Their most recent 40-game winning streak ended last December by a phenomenally talented St. John Bosco team, things are back to business as usual for the De La Salle Spartans.
The football stadium on Winton Drive has become a re-focused place, using both the motivation from last year’s loss along with the typical attention to detail that the Spartan staff emphasizes.
“The loss last year definitely motivated us heading into the off-season,” said second-year head coach Justin Alumbaugh. “We had too many slip-ups in the minutiae of the game last season, and correcting those things is part of our commitment this season.”
That attention to detail begins every year in the trenches, where the Spartan offensive line sets the standard for all lines in Northern California high school football.
Alumbaugh seems especially excited about this year’s group, with a number of returners anchoring a group that has already come together very well heading into a grueling non-league schedule.
Senior Drew Sullivan (6-2, 330) lends both veteran leadership and strength to an athletic group up front. Seniors Blake Ogburn (6-3, 233) and Matt Medeiros (6-0, 235) have also been singled out for their solid effort and skill level heading into fall practice.
Operating behind that veteran line will be an enviable group of running backs, a combination that should make it easier for a new signal-caller.
Junior Antoine Custer has been mentioned as a possible player of the year candidate by numerous media outlets, not surprising considering his 16 touchdowns and 1,349 combined offensive yards last season. He is joined again by junior Andrew Hernandez, who gained nearly 600 yards on the ground to go with nine touchdowns in 2013.
Junior Anthony Sweeney gets the reigns to the offense this season, after backing up Chris Williams at quarterback last year. Sweeney gained 242 yards on the ground last season in limited action, but has inspired the confidence of the coaching staff and team.
Fellow junior Colin Vanderklugt will back up Sweeney, and will see early action after Sweeney suffered a knee injury in their scrimmage and will likely not play against Jesuit in the opener.
“(Sweeney) has been handling the offense very well,” Alumbaugh said. “Both quarterbacks have been performing well, though, and our offense is definitely a strength right now.”
Whoever is behind center also has some pretty impressive targets in the passing game, highlighted by junior tight end/defensive end Devin Asiasi (6-4, 253). Asiasi averaged over 20 yards per catch last season.
Senior Adam Mayer (6-1, 200) also returns at wide receiver after only playing in two games due to an injury suffered against Serra last season. Mayer had four catches for 93 yards and a score in those two games.
According to Alumbaugh, it is the defense that definitely has some work to do heading into some competitive battles early in the season. Junior Boss Tagaloa (6-2, 303) anchors the interior defensive line after registering nine tackles for a loss and seven sacks last season, while Asiasi is a force at defensive end, where he registered six sacks a year ago.
In Alumbaugh’s words, however, there are still “a lot of candidates looking to grab spots.” The Spartans do return a solid pair at the linebacker position, with three-year starter Cameron Lissarrague (108 tackles, six tackles for a loss in 2013) and Northwestern-commit Simba Short (70 tackles, five tackles for a loss). Senior Jevari Anderson is an imposing force in the defensive backfield.
Despite a daunting schedule which features Jesuit, Byrnes-South Carolina, Servite, Del Oro, and James Logan before EBAL play, Alumbaugh says the goals remain simple from year to year. The Spartans expect to play physical, disciplined football, and to commit themselves to the moment. Anything less will not meet the standard set forth at De La Salle.
LOGAN
Logan coach George Zuber does not back down from challenging his Colts program, a challenge made evident by their 2014 schedule.
After opening with Tennyson, the Colts take on San Leandro, San Ramon Valley, Castro Valley, Bishop O’Dowd, and De La Salle before playing four Mission Valley foes to conclude the season. What once was an easy road to automatic playoff eligibility for Logan has become much more difficult since being granted independent status for football -- a fact that is not lost on Coach Zuber and his staff.
“We really stress how we need to prepare in the off-season now, for the rigors of our early schedule,” Zuber said. “If we don’t play well out of the gate, we could find ourselves on the outside looking in for the post-season.”
Helping the Colts' cause this season are two returners who have already made an impact. Quarterback Christian Leota (6-3, 205) has committed to UC Davis, while Ahmari Davis returns in the backfield after splitting time last season with Ahki Muhammad.
Two more returning starters on the offensive line should help pave the way for the backfield, with Aaron Griffith back at guard and Lopiseni Tulua at center to anchor the line.
Another newcomer on the offensive line, Malik McPherson, has been mentioned as a possible impact player on both sides of the ball. Senior Douglas Lealao could also take some of the load from Davis’ shoulders at running back.
Defensively, junior Brooks Miller returns after a strong sophomore campaign to anchor the linebacking corps. While the Colts might be inexperienced defensively, Zuber was very pleased with the physical nature of his team’s play at last weekend’s Powerhouse Jamboree, and the depth it displayed.
“When our alignment was correct, we did things very well (in the scrimmage),” Zuber said. “It was a great opportunity for us to fix those little things, and I feel real good about how we got after it against every one we faced.”
A pair of newcomers will help anchor the defensive line, with McPherson stepping in at defensive end, along with senior Makisi Aumua-Tatum. Griffith will also be counted on to fill a critical defensive tackle spot in the Colts’ even front defense.
Aside from the opener at Tennyson, the Colts have very little time to get ready for a grind through their first six weeks. Even beyond that, Zuber singled out Washington and Newark Memorial as two teams from the MVAL that play them tough each year. The Colts could face more of the same this season.
