You can count on death, taxes and De La Salle chasing a national title. The Spartans once again have the schedule, the players and the tradition to chase the nation's top spot.
Photo by Dennis Lee
The sun rises and sets. Tax season comes and goes. And
De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) is in the national rankings yet again.
Despite losing its top player and leader on both sides of the ball – Wisconsin-bound quarterback Bart Houston and Cal-bound linebacker Michael Barton, both three-year starters – the Spartans look more than primed to make another national title charge. In fact, normally quite unimposing, this will be one of De La Salle's larger and more physically impressive squads.
Preseason Top 25 high school football early contendersTheir national title charge is based on a softer schedule – no long trips to out-of-state powers – and a talented group of hard-bodied athletes, personified at the linebacker spot with Top 100 recruit
Michael Hutchings (6-foot-2, 215 pounds) along with
David Moffitt (6-2, 210) and
Victor Egu (6-3, 225). Throw in physical specimen
Austin Hooper (6-4, 235), a defensive end and tight end, along with a deep, fast and experienced running group led by 1,000-yard rusher
Pepe Vitale (5-11, 205) and De La Salle looks like it should make a seventh-straight appearance in the CIF State Bowl Games.
David Moffitt is part of a linebacking group that shouldbe the backbone of the team.
Photo by Dennis Lee
Whether the Spartans can duplicate their truly impressive back-to-back Open Division titles over Top 10 national teams from Southern California, Servite (48-8) and Westlake (35-0), seems improbable. Especially if
absolutely loaded and fourth-ranked Santa Margarita is waiting at the other end.
Even though that possibility is nine months away, it would be a dream matchup, especially considering legendary coaches Bob Ladouceur of De La Salle and Santa Margarita's Harry Welch. Welch's Canyon team defeated the Spartans and Ladouceur in the initial Open Bowl game in 2006.
Before all that, De La Salle first has to figure out who will replace three-year starter Houston at quarterback. With two incoming juniors and first-year varsity players vying for the job, the Spartans aren't guaranteed anything.
Local look: "As good as De La Salle has been the last couple of the years – especially on defense – it could be even better this year, which is sort of scary. That's based on the sheer raw talent they have, especially at linebacker. Not many teams can say they have three guys such as Mike Hutchings, David Moffitt or Victor Egu at one position. The big question obviously is to find a quarterback but I think De La Salle will just go back to the way they used to use their quarterbacks. Whoever that guy is will just be handing the ball off to a deep set of running backs.
- Ben Enos, Contra Costa Times
