A team could go 15-0 every year for an entire decade and still fall one game short of the record.
The notion that a team could break the record seems absurd considering the second-longest streak in high school football history is 109 wins, 42 less than De La Salle's. So what would it take for a team to beat the record?
A long history of winning state championships and stringing together undefeated seasons would be a prerequisite. A consistent winner at head coach, like De La Salle's Bob Ladouceur, is also necessary.
Below is a look at 10 teams who come closest to filling those three requirements.Teams are listed with current coach and their all-time record, the school's longest all-time win streak and their best 151-game record (to compare to De La Salle's national record). Teams are listed in order based on the best 151-game records.
Quarterback Lance Allred helped Royal win the last two Class 1A state championship games in Washington by scores of 49-7 and 61-28. The program has won 12 state championships under his great uncle Wiley Allred since 2000. (PHOTO: Michael Jardine)
Royal (Royal City, Wash.)
Coach: Wiley Allred (300-28)
Longest win streak: 53 (2014-18)
Best 151-game record: 144-7 (2012-24)
It can't happen...or can it?: The
Knights have eight undefeated seasons in the past 10 years and just two losses during that stretch. They have won eight state
championships during that run (not including an undefeated 5-0 season
during COVID) and have a .915 winning percentage under Allred, who won
his 300th game last year. In addition to the 53-game win streak, Royal has put together runs of 36 and 35 consecutive wins under Allred.
Southern Columbia Area (Catawissa, Pa.)Coach: Jim Roth (506-73-2)
Longest win streak: 64 (2017-22)
Best 151-game record: 144-7 (2014-23)
It can't happen...or can it?: Only
three coaches in high school football history have won more games than
Roth and no coach has won more state championships in Pennsylvania than
Southern Columbia Area's 14. The Tigers won seven straight
championships from 2017-23. The Tigers have gone 16-0 five times
under Roth.
Ansonia (Conn.)
Coach: John Mihalko (0-0)
Longest win streak: 48 (2011-14)
Best 151-game record: 143-8 (2011-23)
It can't happen...or can it?: This
is a tricky one. Ansonia definitely has the resume as it went 215-18
with eight state championships under coach Thomas Brockett during the
past 18 seasons, including 13-0 last year. However Brockett retired
after last year's title game. The good news is that longtime assistant
coach John Mihalko takes over the reigns.
Soldotna (Alaska)
Coach: Galen Brantley Jr. (166-10)
Longest win streak: 59 games
Best 151-game record: 143-8 (2009-24)
It can't happen...or can it?: Brantley
needed less than 19 full seasons to become the all-time winningest
coach in Alaska. The Stars have gone undefeated 11 times and won 14 state championships during his
tenure, including eight in a row from 2012-19.
Marion Local (Maria Stein, Ohio)
Coach: Tim Goodwin (325-48)
Longest win streak: 64 (active)
Best 151-game record: 142-9 (2014-24)
It can't happen...or can it?: The
Flyers are the first program in high school football history to put
together four straight 16-0 seasons. Goodwin and his team have the
longest active streak in the nation (and it's still only 42 percent of
De La Salle's streak). The Flyers have won 15 state championships since
2000 and have gone undefeated eight times. Marion Local does play in one
of the toughest small school leagues in the nation - the Midwest
Conference - which includes perennial powerhouse Coldwater.
Garden City (N.Y.)
Coach: Dave Ettinger (108-3)
Longest win streak: 54 (active)
Best 151-game record: 142-9
It can't happen...or can it?: Ettinger
had the unenviable position of replacing a legend in coach Thomas
Flatley, who had a 264-44-7 record with five Long Island championships
when he retired in 2015. However Ettinger's done okay for himself with seven Long Island titles and eight undefeated seasons. The
Trojans' 54-game win streak is the second-longest active streak in the
nation.
Carthage (Texas)
Coach: Scott Surratt (233-31)
Longest win streak: 41 (2019-21)
Best 151-game record: 141-10 (2014-24)
It can't happen...or can it?: The Bulldogs have won 10 state championships in 17 seasons and have finished undefeated five times under Surratt. Carthage has gone undefeated during the regular season 10 times and have not lost more than one game in a season since 2016.
Andale (Kan.)
Coach: Dylan Schmidt (97-4)
Longest win streak: 57 (2019-23)
Best 151-game record: 140-11
It can't happen...or can it?: The Indians were a great team under coach Gary O'Hair from 2002-16 (three state championships), but they have been otherwordly under Schmidt. He has won five state titles in eight seasons and has lost just four games in his coaching career.
Martinsburg (W.Va.)
Coach: David Walker (330-88)
Longest win streak: 57 (2016-20)
Best 151-game record: 139-12 (2012-24)
It can't happen...or can it?: After leading Martinsburg to four straight 14-0 seasons from 2016-19, Walker left to coach in college. After three seasons away, Walker returned in 2023 and has won two more state titles. The Bulldogs have won 11 state titles in the past 15 years.
Dutch Fork (Irmo, S.C.)
Coach: Tommy Knotts (489-71-0)
Longest win streak: 61-0-1 (2017-21)
Best 151-game record: 135-15-1 (2013-24)
It can't happen...or can it?: The list has to include Knotts, who has had incredible runs with two different programs. He had a 133-7 record as coach at
Independence (Charlotte, N.C.) and was head coach for 94 of the school's 109-game win streak (second longest in history behind De La Salle). Knotts has done well for himself at Dutch Fork winning nine state championships in addition to the seven he won at Independence.
