De La Salle High School made its case to be the Northern California representative in the state’s top game a resounding one with a 49-14 victory over a hard-charging and athletic Pittsburg squad at Dublin High Saturday night.
De La Salle's Ward scored on TDs of 23 and 77 yards Saturday.
File photo by Dennis Lee
Under brisk and wet conditions, the Spartans (12-2) piled up 330 yards while rolling to a 42-0 halftime lead and never looked back while taking their 18th straight and 25th North Coast Section Division I championship.
This kind of domination late in the season is nothing new to De La Salle.
This was the 14th time the Spartans have scored 40 or more or more in a NCS title game, the first since a 41-0 victory over Amador Valley-Pleasanton in 2004. The closes margin in the 25 titles was 14-0 over San Leandro in 2005 under a driving rain. The next closest was 35-15 over James Logan in 1997.
The rest all looked a lot like Saturday: complete, thorough and decisive from the beginning.
The potent running tandem of Terron Ward and Tyler Anderson, who came in with a combined 2,741 yards and 40 touchdowns, accounted for 264 yards and five touchdowns in the first half alone.
Ward scored on touchdowns of 23 and 77 yards and Anderson rushed for scores of 85 and 20 yards, and added a punt block return of five yards for another TD as the Spartans defeated Pittsburg (9-5) for the sixth time in a NCS title game.
Anderson scored his fourth touchdown on a 20-yard run on the first drive of the second half to make it 49-0 and finished with 13 carries for 170 yards. Ward added 137 yards on seven carries. Both left the game early in the third quarter.
Pittsburg’s Erick Dargan added two third-quarter touchdowns to close to 49-14.
De La Salle will now wait this morning for a CIF Bowl committee to make a decision which game the Spartans will play in.
The Open game pits the top two teams, one from the North and one from the South. If the Spartans aren’t selected for that game then they will assuredly be chosen for the Division I game for the fourth straight year.
The selection committee will announce their decision at 3:30 p.m. today.
See who we think the committee will pick below.
Other Northern California title games Saturday that had bowl-game significance:
Nevada Union (Grass Valley) 20, Monterey Trail (Elk Grove) 2: In the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I title game at the University of Pacific, Broughan Jantz (13 yards), Drew Hoskins (31) and Zach Vallejo (1) scored on runs and the defense did the rest as Nevada Union (13-1) won its fourth SJS title since 1993.
Del Campo (Fair Oaks) 16, Inderkum (Sacramento) 12: According to the Sacramento Bee, Ryan Dimino accounted for 246 yards and a touchdown as Del Campo (13-1) held on to beat previously unbeaten and top seed Inderkum-Sacramento (13-1). The game was delayed by lightening and the wet and storm conditions led to a very soggy field and numerous botched kicks.
UPDATED BOWL ANALYSIS
NorCal Open Division
There really appears only two teams in the mix. De La Salle and SJS Division II champion Rocklin (14-0), which won Northern California’s toughest division. We’ve said all along that the commissioners will choose Rocklin because the two losses for De La Salle just doesn’t look good. The fact one is to the probable mythical national champions (Don Bosco Prep, N.J.) and the other was to previous No. 12 Lakeland (Fla.), though will be noted, still could get lost. Supposedly, the committee is not allowed to speak about current injuries – only what the teams have accomplished – but somewhere back in the minds of some will be the fact, Rocklin’s starting quarterback Jimmy Laughrea broke his left non-throwing forearm and can’t play next week. Add in De La Salle’s absolute destruction of the NCS field and we think the committee will pick De La Salle.
Commissioner’s pick: De La Salle.
NorCal Division I
If the committee picks De La Salle for Open, this is the toughest pick on the board in Northern California. It would come down to two teams, Nevada Union (13-1) and Central Coast Section Open champion Bellarmine (11-1-1). No question, the CCS Open is tougher and Bellarmine was left holding the bag last season with even a better team. But a key factor that will be brought up is that Bellarmine was defeated soundly 34-10 by a SJS squad St. Mary’s-Stockton that was ousted in the first round of the Division II playoffs. That might just give the edge to the SJS in general, one which Nevada Union is a part of. Nevada Union’s only loss was to Rocklin in a barnburner, 41-36. If Rocklin is picked in Open, the De La Salle is the obvious selection here.
Commissioner’s pick: Nevada Union.
NorCal Division II
Rocklin is the obvious choice, but if selected to move up then it appears a two-team race between Del Campo and Northern Section champion Enterprise of Redding (11-1).
Commissioner’s pick: Rocklin.
NorCal Division III
Attrition definitely took a toll on this division and the last team truly standing is NCS champion Marin Catholic (13-1), which closed with a gem, a 27-0 win over favored and Division II power Encinal-Alameda. CCS squads Seaside (10-2-1) and Carmel (12-0) have outside shots and there’s some thinking that the commissioners might move up small-school power Modesto Christian (14-0) to Division III. We’re not buying that.
Commissioner’s pick: Marin Catholic.
NorCal Small Schools
There really is just no debate. Modesto Christian has proved all season it belongs in this spot and a 61-40 win over a very strong and resilient Placer squad in Friday’s finals didn’t diminish that thinking.
Commissioner’s pick: Modesto Christian.
