (this past one) with Marin Catholic, Goff
passed for 3692 yards and 40 touchdowns and helped lead them to the California
Interscholastic Federation’s Division-4 state championship, which they lost to
Madison of San Diego in a thriller. He finished the season on our first-team
offense and as one of our top-15 players in the North Coast
Section.
The quarterback spot is up for grabs next season in Berkeley. We
will just have to wait and see who will win the battle and if either former Bay
Area stars Zach Kline and Jared Goff. Both were 4-star recruits in high school
and it would not surprise us if Cal’s quarterback battle will even go through
the whole entire summer.
· Zach Kline didn’t play last season as it appears he redshirted. He will be a redshirt
freshman this season, from what it seemingly appears he will be and Jared Goff
will be a true freshman.
De La Salle TE/DE Austin Hooper Has Committed to Stanford
By Chris Jackson Sunday January 13, 2013
CONCORD-De La Salle tight end/defensive end Austin Hooper has
verbally committed to Stanford.
Hooper will be a defensive end at Stanford.
In his senior season, he helped lead De La Salle to becoming
North Coast Section (Division I), Northern California (Open Division) and California Open Division Champions.
As a four-star defensive end recruit on our website and being
the Bay Area’s football player of the year on our site, he finished the season
with 39 total tackles and was the team leader in sacks (8).
Along with an offer from Stanford, Austin also had offers from
Arizona, Arizona State, Army, Boise State, Cal, Colorado, Houston, Nevada,
Northwestern, Notre Dame, Oregon, Oregon State, Purdue, San Jose State, Utah,
Washington and Washington State.
Here is what Hooper said in a text to Cardinal Sports Report on
Sunday morning, “Ya, I committed.”
There is a good history in his family of football players at
Stanford as his uncle, Greg Hooper, who is a former fullback at Stanford.
It is looking as if Hooper will play behind defensive ends Ben
Gardner (who will be a junior next season) and possibly Charlie Hopkins (who
will be a sophomore next season). He will be able to learn a lot from Gardner
who decided to return to Stanford his senior season instead of opting to go into
the NFL Draft.
CONCORD-De La Salle tight end/defensive end Austin Hooper has
verbally committed to Stanford.
Hooper will be a defensive end at Stanford.
In his senior season, he helped lead De La Salle to becoming
North Coast Section (Division I), Northern California (Open Division) and California Open Division Champions.
As a four-star defensive end recruit on our website and being
the Bay Area’s football player of the year on our site, he finished the season
with 39 total tackles and was the team leader in sacks (8).
Along with an offer from Stanford, Austin also had offers from
Arizona, Arizona State, Army, Boise State, Cal, Colorado, Houston, Nevada,
Northwestern, Notre Dame, Oregon, Oregon State, Purdue, San Jose State, Utah,
Washington and Washington State.
Here is what Hooper said in a text to Cardinal Sports Report on
Sunday morning, “Ya, I committed.”
There is a good history in his family of football players at
Stanford as his uncle, Greg Hooper, who is a former fullback at Stanford.
It is looking as if Hooper will play behind defensive ends Ben
Gardner (who will be a junior next season) and possibly Charlie Hopkins (who
will be a sophomore next season). He will be able to learn a lot from Gardner
who decided to return to Stanford his senior season instead of opting to go into
the NFL Draft.
End of an ERA
Coach Lad Steps Down as the Head Football Coach at De La Salle
By Chris Jackson Friday January 4, 2013
CONCORD-Make it official, after 34 years, legendary De La Salle
head football coach Bob Ladoucer has officially stepped down.
Robert Wickman, the school principal didn’t take long to
announce the retirement of Coach Lad. Wickman also announced that assistant
coach Justin Alumbaugh will be the successor to Ladoucer.
Coach Lad will not leave the program though. He will become an
assistant coach while Allumbaugh takes over his head coaching position.
Ladoucer is the winningest coach in California history with 399
wins. He finished his career with a 399-25 record. He also has the national
record for the highest winning percentage ever. His career winning percentage
was an incredible .934 win percentage, because there was also a few ties.
His most remarkable accomplishment is the 151-game winning
streak that spanned from 1992-2003. He has won 21 straight North Coast section
titles-21 straight and has appeared in every single State Bowl Championship-they
have won four straight.
Bob Ladoucer leaves behind one of the best high school teams in
the country. He is an all-time legendary coach and helped De La Salle become
what it is today.
“I leave absolutely with no regret,” said Ladoucer. “I’m forever
grateful. It’s better than anything I could ever wish for.”
But coach Ladoucer cracked a joke in his speech about not staying and next season and trying to get his 400th career win.
“Maybe down the road they will think I died midway through the season….”
When Bob Ladoucer stepped onto the podium, he got a long
standing ovation that he deserved. He is one of the greatest high school
football coaches to ever live.
He got job offers from Division-1 college football teams
throughout his high school coaching career. But he turned down all of them. And
as he said earlier in the season, “I wouldn’t trade this job for
anything.”
Assistant Terry Eidson always got motivation from Ladoucer.
Eidson remembered a time when he didn’t necessarily believe in
himself, but Ladoucer told and showed him he had a lot of confidence in him.
This was a remarkable 34-year career for Coach Lad. He got a lot
of people into watching high school football and was a great leader and a true
icon that many people looked up to. Some kids came into De La Salle with not the
best lives they could ask for, but Ladoucer was a great help to them and
transformed their lives for the better. He was considered a second father to
many of his former and current players.
CONCORD-Make it official, after 34 years, legendary De La Salle
head football coach Bob Ladoucer has officially stepped down.
Robert Wickman, the school principal didn’t take long to
announce the retirement of Coach Lad. Wickman also announced that assistant
coach Justin Alumbaugh will be the successor to Ladoucer.
Coach Lad will not leave the program though. He will become an
assistant coach while Allumbaugh takes over his head coaching position.
Ladoucer is the winningest coach in California history with 399
wins. He finished his career with a 399-25 record. He also has the national
record for the highest winning percentage ever. His career winning percentage
was an incredible .934 win percentage, because there was also a few ties.
His most remarkable accomplishment is the 151-game winning
streak that spanned from 1992-2003. He has won 21 straight North Coast section
titles-21 straight and has appeared in every single State Bowl Championship-they
have won four straight.
Bob Ladoucer leaves behind one of the best high school teams in
the country. He is an all-time legendary coach and helped De La Salle become
what it is today.
“I leave absolutely with no regret,” said Ladoucer. “I’m forever
grateful. It’s better than anything I could ever wish for.”
But coach Ladoucer cracked a joke in his speech about not staying and next season and trying to get his 400th career win.
“Maybe down the road they will think I died midway through the season….”
When Bob Ladoucer stepped onto the podium, he got a long
standing ovation that he deserved. He is one of the greatest high school
football coaches to ever live.
He got job offers from Division-1 college football teams
throughout his high school coaching career. But he turned down all of them. And
as he said earlier in the season, “I wouldn’t trade this job for
anything.”
Assistant Terry Eidson always got motivation from Ladoucer.
Eidson remembered a time when he didn’t necessarily believe in
himself, but Ladoucer told and showed him he had a lot of confidence in him.
This was a remarkable 34-year career for Coach Lad. He got a lot
of people into watching high school football and was a great leader and a true
icon that many people looked up to. Some kids came into De La Salle with not the
best lives they could ask for, but Ladoucer was a great help to them and
transformed their lives for the better. He was considered a second father to
many of his former and current players.
Legendary Coach Bob Ladoucer Will Likely Announce His Retirement Friday
By Chris Jackson Thursday January 3, 2013
CONCORD-After 34 years, legendary De La Salle coach Bob Ladoucer
is expected to announce his retirement on Friday.
De La Salle will be holding the press conference on Friday at
3:00 pm, which they said would just provide the “future direction of the
program.” But it is expected that coach Ladoucer will retire after 34 years of
excellence.
Bob has hinted at retirement lately as he said he will retire
either after this season or next season, but with a press conference tomorrow,
he might retire now.
Ladoucer made De La Salle what it is today. They are always one
of the top football programs in the country ever season and if you would like to
accumulate and opinionate how the last 34 years went in Concord, you can make a
case that De La Salle has been the best program in the nation if you take every
year and combine it into one.
In Coach Lad’s 34 years at De La Salle, he compiled a record of
399-25, which is just unbelievable. He has won 28 North Coast Section titles,
and 21 straight section titles.
At De La Salle, Ladoucer has also won five mythical national
championships and won 151 straight games from the 1990’s to 2004, which doubled
the previous high school record. No high school has ever come close to De La
Salle’s record 151 game win streak, and probably no school ever will.
The Spartans have also won four straight state championships and
have won 17 state titles under Ladoucer.
Under Ladoucer’s regime, there have been a number of NFL
players. He has coached NFL players that are very well know, and here’s the
list: T.J. Ward, Jackie Bates, Maurice Jones-Drew, Kevin Simon, Mark Gutierrez,
D.J. Williams, Doug Brien, David Loverne, Derek Landri, Steve Alexakos, Amami
Toomer and Aaron Taylor.
There is no official word yet that he will retire, but with the
press conference tomorrow to discuss the “future direction of the program,” it
is looking like he will retire.
Even though De La Salle can recruit players since they are a
private school, coach Lad still had to build them up, and he built them up to
become great players. Even some of his backup players have been recruits, which
is something you never see at any other school.
Coach Bob Ladoucer knows how to win championships, even when
people think he won’t because he lost star players, like quarterback Bart
Houston, who is now at Wisconsin. People thought they wouldn’t be able to win
state without Houston at quarterback, but they did. Junior Chris Williams came
in and dictated the offense very well. That shows how well he builds up players.
"He knows what each kid can give him and he's relentless in getting that out of them,"
defensive coordinator Terry Eidson said of Ladouceur after the state
title game victory. "That's his greatest strength as a coach. He doesn't just
give up and say 'this is not going to be the year.' He keeps pushing until they
reach their potential."
Currently, there is a movie being made on Ladoucer and the De La Salle
football program. The movie is being based on former Bay Area writer Neil
Hayes book “When the Game Stands Tall.”
It is looking like offensive-line coach Justin Alumbaugh will be
the successor to Ladoucer. They would probably still run the veer offense, which
looks so easy to stop, but it isn’t. But assistant Terry Eidson might be the successor.
With a career record of 399-25, Ladoucer has one of the best
winning percentages in high school football history.
CONCORD-After 34 years, legendary De La Salle coach Bob Ladoucer
is expected to announce his retirement on Friday.
De La Salle will be holding the press conference on Friday at
3:00 pm, which they said would just provide the “future direction of the
program.” But it is expected that coach Ladoucer will retire after 34 years of
excellence.
Bob has hinted at retirement lately as he said he will retire
either after this season or next season, but with a press conference tomorrow,
he might retire now.
Ladoucer made De La Salle what it is today. They are always one
of the top football programs in the country ever season and if you would like to
accumulate and opinionate how the last 34 years went in Concord, you can make a
case that De La Salle has been the best program in the nation if you take every
year and combine it into one.
In Coach Lad’s 34 years at De La Salle, he compiled a record of
399-25, which is just unbelievable. He has won 28 North Coast Section titles,
and 21 straight section titles.
At De La Salle, Ladoucer has also won five mythical national
championships and won 151 straight games from the 1990’s to 2004, which doubled
the previous high school record. No high school has ever come close to De La
Salle’s record 151 game win streak, and probably no school ever will.
The Spartans have also won four straight state championships and
have won 17 state titles under Ladoucer.
Under Ladoucer’s regime, there have been a number of NFL
players. He has coached NFL players that are very well know, and here’s the
list: T.J. Ward, Jackie Bates, Maurice Jones-Drew, Kevin Simon, Mark Gutierrez,
D.J. Williams, Doug Brien, David Loverne, Derek Landri, Steve Alexakos, Amami
Toomer and Aaron Taylor.
There is no official word yet that he will retire, but with the
press conference tomorrow to discuss the “future direction of the program,” it
is looking like he will retire.
Even though De La Salle can recruit players since they are a
private school, coach Lad still had to build them up, and he built them up to
become great players. Even some of his backup players have been recruits, which
is something you never see at any other school.
Coach Bob Ladoucer knows how to win championships, even when
people think he won’t because he lost star players, like quarterback Bart
Houston, who is now at Wisconsin. People thought they wouldn’t be able to win
state without Houston at quarterback, but they did. Junior Chris Williams came
in and dictated the offense very well. That shows how well he builds up players.
"He knows what each kid can give him and he's relentless in getting that out of them,"
defensive coordinator Terry Eidson said of Ladouceur after the state
title game victory. "That's his greatest strength as a coach. He doesn't just
give up and say 'this is not going to be the year.' He keeps pushing until they
reach their potential."
Currently, there is a movie being made on Ladoucer and the De La Salle
football program. The movie is being based on former Bay Area writer Neil
Hayes book “When the Game Stands Tall.”
It is looking like offensive-line coach Justin Alumbaugh will be
the successor to Ladoucer. They would probably still run the veer offense, which
looks so easy to stop, but it isn’t. But assistant Terry Eidson might be the successor.
With a career record of 399-25, Ladoucer has one of the best
winning percentages in high school football history.
Karris Johnson Commits to Utah State
By Chris Jackson Wednesday December 26, 2012
SAN RAMON-Explosive California High School (San Ramon) running
back Karris Johnson has verbally committed to Utah State.
Johnson is a 2-sport standout in football and track. He is one
of the top sprinters in the East Bay Athletic League and one of the top running
backs in the Bay Area.
Karris was on our NCS honorable mention offense as a running
back. He is very quick and runs the 100 meters in under 11 seconds.
This season, Karris led California to a 10-3 record and to the
semifinals of the North Coast section division 1 playoffs. He rushed for 1301
yards on 150 carries (8.67 yards a carry average) and 20 touchdowns.
SAN RAMON-Explosive California High School (San Ramon) running
back Karris Johnson has verbally committed to Utah State.
Johnson is a 2-sport standout in football and track. He is one
of the top sprinters in the East Bay Athletic League and one of the top running
backs in the Bay Area.
Karris was on our NCS honorable mention offense as a running
back. He is very quick and runs the 100 meters in under 11 seconds.
This season, Karris led California to a 10-3 record and to the
semifinals of the North Coast section division 1 playoffs. He rushed for 1301
yards on 150 carries (8.67 yards a carry average) and 20 touchdowns.
2012 Season in Review
Player of the Year: TE/DT Austin Hooper (De La Salle)
Austin Hooper led the charge for De La Salle when he needed to.
As a 4-star defensive tackle recruit, Hooper made huge sacks to help lead the
team to becoming state champions and finishing the season as the #1 ranked team
on maxpreps.com. Hooper also made huge catches for the Spartans down the stretch
and all of that helped earn himself our 2012 Player of the Year Award.
Now it is getting closer until he makes his college choice. His
list is Washington, Arizona, Arizona State, Army, Boise State, Cal, Colorado,
Houston, Nevada, Northwestern, Oregon, Notre Dame, Oregon State, Stanford, Utah and Washington State.
De La Salle won the state championship during all of his 4 years of high school.
As a 4-star defensive tackle recruit, Hooper made huge sacks to help lead the
team to becoming state champions and finishing the season as the #1 ranked team
on maxpreps.com. Hooper also made huge catches for the Spartans down the stretch
and all of that helped earn himself our 2012 Player of the Year Award.
Now it is getting closer until he makes his college choice. His
list is Washington, Arizona, Arizona State, Army, Boise State, Cal, Colorado,
Houston, Nevada, Northwestern, Oregon, Notre Dame, Oregon State, Stanford, Utah and Washington State.
De La Salle won the state championship during all of his 4 years of high school.
Offensive Player of the Year: RB Joe Protheroe (Clayton Valley)
Joe Protheroe finished his high school career with a remarkable senior season. He finished the
season as the leading rusher in the North Coast Section with 3014 rushing yards and 34 touchdowns. Protheroe helped lead Clayton Valley to being the North Coast Section Division II champions and helped them compile a final record of 12-2. Protheroe has an offer from Sacramento State.
season as the leading rusher in the North Coast Section with 3014 rushing yards and 34 touchdowns. Protheroe helped lead Clayton Valley to being the North Coast Section Division II champions and helped them compile a final record of 12-2. Protheroe has an offer from Sacramento State.
Defensive Player of the Year: LB Michael Hutchings (De La Salle)
Michael Hutchings is an ESPNU 150 recruit that finished his
career with 4 state championships. He is a 4-star linebacker that has already
committed to USC and was on arguably the best defense in the state and maybe the
country. He was in almost every play and was the leading tackler in the East Bay
Athletic League.
career with 4 state championships. He is a 4-star linebacker that has already
committed to USC and was on arguably the best defense in the state and maybe the
country. He was in almost every play and was the leading tackler in the East Bay
Athletic League.
Coach of the Year: Bob Ladoucer (De La Salle)
Bob Ladoucer helped lead De La Salle to becoming the State Champions for the 4th straight
season. They finished the season with a 15-0 record and showed their dominance
again. Ladoucer has 399 career victories and will decide soon whether he will
return as the head coach for the Spartans next season.
season. They finished the season with a 15-0 record and showed their dominance
again. Ladoucer has 399 career victories and will decide soon whether he will
return as the head coach for the Spartans next season.
Inspirational Story of the Year: California School for the Deaf
Who ever said you can’t play just because you can’t hear? The
California School for the Deaf showed you can play with no matter what
disadvantage you have. They finished with one of their best seasons ever as they
compiled a 10-2 record this season. Many newspapers across the country had
stories on them and Sports Illustrated also had a video about them. They made an
underdog team turn out to being one that can accomplish any task they face.
Here’s the link to the Sports Illustrated video http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/specials/underdogs/episode-6.html
California School for the Deaf showed you can play with no matter what
disadvantage you have. They finished with one of their best seasons ever as they
compiled a 10-2 record this season. Many newspapers across the country had
stories on them and Sports Illustrated also had a video about them. They made an
underdog team turn out to being one that can accomplish any task they face.
Here’s the link to the Sports Illustrated video http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/specials/underdogs/episode-6.html
Top 15 Players
TE/DT Austin Hooper (De La Salle)
QB Jared Goff (Marin Catholic)
RB Joe Protheroe (Clayton Valley)
LB Michael Hutchings (De La Salle)
RB Olito Thompson (Concord)
WR Darrell Daniels (Freedom)
RB Warren Miles Long (James Logan)
DT Elijah Qualls (Casa Grande)
LB Ryan Dunn (San Ramon Valley)
CB Kevin King (Bishop O’Dowd)
WR Ray Hudson (Foothill)
RB Tiapepe Vitale (De La Salle)
RB Karris Johnson (California)
QB Dante Mayes (Freedom)
QB Cameron Birse (San Ramon Valley)
QB Jared Goff (Marin Catholic)
RB Joe Protheroe (Clayton Valley)
LB Michael Hutchings (De La Salle)
RB Olito Thompson (Concord)
WR Darrell Daniels (Freedom)
RB Warren Miles Long (James Logan)
DT Elijah Qualls (Casa Grande)
LB Ryan Dunn (San Ramon Valley)
CB Kevin King (Bishop O’Dowd)
WR Ray Hudson (Foothill)
RB Tiapepe Vitale (De La Salle)
RB Karris Johnson (California)
QB Dante Mayes (Freedom)
QB Cameron Birse (San Ramon Valley)
All-East Bay Team
1st Team Offense
QB Jared Goff (Marin Catholic), Sr.
RB Joe Protheroe (Clayton Valley), Sr.
RB Olito Thompson (Concord), Sr.
WR Darrell Daniels (Freedom), Sr.
WR Ray Hudson (Foothill), Sr.
TE Austin Hooper (De La Salle), Sr.
O-Line: De La Salle
K Matt Anderson (San Ramon Valley), Sr.
1st Team Defense
DL Austin Hooper (De La Salle), Sr.
DL Elijah Qualls (Casa Grande), Sr.
DL DeOnte Reynolds (Pinole Valley), Sr.
DL Takkarist McKinley (Kennedy-Fremont), Sr.
LB Michael Hutchings (De La Salle), Sr.
LB Victor Egu (De La Salle), Sr.
LB D.J. Moffitt (De La Salle), Sr.
DB Nzuzi Webster (Deer Valley), Jr.
DB Kevin King (Bishop O’Dowd), Sr.
2nd Team Offense
QB Cameron Birse (San Ramon Valley), Sr.
RB Tiapepe Vitale (De La Salle), Sr.
RB Warren Miles Long (James Logan), Sr.
WR Andrew Celis (Marin Catholic), Jr.
WR Aaron Meher (Analy), Sr.
TE Mason Melin (Monte Vista), Sr.
O-Line: Marin Catholic
K Eddie Juarez (Clayton Valley)
2nd Team Defense
Andrew Trimble (Concord), Sr.
DL/LB Jeff Francis (Fort Bragg), Sr.
Keenan Mahler (Concord), Sr.
LB Griffith Gates (Foothill), Sr.
LB Alex Estrada (Deer Valley), Sr.
LB Kyle Campiotti (Granada), Sr.
LB Ryan Dunn (San Ramon Valley), Sr.
DB Jalen Avery (Monte Vista), Sr.
Honorable Mention Offense
QB Dante Mayes (Freedom), Sr.,
QB Kyle Moreno (Amador Valley), Sr.
RB Karris Johnson (California), Sr.
RB Joe Mixon (Freedom), Sr.
WR Jalen Avery (Monte Vista), Sr.
QB Jared Goff (Marin Catholic), Sr.
RB Joe Protheroe (Clayton Valley), Sr.
RB Olito Thompson (Concord), Sr.
WR Darrell Daniels (Freedom), Sr.
WR Ray Hudson (Foothill), Sr.
TE Austin Hooper (De La Salle), Sr.
O-Line: De La Salle
K Matt Anderson (San Ramon Valley), Sr.
1st Team Defense
DL Austin Hooper (De La Salle), Sr.
DL Elijah Qualls (Casa Grande), Sr.
DL DeOnte Reynolds (Pinole Valley), Sr.
DL Takkarist McKinley (Kennedy-Fremont), Sr.
LB Michael Hutchings (De La Salle), Sr.
LB Victor Egu (De La Salle), Sr.
LB D.J. Moffitt (De La Salle), Sr.
DB Nzuzi Webster (Deer Valley), Jr.
DB Kevin King (Bishop O’Dowd), Sr.
2nd Team Offense
QB Cameron Birse (San Ramon Valley), Sr.
RB Tiapepe Vitale (De La Salle), Sr.
RB Warren Miles Long (James Logan), Sr.
WR Andrew Celis (Marin Catholic), Jr.
WR Aaron Meher (Analy), Sr.
TE Mason Melin (Monte Vista), Sr.
O-Line: Marin Catholic
K Eddie Juarez (Clayton Valley)
2nd Team Defense
Andrew Trimble (Concord), Sr.
DL/LB Jeff Francis (Fort Bragg), Sr.
Keenan Mahler (Concord), Sr.
LB Griffith Gates (Foothill), Sr.
LB Alex Estrada (Deer Valley), Sr.
LB Kyle Campiotti (Granada), Sr.
LB Ryan Dunn (San Ramon Valley), Sr.
DB Jalen Avery (Monte Vista), Sr.
Honorable Mention Offense
QB Dante Mayes (Freedom), Sr.,
QB Kyle Moreno (Amador Valley), Sr.
RB Karris Johnson (California), Sr.
RB Joe Mixon (Freedom), Sr.
WR Jalen Avery (Monte Vista), Sr.
De La Salle Wins State for 4th Straight Year
De La Salle 48, Centennial 28
By Chris Jackson Saturday December 15, 2012
CARSON-Another year, another championship for the Spartans.
This can’t be happening again, can it?
De La Salle winning for the 4th straight year is no
joke. It just seems like a running script that will never be gone.
Tiapepe Vitale had a great game to close out his high school
career. He rushed for 4 touchdowns and 142 yards while
breaking the De La Salle single-season rushing record which means he had more
rushing yards in a season than Maurice
Jones-Drew.
Vitale’s 1st 3 touchdowns were the teams
1st 3 scores. All of his scores were from within 10 yards.
Centennial turnovers seemed to hand the Spartans the title.
Almost every Centennial turnover led to a De La Salle score.
The Huskies were moving the ball a good amount but turnovers
killed them.
Coach Ladoucer knows that Centennial runs a great scheme.
"It's a good scheme, a good plan," De La Salle coach Bob
Ladouceur said of the Centennial offense earlier in the week. "They're well
coached, and they have a lot of good personnel to run (their offense).
The early 28-0 lead showed De La Salle was poised and was ready
for a state title.
“Well we knew we had to come out strong and we kept pushing them
back and pushing them back and we got an early lead,” said De La Salle junior
quarterback Chris Williams at halftime.
But even with that sizeable lead, Centennial never gave up and
they put up a great fight. They got within 7 at one point when they were down
35-28 but that was the closest they ever got as De La Salle would wind up
winning 48-28 to win the CIF State Open Division title.
“Considering our opponent tonight, Centennial is a great team,”
said coach Bob Ladoucer beating a team like that made it great for us.
“The credit has to go to our assistants and athletes. It’s a
nice thing to watch.”
Centennial had problems early on special teams as they fumbled
the opening kickoff. Luckily for them they recovered it but started at their own
4 yard line.
After starting at their 4 yard line, the Centennial punter
mishandled the snap and was tackled by a host of De La Salleplayers.
Tiapepe Vitale then ran for a huge carry to the Centennial 5 and
then for the touchdown to give De La Salle the 7-0 lead. His 3rd
touchdown run was a 46 yard run to give De La Salle a 21-0 lead in the
2nd quarter while his 2nd touchdown was from just 1 yard out.
The De La Salle defense this season is considered by many to be
the best defense in school history. And with a state championship and a 15-0
record to cap an undefeated season, why not say that as they won the Open Division State Championship
for the 4th straight season?
Coach Bob Ladoucer may have coached his last game for the
Spartans. He said he might retire after this season or after next season. One
would guess he would retire after next year since he is 1 win shy of 400 career
victories. He has a career record of 399-25.
· Northern California won the series this season 3-2.
By Chris Jackson Saturday December 15, 2012
CARSON-Another year, another championship for the Spartans.
This can’t be happening again, can it?
De La Salle winning for the 4th straight year is no
joke. It just seems like a running script that will never be gone.
Tiapepe Vitale had a great game to close out his high school
career. He rushed for 4 touchdowns and 142 yards while
breaking the De La Salle single-season rushing record which means he had more
rushing yards in a season than Maurice
Jones-Drew.
Vitale’s 1st 3 touchdowns were the teams
1st 3 scores. All of his scores were from within 10 yards.
Centennial turnovers seemed to hand the Spartans the title.
Almost every Centennial turnover led to a De La Salle score.
The Huskies were moving the ball a good amount but turnovers
killed them.
Coach Ladoucer knows that Centennial runs a great scheme.
"It's a good scheme, a good plan," De La Salle coach Bob
Ladouceur said of the Centennial offense earlier in the week. "They're well
coached, and they have a lot of good personnel to run (their offense).
The early 28-0 lead showed De La Salle was poised and was ready
for a state title.
“Well we knew we had to come out strong and we kept pushing them
back and pushing them back and we got an early lead,” said De La Salle junior
quarterback Chris Williams at halftime.
But even with that sizeable lead, Centennial never gave up and
they put up a great fight. They got within 7 at one point when they were down
35-28 but that was the closest they ever got as De La Salle would wind up
winning 48-28 to win the CIF State Open Division title.
“Considering our opponent tonight, Centennial is a great team,”
said coach Bob Ladoucer beating a team like that made it great for us.
“The credit has to go to our assistants and athletes. It’s a
nice thing to watch.”
Centennial had problems early on special teams as they fumbled
the opening kickoff. Luckily for them they recovered it but started at their own
4 yard line.
After starting at their 4 yard line, the Centennial punter
mishandled the snap and was tackled by a host of De La Salleplayers.
Tiapepe Vitale then ran for a huge carry to the Centennial 5 and
then for the touchdown to give De La Salle the 7-0 lead. His 3rd
touchdown run was a 46 yard run to give De La Salle a 21-0 lead in the
2nd quarter while his 2nd touchdown was from just 1 yard out.
The De La Salle defense this season is considered by many to be
the best defense in school history. And with a state championship and a 15-0
record to cap an undefeated season, why not say that as they won the Open Division State Championship
for the 4th straight season?
Coach Bob Ladoucer may have coached his last game for the
Spartans. He said he might retire after this season or after next season. One
would guess he would retire after next year since he is 1 win shy of 400 career
victories. He has a career record of 399-25.
· Northern California won the series this season 3-2.
Austin Hooper is Having a Remarkable Postseason
By Chris Jackson Wednesday December 12, 2012
CONCORD-De La Salle tight end/defensive lineman Austin Hooper is
having one special postseason and is looking for the perfect icing on the
cake.
What Hooper is looking for is a State title.
Being a threat on both sides of the ball these last 2 months has
helped prove how much of a threat Hooper can be for perennial De La Salle.
Without a doubt Hooper has been their most important player down
the stretch. 2 weeks in a row he’s been a dominating force on offense and
defense. He’s had many big receptions and some huge sacks that have helped put
the game away early.
In the Northern California championship against Folsom, Hooper
had 2 huge receptions that set up scores and he sacked Folsom sophomore
quarterback Jake Browning 3 times.
"I told him he was playing like a beast tonight," Hutchings said
about Hooper. "He was by far the best player on the field tonight and made the
biggest impact. His sacks were all at huge times. He took a lot of pressure off
our defense and made huge plays for our offense."
That’s a pretty big honor for him when he’s got one of the top
linebacker recruits in the country on his team praising how good he played.
In the North Coast Section championship, Hooper had 180 yards
receiving on 10 catches to rout James Logan. There’s another great stat that
shows how he’s dominated this postseason.
But Hooper is known more as a defensive end. He is an explosive
4-star defensive end recruit. He’s still looking for a place to commit. Here’s
what his recruiting profile says on our website:
bayareapreps.weebly.com:
High School: De La Salle (Concord, CA)
“Austin Hooper is an ESPNU 300 4-star
defensive-tackle recruit that has not committed to a college yet. His list is
Washington, Arizona, Arizona State, Army, Boise State, California, Colorado,
Houston, Nevada, Northwestern, Oregon, Notre Dame, Oregon, Oregon State,
Stanford, Utah, and Washington State. He is listed at 6'5", 245 pounds. He is
ranked as the 23rd best defensive-tackle recruit in the country. He has led De
La Salle to a win the Division I North Coast Section championship, along with
the Open Division Northern California Championship and now to the Open Division
State championship. His recruiting grade is 82. Here's the link to his
recruiting video”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pu3EWL0PnkI
College scouts consider him a very tenacious defender. By
watching him play a lot, there is no argument to that.
Though his statistics show he has just 37 tackles this season,
that doesn’t show how much of a ball hawk he is. He leads the team with 8 sacks
this season.
“He’s a special player,” said coach Bob Ladoucer. “He played
great against Folsom.”
Praise from a coach with an overall record of 398-25 is another
special thing for a player as good as he is to hear.
No offensive lineman can block him in California. But that might
not be true since they haven’t played Centennial yet in the State championship.
If no one can block him in that game, he will definitely get even more
recognition than he has already gotten.
This is what an anonymous recruiting insider said for ESPN:
“There are some better pure athletes out there among the defensive ends, but
Hooper is a pretty darn good football player. He comes from a good program and
combines good ability, good technique and good effort and made himself a highly
productive player. He has good overall size at this stage and should be able to
pack on at least a little more good bulk. He looks to possess a nice reach and
big hands for his build. He gets off the ball well. He is a tough edge run
defender as he does a nice job of firing out low and gaining leverage. He
consistently shoots his hands and can extend and separate. He demonstrates good
hip roll and the ability to bend and keep his pads down, and is able to stand
blockers up and hold his ground with the ability to shed and play the ball. He
displays good recognition of blocking schemes and does a nice job of getting
hands on color that crosses his face. He plays with a nice motor and utilizes
good angles in pursuit, which aid what may be a bit more than average speed. He
is a good wrap-up tackler. As a pass rusher he is not a speed guy, but with a
good get-off and the ability to play low, he can quickly get into blockers with
good power and push them back. He is also very active with his weapons in trying
to knock blockers' hands down and working moves. He displays solid ability to
bend back in towards the quarterback. Hooper can play some football and if he
can add more good mass by the time he hits a college campus, he should be able
to contribute as a freshman if needed. He reminds us a little of 2011 prospect
and current Miami defensive end Anthony Chickillo, though he had a little better
size and playing speed. But like Chickillo, Hooper is a good player and should
be a steady, productive college player.”
If Austin Hooper can help lead De La Salle to becoming the state champion for the
4th straight season, he will forever go down in De La Salle history
as being one of their best defensive ends ever and they have had some good
defensive players go through their system
· The last time De La Salle lost in the state championship was in 2008 when they lost
to Centennial, which is who they are facing on Saturday.
CONCORD-De La Salle tight end/defensive lineman Austin Hooper is
having one special postseason and is looking for the perfect icing on the
cake.
What Hooper is looking for is a State title.
Being a threat on both sides of the ball these last 2 months has
helped prove how much of a threat Hooper can be for perennial De La Salle.
Without a doubt Hooper has been their most important player down
the stretch. 2 weeks in a row he’s been a dominating force on offense and
defense. He’s had many big receptions and some huge sacks that have helped put
the game away early.
In the Northern California championship against Folsom, Hooper
had 2 huge receptions that set up scores and he sacked Folsom sophomore
quarterback Jake Browning 3 times.
"I told him he was playing like a beast tonight," Hutchings said
about Hooper. "He was by far the best player on the field tonight and made the
biggest impact. His sacks were all at huge times. He took a lot of pressure off
our defense and made huge plays for our offense."
That’s a pretty big honor for him when he’s got one of the top
linebacker recruits in the country on his team praising how good he played.
In the North Coast Section championship, Hooper had 180 yards
receiving on 10 catches to rout James Logan. There’s another great stat that
shows how he’s dominated this postseason.
But Hooper is known more as a defensive end. He is an explosive
4-star defensive end recruit. He’s still looking for a place to commit. Here’s
what his recruiting profile says on our website:
bayareapreps.weebly.com:
High School: De La Salle (Concord, CA)
“Austin Hooper is an ESPNU 300 4-star
defensive-tackle recruit that has not committed to a college yet. His list is
Washington, Arizona, Arizona State, Army, Boise State, California, Colorado,
Houston, Nevada, Northwestern, Oregon, Notre Dame, Oregon, Oregon State,
Stanford, Utah, and Washington State. He is listed at 6'5", 245 pounds. He is
ranked as the 23rd best defensive-tackle recruit in the country. He has led De
La Salle to a win the Division I North Coast Section championship, along with
the Open Division Northern California Championship and now to the Open Division
State championship. His recruiting grade is 82. Here's the link to his
recruiting video”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pu3EWL0PnkI
College scouts consider him a very tenacious defender. By
watching him play a lot, there is no argument to that.
Though his statistics show he has just 37 tackles this season,
that doesn’t show how much of a ball hawk he is. He leads the team with 8 sacks
this season.
“He’s a special player,” said coach Bob Ladoucer. “He played
great against Folsom.”
Praise from a coach with an overall record of 398-25 is another
special thing for a player as good as he is to hear.
No offensive lineman can block him in California. But that might
not be true since they haven’t played Centennial yet in the State championship.
If no one can block him in that game, he will definitely get even more
recognition than he has already gotten.
This is what an anonymous recruiting insider said for ESPN:
“There are some better pure athletes out there among the defensive ends, but
Hooper is a pretty darn good football player. He comes from a good program and
combines good ability, good technique and good effort and made himself a highly
productive player. He has good overall size at this stage and should be able to
pack on at least a little more good bulk. He looks to possess a nice reach and
big hands for his build. He gets off the ball well. He is a tough edge run
defender as he does a nice job of firing out low and gaining leverage. He
consistently shoots his hands and can extend and separate. He demonstrates good
hip roll and the ability to bend and keep his pads down, and is able to stand
blockers up and hold his ground with the ability to shed and play the ball. He
displays good recognition of blocking schemes and does a nice job of getting
hands on color that crosses his face. He plays with a nice motor and utilizes
good angles in pursuit, which aid what may be a bit more than average speed. He
is a good wrap-up tackler. As a pass rusher he is not a speed guy, but with a
good get-off and the ability to play low, he can quickly get into blockers with
good power and push them back. He is also very active with his weapons in trying
to knock blockers' hands down and working moves. He displays solid ability to
bend back in towards the quarterback. Hooper can play some football and if he
can add more good mass by the time he hits a college campus, he should be able
to contribute as a freshman if needed. He reminds us a little of 2011 prospect
and current Miami defensive end Anthony Chickillo, though he had a little better
size and playing speed. But like Chickillo, Hooper is a good player and should
be a steady, productive college player.”
If Austin Hooper can help lead De La Salle to becoming the state champion for the
4th straight season, he will forever go down in De La Salle history
as being one of their best defensive ends ever and they have had some good
defensive players go through their system
· The last time De La Salle lost in the state championship was in 2008 when they lost
to Centennial, which is who they are facing on Saturday.
De La Salle Routs Folsom to Advance to the State Championship
De La Salle 49 Folsom 15
By Chris Jackson Saturday December 8, 2012
SACRAMENTO-Just another day and another dominating performance
for the Spartans.
Can anyone stop the Spartans?
Apparently not. Folsom was ranked 63rd in the country
on maxpreps.com and ended up being blown out by the USA Today’s 7th
ranked De La Salle.
This was supposed to be the biggest high school football game in
Sacramento Area history. But it didn’t appear thay way at the start. The
Spartans took an early 13-0 at the end of the 1st quarter and had
outgained Folsom 145-7 in the 1st quarter.
The first touchdown run came on a 3-yard touchdown run by senior
Tiapepe Vitale as their 1st drive lasted 1:04. Running back Das
Tautalatasi scored the 2ns touchdown for De La Salle in the 1st
quarter on a 9-yard touchdown run to give them a 13-0 lead-they missed the extra
point after the touchdown.
Vitale finished the game with 117 rushing yards and 3
touchdowns. His 2nd touchdown came with 45 seconds left in the
1sthalf as he walked in from 1 yard out. His 3rd touchdown
came with 3:20 left in the 3rd quarter to give the Spartans a 35-7
lead and seal the deal and punch a ticket to Open Division Championship next
Saturday.
De La Salle’s defense was relentless the whole game. They sacked
Folsom sophomore quarterback Jake Browning over times. But Browning did have at least
one moment of glory as he broke the school’s record for passing yards in a
season with 47 seconds left as he passed the school-record 5,185 yards. Browning
is already flying under the radar as he’s one of the top quarterbacks in
Northern California as a sophomore.
Folsom also had plays they wanted to take back along with the
sacks and interceptions as they went for it multiple times on 4th
down in their own territory and wouldn’t convert. Most of those failed th down
conversions led to quick De La Salle scores.
Holding Folsom to just 15 points was quite an accomplishment for
the Spartans. Folsom came into the game averaging 500 yards and 47 points per
game.
Austin Hooper had a remarkable night for De La Salle, again. He
had many big receptions and sacks that would just help put the icing on the cake
for the Spartans. This came a week after he had 180 receiving yards last week in
the North Coast Section championship against James Logan.
This was a night that just proved that no one in Northern
California is a tough matchup for De La Salle. Folsom came into the game ranked
63rd in the country and seemed to be confused by every look De La
Salle gave them. They though they had a size advantage over the Spartans, but
size doesn’t show how perennial De La Salle is. They are way too fast and
physical for anyone in Northern California.
It looks like De La Salle will play Centennial (Corona) next
Saturday night in the open division state championship. Maybe De La Salle will
be too tough of a matchup for Southern California powerhouse Centennial.
Centennial is ranked 12th in the country and 3rd in the
state on maxpreps.com.
· With the win, De La Salle head coach Bob Ladoucer improves his career record to
398-25. He is just 2 wins away from 400.
· De La Salle won the first ever Northern California open division championship which
guarantees them a spot in the Open Division State Championship.
By Chris Jackson Saturday December 8, 2012
SACRAMENTO-Just another day and another dominating performance
for the Spartans.
Can anyone stop the Spartans?
Apparently not. Folsom was ranked 63rd in the country
on maxpreps.com and ended up being blown out by the USA Today’s 7th
ranked De La Salle.
This was supposed to be the biggest high school football game in
Sacramento Area history. But it didn’t appear thay way at the start. The
Spartans took an early 13-0 at the end of the 1st quarter and had
outgained Folsom 145-7 in the 1st quarter.
The first touchdown run came on a 3-yard touchdown run by senior
Tiapepe Vitale as their 1st drive lasted 1:04. Running back Das
Tautalatasi scored the 2ns touchdown for De La Salle in the 1st
quarter on a 9-yard touchdown run to give them a 13-0 lead-they missed the extra
point after the touchdown.
Vitale finished the game with 117 rushing yards and 3
touchdowns. His 2nd touchdown came with 45 seconds left in the
1sthalf as he walked in from 1 yard out. His 3rd touchdown
came with 3:20 left in the 3rd quarter to give the Spartans a 35-7
lead and seal the deal and punch a ticket to Open Division Championship next
Saturday.
De La Salle’s defense was relentless the whole game. They sacked
Folsom sophomore quarterback Jake Browning over times. But Browning did have at least
one moment of glory as he broke the school’s record for passing yards in a
season with 47 seconds left as he passed the school-record 5,185 yards. Browning
is already flying under the radar as he’s one of the top quarterbacks in
Northern California as a sophomore.
Folsom also had plays they wanted to take back along with the
sacks and interceptions as they went for it multiple times on 4th
down in their own territory and wouldn’t convert. Most of those failed th down
conversions led to quick De La Salle scores.
Holding Folsom to just 15 points was quite an accomplishment for
the Spartans. Folsom came into the game averaging 500 yards and 47 points per
game.
Austin Hooper had a remarkable night for De La Salle, again. He
had many big receptions and sacks that would just help put the icing on the cake
for the Spartans. This came a week after he had 180 receiving yards last week in
the North Coast Section championship against James Logan.
This was a night that just proved that no one in Northern
California is a tough matchup for De La Salle. Folsom came into the game ranked
63rd in the country and seemed to be confused by every look De La
Salle gave them. They though they had a size advantage over the Spartans, but
size doesn’t show how perennial De La Salle is. They are way too fast and
physical for anyone in Northern California.
It looks like De La Salle will play Centennial (Corona) next
Saturday night in the open division state championship. Maybe De La Salle will
be too tough of a matchup for Southern California powerhouse Centennial.
Centennial is ranked 12th in the country and 3rd in the
state on maxpreps.com.
· With the win, De La Salle head coach Bob Ladoucer improves his career record to
398-25. He is just 2 wins away from 400.
· De La Salle won the first ever Northern California open division championship which
guarantees them a spot in the Open Division State Championship.
Regional Championships
Northern California
Open Division: De La Salle vs. Folsom
Division 1: Granite Bay vs. St. Ignatius-SF
Division 2: Oakdale vs. Clayton Valley
Division 3: Marin Catholic vs. Sutter
Division 4: Central Catholic vs. McClymonds
Southern California
Open Division: Narbonne vs. Centennial
Division 1: Long Beach Poly vs. Clovis North
Division 2: Serra vs. Edison
Division 3: Madison vs. Monrovia
Division 4: Rio Hondo vs. Santa Fe Christian
Open Division: De La Salle vs. Folsom
Division 1: Granite Bay vs. St. Ignatius-SF
Division 2: Oakdale vs. Clayton Valley
Division 3: Marin Catholic vs. Sutter
Division 4: Central Catholic vs. McClymonds
Southern California
Open Division: Narbonne vs. Centennial
Division 1: Long Beach Poly vs. Clovis North
Division 2: Serra vs. Edison
Division 3: Madison vs. Monrovia
Division 4: Rio Hondo vs. Santa Fe Christian
De La Salle Wins NCS for 21st Straight Year
By Chris Jackson Saturday December 1, 2012
DUBLIN-Again, again, again.
The De La Salle Spartans have won 21 straight NCS
titles.
It all seemed to be close in the early going. In the first
couple of minutes, James Logan was playing better. It started out with three
straight penalties for the Spartans. That forced them to a three and out on
their opening possession.
Surprisingly though, on James Logan’s first possession, on
fourth down, they tried the fake punt, but came up short of the first down
marker. I guess if you are playing De La Salle, take every risk, because that
might be the only way to find the endzone against one of the best teams in the
country.
On the next possession for the Spartans, it resulted in a
44-yard touchdown pass from Chris Williams to Andrew
Buckley.
Buckley finished with 131 yards receiving on six cathes and two
touchdowns. His other touchdown came on a 37-yard touchdown pass from Chris
Williams to give them a 44-7 lead with 11:51 left in the
game.
When Logan trimmed the De La Salle lead to 14-7 on Warren Miles
Long’s 38-yard touchdown run, there was a buzz in the air. You knew that James
Logan wasn’t letting up.
Long’s fumble early in the third quarter proved costly. They
were down 21-7 and starting to drive the field, but he fumbled and it was De La
Salle ball. That led to a three-yard touchdown run by Tiapepe Vitale to give
the Spartans a 28-7 lead and basically put the icing on the
cake.
Vitale had 104 yards on the ground on 25
carries.
Running back Das Tautalatasi rushed for 57 yards on 11
carries.
The first half could have been played better though for De La
Salle. They were up 21-7 at halftime and had nine penalties going into the
locker room. But coach Bob Ladoucer didn’t seem too
concerned.
“Maybe (he’ll address it), but I’m not too concerned. I don’t
really get it either.”
The second half didn’t start out any better discipline wise. On
their first possession of the third quarter, they got two false starts. Unusual
thing to see with a team that just goes right down and snaps the ball right
away. But nevertheless, they were way too much for James Logan to handle as they
won 52-7.
It looks like De La Salle will play Folsom next week in the
Northern California Championship next Saturday. The game will likely be played
at Sacremento State. Kickoff is set for 7:30 pm.
· Logan running back Warren Miles Long committed earlier this season to Northwestern. He
finished the game with 122 yards rushing on 18 carries.
· Logan quarterback Prothro is heading to UCLA on a track
scholarship.
· De La Salle quarterback Chris Williams completed 9 of 12 passes for 148 yards and
four touchdowns. He also had 18
rushing yards on four carries.
DUBLIN-Again, again, again.
The De La Salle Spartans have won 21 straight NCS
titles.
It all seemed to be close in the early going. In the first
couple of minutes, James Logan was playing better. It started out with three
straight penalties for the Spartans. That forced them to a three and out on
their opening possession.
Surprisingly though, on James Logan’s first possession, on
fourth down, they tried the fake punt, but came up short of the first down
marker. I guess if you are playing De La Salle, take every risk, because that
might be the only way to find the endzone against one of the best teams in the
country.
On the next possession for the Spartans, it resulted in a
44-yard touchdown pass from Chris Williams to Andrew
Buckley.
Buckley finished with 131 yards receiving on six cathes and two
touchdowns. His other touchdown came on a 37-yard touchdown pass from Chris
Williams to give them a 44-7 lead with 11:51 left in the
game.
When Logan trimmed the De La Salle lead to 14-7 on Warren Miles
Long’s 38-yard touchdown run, there was a buzz in the air. You knew that James
Logan wasn’t letting up.
Long’s fumble early in the third quarter proved costly. They
were down 21-7 and starting to drive the field, but he fumbled and it was De La
Salle ball. That led to a three-yard touchdown run by Tiapepe Vitale to give
the Spartans a 28-7 lead and basically put the icing on the
cake.
Vitale had 104 yards on the ground on 25
carries.
Running back Das Tautalatasi rushed for 57 yards on 11
carries.
The first half could have been played better though for De La
Salle. They were up 21-7 at halftime and had nine penalties going into the
locker room. But coach Bob Ladoucer didn’t seem too
concerned.
“Maybe (he’ll address it), but I’m not too concerned. I don’t
really get it either.”
The second half didn’t start out any better discipline wise. On
their first possession of the third quarter, they got two false starts. Unusual
thing to see with a team that just goes right down and snaps the ball right
away. But nevertheless, they were way too much for James Logan to handle as they
won 52-7.
It looks like De La Salle will play Folsom next week in the
Northern California Championship next Saturday. The game will likely be played
at Sacremento State. Kickoff is set for 7:30 pm.
· Logan running back Warren Miles Long committed earlier this season to Northwestern. He
finished the game with 122 yards rushing on 18 carries.
· Logan quarterback Prothro is heading to UCLA on a track
scholarship.
· De La Salle quarterback Chris Williams completed 9 of 12 passes for 148 yards and
four touchdowns. He also had 18
rushing yards on four carries.
