MaxPreps 2013 Preseason Xcellent 25 Football preview: No. 1 De La Salle

To begin the 2013 football season, De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) finds itself in a familiar position: On top of the high school football world.

The Bay Area juggernaut that has become the nation's most well-known football team appears primed to stay on top.

Loaded line play on both sides of the ball, a returning quarterback and emerging skill athletes could be a recipe for another perfect season for the Spartans.

Offensively, it starts up front with Larry Allen III, a 6-foot-4, 270-pound specimen who leads a unit that also features Sumner Houston, Boss Tagaloa and Drew Sullivan.



It should be one of the bigger De La Salle offensive lines in recent years.

Underrated quarterback Chris Williams will be back behind center. He accounted for 29 total touchdowns last year, but his knowledge of the team's offense - as well as continuity at the position - is the greatest value he adds for De La Salle.

The defensive line will feature Tagaloa and Sullivan, and is buoyed by a big addition from Wisconsin, Kahlil McKenzie, who moved to the Bay Area after his father Reggie took the Raiders general manager job.

Head coach Justin Alumbaugh will need to replace Michael Hutchings at linebacker, but 6-4 athlete Devin Asiasi, only a sophomore, looks the part.

Das Tautalatasi, who will likely see most of the carries on offense, will anchor the secondary.

See the entire Preseason Xcellent 25

Local look: "I was at De La Salle camp a couple of weeks ago and it has the exact same feel of the last three decades. The only difference is that bigger dudes are sprinting, lifting and pulling tires. Justin Alumbaugh may be the new head coach – replacing living legend Bob Ladouceur – but 'Lad' is still involved, the system is in place and the athletes, according to those around the program, are similar to the early 2000 'Say hey' days.



"When we mentioned the Spartans were considered as preseason No. 1, no one seemed to flinch. Translation: the pick is justified. The key in that confidence is its foundation — the line, which should average in the 260-pound range. With an experienced dual-threat quarterback and a 1,000 yard rusher returning, the Spartans can build around everything else. They have the athletes — and obviously the coaching — to go unbeaten and win a fifth-straight CIF State Open Division Bowl title."
- Mitch Stephens, MaxPreps Senior Writer and San Francisco Chronicle Prep Editor
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Enrollment: 1,050 (approx., all boys)

Head coach: Justin Alumbaugh

Career record: 0-0

Years at school: 13 (as assistant)

Notable players coached:
Maurice Jones-Drew (UCLA, NFL)

T.J. Ward (Oregon, NFL)

Derek Landri (Notre Dame, NFL)



Michael Barton (California)
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No. of returning starters: 6 (offense), 5 (defense)

Key losses:
LB Michael Hutchings

DL Austin Hooper

DL Victor Egu

Key returners:
OL Larry Allen III

QB Chris Williams



RB/DB Das Tautalatasi

OL/DL Drew Sullivan

OL/DL Sumner Houston

OL/DL Boss Tagaloa

OL/DL Kevin Koenig

Key newcomers:
ATH Devin Asiasi



QB Anthony Sweeney

DL Kahlil McKenzie
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Toughest game: With 6-5, 260-pound defensive end Matt Dickerson leading the team's defensive line, Serra (San Mateo) will be a good early-season challenge for the Spartans to see if the offensive line will live up to expectations.

Question mark: Will this team jell quickly enough to justify the No. 1 ranking? In recent years, it has started off relatively slow. With a less rigorous schedule than other teams on the list, any struggles with Northern California competition could mean a drop in the rankings. Not that Alumbaugh and his staff are concerned about that. Their priority is winning football games.

Local outlook: Looming in the Sac-Joaquin Section is Folsom, which is favored to contend for a CIF Bowl Game berth. Elsewhere, in the Bay Area, Palo Alto could be due for a big season, as it returns highly touted quarterback Keller Chryst. Neither is in the North Coast Section that the Spartans have owned for decades now, so the path to the Bowl Games looks favorable.

Overall outlook: De La Salle has been automatic in earning Bowl Game bids. Barring a total collapse, it will once again make a trip to the Home Depot Center in December. The absence of a marquee interstate game could have an effect on the team's strength of schedule and consequently, its shot at finishing No. 1.

Coach quote: "He's still my mentor, still sits a few feet away. Every day he gives me another little tidbit on a situation or a kid. He always has something to give."
- Head coach Justin Alumbaugh on his assistant coach, Bob Ladouceur
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