MaxPreps 2013 CIF State Bowl Preview: Open Division, De La Salle vs. St. John Bosco

De La Salle (Concord) (14-0) vs. St. John Bosco (Bellflower) (15-0)
8 p.m. Saturday at StubHub Center in Carson


Rankings
De La Salle: No. 4 in MaxPreps Xcellent 25, MaxPreps Computer and Composite.
St. John Bosco: No. 3 by MaxPreps Xcellent 25 and Composite, No. 1 by MaxPreps Computer.

Notable alumni
De La Salle: Amani Toomer (NFL), Maurice Jones-Drew (NFL), Kristian Ipsen (Olympic diving medalist), Brent Barry (NBA), D.J. Williams (NFL).
St. John Bosco: Nomar Garciaparra (MLB), Keith Price (University of Washington football), Evan Longoria (MLB), Todd Husak (Stanford and NFL QB), Benjamin Cruz (retired Chief Justice of Guam).

Leading rushers
De La Salle: John Velasco (211 carries, 1997 yards, 28 touchdowns), Antoine Custer (107-1141-15), Chris Williams (82-472-15).
St. John Bosco: Sean McGrew (179-1928-21), Manasseh Anesi (109-554-13), Clifford Simms (69-501-7).

Leading passers
De La Salle: Williams (64 of 118, 1207 yards, 8 touchdowns, 3 interceptions).
St. John Bosco: Josh Rosen (178 of 260-3000-37-7).

Leading receivers
De La Salle: Marquis Morris (21 catches, 466 yards, 3 touchdowns), Custer (13-208-2).
St. John Bosco: Shay Fields (77-1559-17), Jaleel Wadood (73-1180-18).

Points per game (allowed)
De La Salle: 44.1 (11.7).
St. John Bosco: 49 (16.7).

St. John Bosco fourth-year coach Jason Negro probably said it most succinctly and best: “We see this as a game for the national championship.”

Former De La Salle head coach Bob Ladouceur (399 wins, eight mythical national championships) and now line and running back assistant addressed the Spartans after Tuesday’s practice with the same sentiment.

“This is probably the biggest state championship game in the nation,” he said. “Carpe diem. … Seize the moment.”

The intrigue of the game stretches because of what De La Salle, the four-time defending Open Division Bowl champions have done to the last three Southern California foes. The Spartans have jumped on three Top 10 national teams early en route to routs: 48-8 over Servite, 35-0 over Westlake and last season 48-28 against Centennial (the score was 28-0 in the second quarter).

St. John Bosco appears to be a different beast. Balanced, extremely battle-tested and ultra-talented. Negro confirmed that the program features at least 15 Division I recruits headed by 6-foot-5, 353-pound tackle Damien Mama, 6-4, 210-pound junior quarterback Rosen and 5-11, 180-pound senior receiver-defensive back Wadood.

There are at least seven Division I prospects on defense, the offense is explosive — last week it needed just 42 plays to score 70 points — and Bosco's special teams are more than solid.

“Honestly, they appear to have no weakness,” De La Salle coach Justin Alumbaugh said.

That's what folks have been saying about the Spartans for decades. Negro watched De La Salle in arguably its most famous game, a 28-15 win over Long Beach Poly in 2001 at Veterans Stadium in Long Beach. That Poly team is largely regarded as the most talented team in state history – perhaps nationally – having sent five players to the NFL from it.

Many are comparing this Bosco team to that Poly squad. Considering the result of the 2001 game, Negro knows what he and the Braves are up against. That De La Salle team featured Maurice Jones-Drew and the State Player of the Year Derek Landri, both NFL players now.

This De La Salle team is probably not as gifted skill-wise, but sports probably its greatest offensive and defensive lines, with five Division I prospects headed by Oregon State-bound Sumner Houston, along with Larry Allen and Kahlil Mckenzie, who are each sons of former NFL standouts.

“It really looks like an incredible matchup,” Negro said. “Considering the schedule we’ve battled through and the long history of what De La Salle has accomplished and the team they have this season, the winner of the game has a definite claim at a national championship.”


Preparing for the De La Salle veer and offensive line schemes is more than a headache, Negro said. Especially this season with the offensive line that features Allen (6-3, 285), Houston (6-3, 260), super sophomore Boss Tagaloa (6-2, 286), Drew Sullivan (6-2, 306) and center Brian Joyce (6-2, 225).

Velasco (5-7, 197) is in the Drew form: Short, stocky and hard to bring down, but certainly not as elusive. That’s left up to sophomore Custer who has come into his own and that has allowed last year’s starter and Arizona State-bound Dasmond Tautalatasi, a 1,000-yard rusher, to focus strictly on defense. 

Quarterback Williams (5-11, 230) is not a prototypical DLS veer quarterback, but he has a big arm, he’s improved immensely over two seasons at making reads and he’s a load to bring down. He’s also 29-0 as a starter.

Beyond the personnel, the system and coaching are keeping Negro and staff up late.

“It’s extremely difficult to prepare for,” Negro said. “You spend half your time at practice trying to coach your scout kids. And you forget the fact you have to coach your own kids. It’s because you just don’t see it. So yes, that’s an advantage. They have the perfect storm.”

SJB certainly has the personnel to slow, if not stop the Spartans.

Three of their four linemen are Division I recruits, including USC-committed defensive end Malik Dorton (6-4, 240). On the other side, Jacob Tuioti-Mariner (6-4, 263) also has numerous Pac-12 offers and defensive tackle  Ivan Martinez (6-0, 253) is stout.

Linebacker Chandler Leniu (6-1, 230) ranks sixth in the nation in tackles (228), cornerbacks Chandler Hawkins (5-11, 186, Air Force) and Naijiel Hale (5-11, 175, Arizona) are college-bound, as are safeties Brett Baldwin (6-0, 164, offers) and Wadood (5-11, 178, UCLA).

“They’re not only talented, but they’re always in the right spot,” Alumbaugh said. “We’re going to have to mix it up definitely. We’ll need a big game from (Williams).”


De La Salle defensive coordinator Terry Eidson had a sour look on his face Tuesday. Like prolific and balanced Centennial in the past, it’s hard to focus on one single area with Bosco.

Rosen is a major Division I quarterback with two game-breaking receivers in Hale and Wadood, and sophomore tailback McGrew, coming off a 17-carry, 367-yard, seven-touchdown performance in a 70-49 win over Centennial last week, there may be no stopping the Braves.

You just hope to contain them.

“The No. 1 concern is their quarterback,” Eidson said. “He’s really good.”

So is the line, which features Mama, ranked the second-best guard in the country by 247Sports and No. 38 recruit overall, and center Elijah Zabuldoff (6-2, 286), left tackle Zachary Robertson (6-5, 308) and right guard Matthew Katnik (6-3, 305). All are college recruits.

McGrew isn’t physically imposing (5-7, 174), but “he doesn’t go down easily,” Alumbaugh said. “And then in open space, he’s just gone.”

Said Negro: “He’s special and only a sophomore.”

De La Salle’s defensive front is special too, with Houston, McKenzie, Tagaloa and Larry Ross (6-2, 232). Negro couldn’t stop talking about Houston and McKenzie at defensive tackle.

“Devastating,” he said. “They are just dominating – big and physical and they move so well. And technique-wise. … unbelievable. … One way or another we have to establish the line. That’s easily the No. 1 key to this game.”

De La Salle has been blessed with top-end linebackers over the years, the last two with All-Americans Michael Hutchings (USC) and Michael Barton (Cal), but this season under-stated Cameron Lissarrague and David Ortega have been more than solid. Ortega intercepted two Jake Browning passes last week in a 45-17 victory over then-No. 16 Folsom.

Junior strong safety-linebacker Simba Short (6-2, 182), Tautalatasi, and Washington State-bound cornerback Kevin Griffin lead a secondary that has allowed some big plays this season but excelled last week against the state’s single-season passing leader Jake Browning, who didn't throw for a scoring pass until the final minute.

“With all the points they put up every year, their defense often gets overlooked,” Negro said. “They look as good as ever. They’re very fast and physical.”


Bosco hadn’t made the postseason for seven seasons until Negro, a 1991 SJB graduate, arrived in 2010. … He said the Braves have always had superb skill players, but lacked strength and line play to match. “My No. 1 goal coming here was the offseason weight program and change the body types,” he said. … Bosco put in a new weight facility, the team immediately won and then everyone bought in. SJB has two full-time weight and conditioning coaches, and a coach devoted strictly to recruiting. “It was a snowball effect,” he said. “And now the kids love the weight room.” … It helps to be based in Bellflower, which is smack dab in the middle between Los Angeles and Orange counties and flanked by Compton and Long Beach and the South Bay region. … Negro calls his current group of players “a freak class.” … Ortega (5-10, 211), who played quarterback on the DLS freshman team and whose dad is from Southern California, will have more than 50 family members at the StubHub Center Saturday. … De La Salle has won 40 straight games and owns the national record of 151 consecutive victories from 1992 to 2004. … The Spartans have participated in the Bowl Games every season since they began in 2006, and own a 5-2 record in the games. … Bosco won its first section title with Saturday’s 70-49 win over Centennial in which it gave up 773 yards. … Negro said the yards were deceiving, many coming against his reserves when Bosco took a 49-21 lead heading into the fourth quarter. “I wasn’t going to risk getting my defensive guys getting hurt with a game coming up against De La Salle. That’s taking nothing away from Centennial and what coach (Matt) Logan does. Their offense is amazing. But I don’t think it was representative of how well our defense really played.” … Centennial ran off 118 plays in the game to 42 for SJB. … The filming of a major motion picture about the De La Salle program, “When the Game Stands Tall,” based on the book by Neil Hayes, is scheduled to be released in 2014. The film stars Jim Caviezel (as Ladouceur), Laura Dern (his wife) and Michael Chiklis (Eidson), is scheduled to be released sometime in 2014.

Projected score (computer): St. John Bosco 38, De La Salle 22
MS score: De La Salle 35, St. John Bosco 28