Perennial national powers begin 2019 with a big clash in California.
National high school football powers high school football powers
De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) and
St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) will collide to open the 2019 season, De La Salle athletic director Leo Lopoz announced Monday.
De La Salle, who once won a national record 151-straight games and was the subject of a major motion picture, 'When the Game Stands Tall,' hosts 10-time Florida champion in an Aug. 23 game.
Video: Shamar Garrett highlights
De La Salle running back went for over 1,000 yards as a junior.
St. Thomas Aquinas, 13-2 last season and No. 27 in the final MaxPreps computer rankings, will feature four of the top 50 seniors from Florida, including the No. 26 recruit in the nation in wide receiver
Marcus Rosemy. Other top seniors returning are tackle
Marcus Dumervil, linebacker
Derek Wingo (Penn State commit) and safety
Jahvante Royal.
"This is one of the best matchups of the 2019 season," MaxPreps football writer Zack Poff said. "Both are prestigious programs and will both be ranked in the Top 25 this year with the talent on both rosters."
Lopoz confirmed the game will be played on national television and that the contract for the game is just one year.
The teams met just once before in 2011 when then-host St. Thomas Aquinas won 30-6.
Both programs have won multiple national titles and helped fill many NFL rosters. Among the more famous alums: De La Salle — Amani Toomer, Aaron Taylor, Maurice Jones Drew, D.J. Williams, T.J. Ward and
Austin Hooper; St. Thomas Aquinas — Brian Piccolo, Michael Irvin,
Geno Atkins,
Joey Bosa,
James White and
Lamarcus Joyner.
The Raiders have produced more NFL talent than any school in the country over the last decade. With defensive end
Nick Bosa's pick at No. 2 in last month's NFL draft, St. Thomas Aquinas has had 18 players drafted since 2009.
