Top 10 takeaways from De La Salle beating Folsom

Video: Highlights from De La Salle's 14-0 win over Folsom

CONCORD, Calif. — Ten takeaways from the De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) 14-0 win over Folsom on Friday.

At least that's what I thought it would be midway through the first quarter. In truth, I was stunned, like everyone else, that only two touchdowns were scored and a mere 465 total yards amassed, a total each team normally averages per game. Perhaps the person most surprised by the low score was De La Salle defensive coordinator Terry Eidson.

"I kept looking up at the scoreboard and seeing a zero and saying to myself, ‘I can't believe this,' " Eidson said. "At the end of three, I looked up and thought ‘We still have them shutout?' And then after we stopped them on their final drive and we got our final first down, it was like ‘We're going to shut out Folsom. I absolutely can't believe it.' "

2. It was the best Spartan defensive performance I've ever witnessed

And I've been covering them since 1984. Folsom is the Northern California standard for offensive football and one of the best in the country with all its playmakers. And with the opportunities the Bulldogs had — De La Salle definitely did not control the ball — that was, as head coach Justin Alumbaugh said, "a supreme," defensive effort.

Eidson, who has been a De La Salle assistant for 38 years and defensive coordinator the last 26, said it "was no doubt one of the top defensive games in De La Salle history." He quickly noted a 35-0 shutout over Westlake (Westlake Village) in the 2011 Open state-title game, a 27-10 national showdown win over Evangel Christian Academy (Shreveport, La.) in 2003 and giving up a combined 22 points in two wins over Long Beach Poly (Long Beach) in the early 2000s as other stout DLS defensive performances. 3. Amir Wallace will get Division I offers very soon

The 6-foot, 165 pound De La Salle cornerback was outstanding in largely covering 6-4, 215-pound Clemson-bound manchild Joe Ngata. He had four pass deflections — including the last one on fourth down to preserve the shutout — and held Ngata to six catches for 50 yards. Last year, Ngata had 81 catches for 1,777 yards and 26 scores. "I hate comparing high school kids to NFL guys, but every time I watched (Ngata) I thought of Terrell Owens," Eidson said. Heading into Friday's game Wallace had no offers, Ngata had 24.

The Spartans have waited for the 6-5, 240-pound tight end and defensive end to fulfill his promise. He started as a sophomore with all the measurables and a great attitude. On Friday, with a seven tackles, two sacks, three hurries and a 17-yard touchdown catch, he might have been the game's overall standout. What his coaches enjoyed most was his fire. He almost got flagged for celebrating too much with the DLS student body after his touchdown. Referees warned Alumbaugh, who was shocked. "We don't normally encourage that in the least," Alumbaugh said. "But in Foskey's case, we were pretty stoked." 5. De La Salle's defensive line made all the difference

As good as the secondary was — Shamar Garrett had two leaping interceptions to go with a key 22-yard punt return — and as impressive All-American linebacker Henry To'oto'o and Jhasi Wilson were, all of it was keyed by the defensive front. They pressured super-talented quarterback Kaiden Bennett to get rid of the ball sooner and forced Folsom receivers to take shorter routes. That tightened the field and allowed the secondary to stay with the brigade of talent Folsom wideouts. Besides Foskey, Beau Tagaloa, Gunnar Rask, Michael Puckett, Benjamin Roe and Chad Tasi were outstanding. See Dennis Lee's photo gallery from Folsom at De La Salle game

Though shutout for the first time since 2004, the Bulldogs actually controlled play most of the night, especially in the first half. The five turnovers were not result of sloppy play, but mostly "supreme" defensive efforts. Folsom's defensive effort was also supreme — giving up just 211 yards, one of the lowest totals ever for a winning De La Salle team. This will only strengthen Folsom's resolve to win a fourth state title.

Even on hot summer's evening — temperatures in the mid-80s — the game was only delayed once due to a player cramping. "This game was won in January," Eidson said. "You don't show up three weeks before a game to start practicing to prepare for Folsom."

The 5-9, 190-pound junior brother of Joe was, at times, spectacular with 14 carries for 103 yards. There weren't many holes, but he showed his strength, speed and balance. He looked to be down at least three times during a remarkable 40-yard run down the left sideline before going down at the Spartans' 1. The ball popped free after he hit the ground — it was ruled a fumble — and De La Salle recovered in the end zone. He also had a nifty 50-yard run called back in the third quarter due to an illegal shift penalty. Besides his running ability, like his brother, Ngata is lauded for his blocking, a lost art among skill players. See Todd Shurtleff's photo gallery from Folsom at De La Salle

The Folsom coach addressed the controversial fumble call, but didn't harp on it. Many coaches would have. It came just before the end of a scoreless first half. "We go in 7-0 (at the half), it's a big difference," he told Sacramento Bee reporter Joe Davidson. "But that wasn't the reason we lost. We didn't execute offensively. We didn't play to the best of our ability."

Surely some cramped into Owen Owens Stadium would have preferred a larger venue. I squashed 14 patrons just trying to get to the press box (sorry). But the energy was electric and community pride palpable during a super clean and supremely (there's that word again) contested athletic event. I much preferred it to playing in a cavernous stadium. The 75 or so De La Salle volunteers did an amazing job putting together a first-class high school sporting event.