Nation's No. 11 team runs into a 7-2 California team that likes to control the clock.
Video: Top 10 Games of the Week
Top 25 matchups in Miami and the DMV lead this week's slate of games. There's a bright green light flashing around the
De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) football camp this week.
Green is for go, as in rapid offensive improvement, as in very quick offensive drives.
The Spartans are scoring quickly and often over the last four weeks, typified last week when it scored on six of its seven first-half possessions during a 48-14 win at San Ramon Valley (Danville). None of the drives took more than 2 minutes, 6 seconds.
That offensive efficiency along with continued defensive dominance has led the 11th-ranked Spartans to a 9-0 and 3-0 record heading into Friday's East Bay Athletic League Mountain Division game at always dangerous
California (San Ramon, Calif.).
WATCH FRIDAY'S GAME: Click hereThe Grizzlies (7-2, 2-1) can end De La Salle's 297-game unbeaten streak against Northern California opponents by simply doing what they do best: Control the ball.
California senior co-captain Jahmal Cornwell.
File photo by Jason Weed
"They can really run the ball," De La Salle coach Justin Alumbaugh said. "Any team that has a good line and solid run scheme presents a problem because they can keep the ball away from us and chew up the clock."
Last week, De La Salle averaged 9.1 yards per carry and got two touchdown runs apiece from
Shamar Garrett (29 and 39 yards),
Dorian Hale (4 and 13) and
James Coby (28 and 65), all in the first half. Backup quarterback
Andrew Jones led the only long sustained drive of the night, a 10-play, 75-yarder to start the second half, capped with a 1-yard sneak to make it 48-7.
The fourth quarter was played under a running clock, as has the last three De La Salle wins, which includes 55-0 over Monte Vista (Danville) and 55-10 over Foothill (Pleasanton).
"We definitely have been scoring more quickly," Alumbaugh said. "Diversifying the offense and getting the ball to different people has really helped."
The Spartans are averaging almost 20 yards per their 50 completions on the year (19.8), led by junior receiver
Grant Daley (13 catches, 408 yards, 30.8 average, 2 touchdowns).
California is coached by former De La Salle standout Eric Billeci, a star tight end in the late 1990s. The Grizzlies are led by senior quarterback
Matt McCreary and the running back duo of
Jahmal Cornwell and
Adrian Atta. Tight end/defensive end
Cameron Fitzpatrick is a two-way standout.
PLAYER ROSTERS: California / De La SalleThis season, De La Salle partnered with CBS Sports Digital to stream
nine of its 10 regular season game, including Friday's road
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.
De La Salle junior James Coby (22) had touchdown runs last week of 28 and 65 yards.
File photo by Gint Federas
