Video: De La Salle football players discuss school's first-ever game in Texas
Spartans players talk about what they're expecting when they go to the Lone Star State to face Trinity (Euless, Texas)It won't be at enormous AT&T Stadium (home of the Dallas Cowboys), but members of the
De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) football team said Tuesday that they would be excited to play
Trinity (Euless, Texas) anywhere.
The two schools have finalized a spot — Vernon Newsom Stadium in Mansfield, Texas – just outside of Dallas.
The perennial national powers from two high-powered states are set to play at 8 p.m. (Cenral Time) Aug. 29.
It's the first time De La Salle, a seven-time mythical national champion, will play against a Texas opponent.
"Football in Texas is a religion," De La Salle quarterback
Anthony Sweeney said. "I'm so excited to go down there and try to prove ourselves."
Check out info about Vernon Newsom Stadium, including a photo slideshow (via Mansfield USD site)Said five-star defensive tackle
Boss Tagaloa: "It's really exciting. I've seen 10 of their 12 games on film last year and they're really good. We'll have to be well-conditioned. We like physical teams and I think it's going to be good competition for us."
Said De La Salle coach Justin Alumbaugh: "When you talk about high school football, Texas naturally comes up. It's exciting. We've seen film on them. They're really good and really physical. We're really excited about going out there."
All parties tried to somehow get the game at AT&T, but the Cowboys host an exhibition game that weekend. The Spartans aren't complaining.
"(Newsom Stadium) looks beautiful," Alumbaugh said. "(De La Salle Athletic Director Leo Lopez) went down and said it's spectacular. We're just excited to play a high school football game in Texas against a great opponent."
De La Salle finished 14-0 last season, was the California Open Division champion and finished No. 3 in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 national rankings. The Spartans return many of their key players, including 1,800-yard rushers
Antoine Custer and
Andrew Hernandez, plus five-star linemen Tagaloa and
Devin Asiasi.
Trinity (12-2 last year), under first-year coach Chris Jensen after longtime coach Steve Lineweaver retired, won states in 2005, 2007 and 2009. It boasts a bevy of top returning players, including quarterback
Tyler Natee, running back
Ja'Ron Wilson and defensive tackle
Chris Daniels.
