With one big giant one-on-one stick by senior linebacker Zion Cadet on quarterback Jaden Jefferson, the De La Salle-Concord bench and home crowd celebrated wildly Saturday, perhaps more so than any Spartans group in 11 years.
The tackle on fourth down along the De La Salle sideline secured a wildly entertaining 35-32 victory for the Spartans (5-0) against Centennial-Corona (2-3) in the initial 151 Showcase at Cal’s Memorial Stadium as Cal head coach Tosh Lupoi – a De La Salle graduate – and about 10,000 fans watched.
“This was definitely one of the greatest games I’ve ever witnessed and definitely the greatest game I’ve ever been a part of,” said Cadet, who had a team-high nine tackles. “I will definitely be telling my grandkids about this game.”
The emotion was so great because it was clearly such a statement win for the Spartans – the biggest since these two rivals met for the 2015 State Open Division title at Sacramento State. Centennial came into that game ranked No. 1 in the country but No. 8 De La Salle prevailed 28-21.
“That was a good one for sure,” De La Salle coach Justin Alumbaugh said. “This one definitely compares. It feels very, very good and satisfying. Competing toe-to-toe with that program and team always does. I won’t lie, winning feels a lot better.”
Especially since the Spartans have largely taken it on the chin since that 2015 state championship, which was the last of their seven crowns. Since then, they’ve lost seven straight state title games and eight straight games overall to Southern Section teams by an average of 22 points.
Saturday, they took a massive first punch from the Hawaii-bound Jefferson (392 total yards, four touchdowns) when he connected with Jaden Bynum for a 70-yard touchdown on the game’s second play for a 6-0 lead.
The missed extra point would be huge as from there as the teams traded big plays. Among them was a 59-yard touchdown jaunt by De La Salle’s Duece Jones-Drew, who finished with 29 carries and 211 yards. He added TD runs of 3 and 25 yards.
One of five extra-point kicks by Johnny Borba followed Jones-Drew’s 59-yard burst and proved important. So did Borba’s fake punt pass to Damari Dean, who rambled 49 yards to set up a Judah Pape 7-yard touchdown run to give th3e Spartans a 35-25 lead with 8:32 left in the third.
Dean (four catches, 130 yards) was also on the receiving end of another trick play, a 65-yard touchdown pass from linebacker/backup quarterback Landon Miller, who along with Borba actually had more passing yards than starting quarterback Jaxon Loftin (7-for-10, 41 yards).
“We needed all of it to beat that team,” Alumbaugh said.
After Pape’s touchdown, Jefferson completed another big strike, a 44-yard touchdown throw to Quentin Hale with 6:12 left in the third to make it 35-32.
Remarkably, no one scored from there. Both teams threatened, but both defenses prevailed at the end, highlighted by Cadet’s huge stick on Jefferson, who not only threw for 322 yards but also rushed 11 times for 70 yards.
Hilariously, Cadet said he had lost track of the downs on the final stop.
“We all saw the quarterback draw coming and I just ran downhill to make the stop and finish off the game,” Cadet said. “I kind of forgot it was fourth down until my teammates started celebrating so much. I got hyped up right with them.”
- In the early game of the 151 Football Showcase, Dylan Skrinar threw three touchdown passes, two to Rowan Albin and another to Carter Matza, as Marin Catholic-Kentfield (2-2) won 21-7 over 2-AA defending state champion St. Mary’s-Stockton.Enjoying this article? Support our work with a small crypto donation.
In the early game of the 151 Football Showcase, Dylan Skrinar threw three touchdown passes, two to Rowan Albin and another to Carter Matza, as Marin Catholic-Kentfield (2-2) won 21-7 over 2-AA defending state champion St. Mary’s-Stockton.
No. 1 De La Salle (5-0, No. 1 last week): Jones-Drew’s carries and yards totals were the most by a De La Salle back since 2022, when Charles Greer ran 31 times against Folsom and Dominic Kelley rushed for 204 yards against Amador Valley. Dean’s 130 yards receiving are the most in a game by a De La Salle player since 2018. Next: Friday at Cathedral Catholic-San Diego (3-2).
2. Pittsburg (2-2, No. 2 last week): Pirates had a bye. Next: Friday vs. Los Gatos (3-2).
3. San Ramon Valley-Danville (5-0, No. 3 last week): Cole Dawes completed 13 of 16 passes for 247 yards and four touchdowns (to four different receivers) in the Wolves’ 49-0 home win over Foothill-Pleasanton. Owen Power (eight carries, 87 yards) rushed for two touchdowns, giving him nine on the ground and 13 overall this season. Next: Oct. 9 at Livermore (3-1).
4. Serra (3-1, No. 4 last week): In Bellarmine’s second home night game on campus ever – it normally plays at San Jose City College – the visiting Padres flexed their collective muscle with 28 straight points in the second quarter on touchdowns from Charlie Walsh, Andrew Takapautolo, Jax Cannon and Jace Peavey to win 45-13. Next: Saturday vs. Valley Christian.
5. St. Ignatius (4-0, No. 5 last week): Before more than 7,000 fans at Kezar Stadium in the Bruce-Mahoney Game, Luke Tribolet rushed 18 times for 79 yards and two touchdowns and Isaac Liu completed 11 of 19 passes for 184 yards, including a touchdown throw to Davion Moffett, as the Wildcats extended their winning streak against Sacred Heart Cathedral to five with a 24-7 victory. Three Sacred Heart Cathedral turnovers led to three St. Ignatius touchdowns. Next: Saturday at Riordan (2-2).
6. Acalanes-Lafayette (4-1, No. 6 last week): Tyler Winkles was 19-for-26 passing for 427 yards and five touchdowns in a 42-15 home win over American Canyon. Jackson Boselli (five catches, 120 yards) and Grant Condy (4, 113) each caught two TD throws and Finn Rivera (6, 116) had one scoring grab. Winkles ranks sixth in the state with 1,837 passing yards to go with 20 TDs. Next: Oct. 9 at Las Lomas-Walnut Creek (3-1).
7. Cardinal Newman-Santa Rosa (3-2, No. 7 last week): The Cardinals traveled to Hawaii and edged Punahou-Honolulu 22-21 on a two-point conversion run by James Curoso (29 carries, 88 yards) after L.T. Retamoza (115 yards) connected with Kordell Strane for a touchdown with 8:50 remaining. Next: Oct. 9 at San Marin-Novato (1-4).
8. Monte Vista-Danville (5-0, No. 8 last week): Jimmy Lagios threw for 275 yards and Justin Grisham rushed for three touchdowns and added 10 tackles as the visiting Mustangs won at Dublin 37-14. Next: Friday vs. Livermore.
9. Riordan (2-2, No. 9 last week): UNLV-bound running back Adonyae Brown rushed 23 times for 221 yards and three touchdowns, Sione Vaihola intercepted two passes, Aiden Manu added a team-high nine tackles and DJ Sanchez had two sacks and eight tackles as the Crusaders won 28-9 at St. Francis. It was Riordan’s third straight win over the St. Francis, which hasn’t happened since 1969-71. Next: Saturday vs. St. Ignatius (4-0).
10. Los Gatos (3-1, No. 10 last week): Had a bye. Friday at Pittsburg (2-2).
Other action: Despite a third-quarter injury to quarterback Carter Vose III, Windsor (5-0) edged North Coast Section Division 4 defending champion Miramonte 21-13. A 15-yard touchdown run by Blayke Ferronato, a receiver filling in at QB, clinched the win for the Jaguars, who got a combined 21 tackles from Jax Lagourgue and Remy Lagourgue. … Jack Wilhite hauled in a touchdown pass from Rhett Bystrom with less than a minute left as Livermore (3-1) won 23-20 over visiting Hayward (3-2), which got 168 yards rushing and two touchdowns from Lamont McDonald. … Damajae Woods had four of Antioch’s eight sacks and Stanford-bound George Tyus added two as the Panthers (3-1) beat Heritage-Brentwood 24-6. … Roman Toki rushed for 87 yards and accounted for two touchdowns and Lukas Fitzgerald accounted for three touchdowns as San Mateo (4-1) defeated Sequoia-Redwood City 42-31.
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