Another year, another preseason national ranking. That's just business as usual at De La Salle.
Photo by Dennis Lee
What are preseason national football rankings without De La Salle?
The mighty Spartans have been a fixture of the national high school football landscape for two decades and show no signs of slowing down under second-year head coach Justin Alumbaugh.
His first year was a success, even by De La Salle's lofty standards. The team returned to the CIF Open Division Bowl Game and lost narrowly to a talent-rich St. John Bosco squad that was one of the best to ever hail from Southern California.
With a half-dozen starters returning on each side of the ball, it will be business as usual on Winton Drive.
Junior
Anthony Sweeney takes over behind center for the Spartans. Like many De La Salle quarterbacks of the past, he's not huge (5-foot-9, 160 pounds) but he's highly mobile and has earned the trust of the coaching staff.
As a sophomore last season,
Antoine Custer averaged over 10 yards per carry, finished with 1,041 yards and 11 scores. As a junior, those numbers have a realistic chance to double.
The Spartans totaled only 73 catches last year, but Custer was responsible for 13 of those. Top receiver Marquis Morris is gone, but 6-4 junior
Devin Asiasi has the size and athleticism to step up and be a key contributor in the passing game.
Led by
Drew Sullivan, the offensive line won't be quite as big and imposing as it was last season, but the dropoff will only be slight. Its counterpart on the defensive side of the ball could be special. The Spartans have had some fierce defensive lines (the Dylan Wynn/Blake Renaud unit of 2010 comes to mind) but this year's group could surpass them all.
It starts in the middle with massive tackle
Kahlil Mckenzie. Last year, his first at De La Salle, McKenzie found his way into the backfield with ease. He made 12 sacks and finished with 74 tackles.
Boss Tagaloa, the first De La Salle freshman to nab an offer, is also back. He had offseason ankle surgery, but should be back to full health by the middle of summer. The Tagaloa-McKenzie combination gives opposing offensive line coaches nightmares.
When he's not playing tight end, Asiasi could be used as a speed rusher on the outside edge.
Simba Short has emerged as a defensive leader at linebacker. He tallied 70 tackles as a junior.
Cameron Lissarrague, the team's leading tackler last year, is another huge asset back.
Custer will see time in the secondary, as has been customary for De La Salle running backs.
Jevari Anderson also started in 2013 and will be another key fixture of the defense. If the defensive line does what it is capable of, the secondary could feast on rushed passes and poor decisions.
After sticking with a California-only schedule last season, De La Salle will once again play a top national opponent in Byrnes (Duncan, S.C). The South Carolina power was weakened by the loss of its head coach (as well as its quarterback) but should still be a good test. Serra and Servite will not be cake walks either. The expectation for this team is that if it comes together as the staff hopes, it will be superior to last year's 14-1 squad.
Local quote
"For the first time in at least five years, De La Salle can play with a chip on its shoulder. Ending a season with a loss is pretty foreign to the Spartans, but it should pay dividends in 2014. They have all the pieces. The key is probably how fast new quarterback Anthony Sweeney adjusts. The coaches love how he handles the veer and his teammates. He probably should drive them right back to a State Open title game hopefully, for them, against St. John Bosco. That would be one heck of a rematch."
- Mitch Stephens, Senior writer, MaxPreps (@MitchMashMax)
Kahlil McKenzie made a titanic impact in his first season at De La Salle.
Photo by Dennis Lee/IIIustration by Social Recluse Graphx