Nation's No. 15 team hosts Bishop O'Dowd and nation's No. 5 ranked senior running back Austin Jones.
Video: MaxPreps Top 25 football rankings De La Salle stays put after convincing 35-7 win over Central Catholic (Modesto).
The 6-foot, 205-pound is a fourth-year starter, who put on 17 pounds of muscle during the offseason.
Jones accounted for 193 yards and two touchdowns last season, when De La Salle handed the Dragons a 45-24 loss. Jones carried the ball only four times, but for 83 yards, including a 68-yard run.
He caught four passes for 110 yards and another score. He's rushed for just under 5,000 yards in his career and 62 touchdowns. He's ranked the No. 5 running back in the country by
247Sports and the No. 89 recruit overll.
Austin Jones, Bishop O'Dowd
File photo by Darren Yamashita
"He's very difficult to bring down," De La Salle coach Justin Alumbaugh said. "He's got good vision and great speed and you definitely can't arm tackle him."
De La Salle (2-0) definitely hasn't been sloppy tackling, or anything remotely negative, on the defensive side of the ball.
The nation's No. 15 squad has allowed just seven points in two games, against two of the most prolific offenses in California, Folsom and Central Catholic. Both teams regularly put up 50 points. Folsom responded from a 14-0 season-opening loss to De La Salle with a 52-14 win over Jesuit last week.
Alumbaugh has been very pleased with the play from the team's two highest recruits, 4-star linebacker
Henry To'oto'o and defensive end
Isaiah Foskey.
This is considered one of the program's most athletic and best defensive teams in years, and they'll need to be to slow down Jones, 4-star receiver
Sterling Stokes and tight end/linebacker
Colton Vardell, son of former NFL back Tommy Vardell. Defensive end
Tyler Garay-Harris and cornerback
Jelani Warren are other top college prospects for the Dragons.
Though it hasn't even played, O'Dowd (1-0), coached by former NFL running back Napoleon Kaufman, enters a little angry after its season opener against Kennedy (Fremont) was canceled due to poor air quality.
O'Dowd attempted to reschedule the next day, but Kennedy declined, citing a lack of players. The Dragons were awarded the forfeit victory. De La Salle was also frustrated because the Spartans have nothing but a scrimmage and last year's tape to scout.
"We'll be flying around blind for a little bit," Alumbaugh said of his defense. "No matter what, it's a heck of a test."
After struggling against Folsom, the De La Salle offense piled 450 yards against Central Catholic, including 140 yards rushing and three touchdowns by
Shamar Garrett. "He ran straight down hill," Alumbaugh said. "He's fulfilling all that promise we saw in him as a freshman. All his good work habits are paying off."
De La Salle has partnered with CBS Sports Digital to stream
nine of its 10 regular season game this season, including Friday's home
game. Pat O'Rourke, the voice of De La Salle, and 30-year journalist Damin Esper will call the action.
Through
the partnership, fans throughout the country can watch the nation's No.
15 team along with more than 40 other De La Salle sporting events over
the next 10 months via the
SportsLive subscription OTT service online and via mobile and Roku apps.
Shamar Garrett, De La Salle
Photo by Dennis Lee
