How to Watch: No. 12 De La Salle vs. Monte Vista

Video: Top 25 high school football rankings
Zack Poff breaks down the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 rankings.

It was 31 years ago, but the programs at Monte Vista (Danville, Calif.) and De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) vividly still recall the 1987 North Coast Section 3A title game at the Oakland Coliseum.

The two coaching staffs were tight — certainly two of the coaches, De La Salle head coach Bob Ladouceur and his brother Tom Ladouceur, an assistant for Monte Vista.

WATCH FRIDAY'S GAME: Click here or here

The game came down to the wire and Monte Vista pulled out a 14-13 win when De La Salle's last-minute two-point conversion try was ruled short and sweep to the left pylon. De La Salle folks still claim that Rob Forrester got in.

Four years later, De La Salle lost another famous NCS title game at the Coliseum, 35-27 to Pittsburg in 1991. Ripley might not believe this one, but De La Salle hasn't lost to a Northern California opponent since that time, a remarkable span of 294 straight games.

Monte Vista (5-1) has a chance to end that streak Friday when it travels to De La Salle (6-0), ranked 12th nationally by MaxPreps. It's Homecoming for the Spartans, who plan to sellout all 1,000 bobblehead dolls of their legendary coach Bob Ladouceur, who racked up 399 wins and seven national titles during his 35-year career has head coach. He now helps coach the line and running backs.

Under second-year coach Matt Russi, a Monte Vista graduate and Cal walk-on, the Mustangs have the program rolling again after a sub-par 2017 (4-7), a season after winning the NCS D1 crown with players like linebacker Nate Landman, now starring at Colorado, backup Washington quarterback Jake Haener and backup USC tight end Erik Krommenhoek. The 2018 Mustangs boast superb quarterback Jack Stewardson (75 of 111 for 1,164 yards, 12 touchdowns), linebacker Connor Shay (40 tackles) and receiver/safety Nate Rutchena (23 catches, 342 yards, 5 TDs, 3 interceptions). All are juniors, so the future is even brighter for the Mustangs.

Russi, considered one of the strongest players during his time at Cal, has the Mustangs playing physical. That has caught De La Salle's attention.

""They are more physical than they have been," De La Salle coach Justin Alumbaugh said. "They have always had great schemes and continue to have them.

"They have a good quarterback, a couple really good receivers, a solid line and good runners. And a ton of offensive sets. We have to be smart."

The smart calculations are always toward the Spartans, especially following a bye week.

PLAYER ROSTERS: Monte Vista / De La Salle

De La Salle was admittedly weary following its sixth straight win, a physical 31-24 win at then undefeated Buchanan. That come on the heels of a rock em' sock em' 27-21 win at home over three-time national champion Bishop Gorman.

"It was a long six weeks," Alumbaugh said. "We need more guys to step up. We have too many two-way guys." The three best are 4-star linebacker Henry To'oto'o, the team's leading tackler and second-leading rusher, Shamar Garrett, leading rusher who also has three interceptions, and 4-star defensive end and tight end Isaiah Foskey, (team best seven sacks).

The team's most important player ultimately, might be sophomore quarterback Dorian Hale, who left in the third quarter of the Buchanan game when knocked woozy. He probably could have gone back in, but Alumbaugh said. "We don't mess with head injuries."

Hale, a swift and strong-armed dual threat, is expected to start against Monte Vista.

De La Salle has partnered with CBS Sports Digital to stream nine of its 10 regular season game this season, including Friday's home 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.