De La Salle is 7-0 against Pittsburg since December of 2014, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The De La Salle Spartans and the Pittsburg Pirates are set to duel. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
De La Salle is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They blew past San Marin, posting a 42-10 victory. The win was just business as usual for the Spartans, who after 11 games remain undefeated this season.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead De La Salle to victory, but perhaps none more so than Toa Faavae, who rushed for 26 yards and a touchdown, and also threw for 71 yards and a touchdown on only six passes. Another rusher making a difference was Derrick Blanche, who rushed for 75 yards and a touchdown on only five carries.
De La Salle was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 359 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 154 rushing yards in 23 consecutive games dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, Pittsburg entered their tilt with Clayton Valley Charter on Friday with six consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with seven. They blew past the Ugly Eagles 35-14. Given the Pirates' advantage in MaxPreps' California football rankings (they are ranked 22nd, while the Ugly Eagles are ranked 123rd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Pittsburg had a senior duo take command as Jamar Searcy rushed for 167 yards and two touchdowns and Marley Alcantara threw for 193 yards and three touchdowns on only 17 passes. That's the most rushing yards Searcy has posted since back in September.
De La Salle pushed their record up to 11-0 with the victory, which was their 13th straight at home dating back to last season. Those victories were due in large part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 8.9 points per game. As for Pittsburg, their win bumped their record up to 10-1.
Friday's match might be decided in the on the ground. De La Salle has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 273.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Pittsburg struggles in that department as they've been averaging 193.7. It's looking like Friday's contest might have some serious battles in the trenches.
De La Salle was able to grind out a solid victory over Pittsburg in their previous meeting back in November of 2022, winning 30-23. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Pittsburg's Jaden Rashada, who rushed for 78 yards and a touchdown on only eight carries, and also threw for 150 yards and a touchdown. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be easier for De La Salle to walk away with another win? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
