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De La Salle defeats Serra in Northern California high school football
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De La Salle defeats Serra in Northern California high school football

CONCORD, CALIFORNIA — It doesn’t get much better than this in Northern California high school football.

De La Salle, the kings of the sport for thirty years, was replaced three years ago by a rival school from across the bay: the Serra Padres from San Mateo.

The Spartans looked poised to reclaim that unofficial crown when they put Serra on Owen Owens Field on Friday. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. De La Salle is looking to claw back a little after losing to the Padres two years in a row, including 28-0 last season.

Both teams got the season off to a hot start last week, with the Spartans beating then-Sac-Joaquin Section second-ranked team Grant Union, 42-14, behind an explosive offense and strong defense. Serra, meanwhile, replacing 18 graduated starters, stunned then-state No. 4 team Folsom, 22-21, with a thrilling late fourth-quarter comeback.

De La Salle rose to No. 6 in the SBLive California Power 25 rankings, while Serra rose to No. 12. The Padres represented Northern California in the CIF’s premier competition, the Open Division, while De La Salle owns the most California state titles with seven, though its last came in 2015.

Livestream: You can watch Serra vs. De La Salle live on NFHS Network

Follow live updates below as the match begins, with kickoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m. PT.

(Refresh for the latest updates)

UPDATES 4TH QUARTER

FINAL SCORE: DE LA SALLE 39, SERRA 10

There was no stopping the Padres, who methodically drove down the field on their final drive, only to have a fourth-down pass intercepted in the end zone by Zay Davis. It was Serra’s third turnover of the game. One snap later, the Spartans officially gained revenge for two humiliating losses to the Padres, including a 28-0 victory last season in San Mateo.

THE TOUCHDOWN OF THE SALLE! Derrick Blanche scores a 62-yard touchdown to tie the game with 6:31 left in the fourth quarter. De La Salle 39, Serra 10

UPDATES 3RD QUARTER

END OF 3RD QUARTER: De La Salle 32, Serra 10

TOUCHING THE HALL! Jaden Jefferson breaks loose for a 43-yard touchdown run to give De La Salle a 32-10 lead with 1:34 left in the quarter.

TOUCH SERRA! The Padres struck back on a 14-yard touchdown run from Iziah Singleton to cut the lead to 26-10 with 2:25 left in the third quarter.

TOUCHING THE HALL!: The Spartans are now on a roll. Dominic Kelley scores on a 3-yard run to give De La Salle a 26-3 lead.

TOUCHING THE HALL!: Dominic Kelley scores a 12-yard touchdown run to give De La Salle a 20-3 lead with 8:09 left in the third quarter (PAT blocked).

2ND QUARTER UPDATES

HALF-TIME SCORE: DE LA SALLE 14, SERRA 3

TOUCHING THE HALL!: QB Toa Faavae connects with Jayden Nicholas on a 46-yard touchdown pass with .02 seconds left in the half to take a 14-3 lead. Huge shot.

PLEASANT! Serra loses the ball on the De La Salle 5-yard line and De La Salle linebacker Niko Baumgartner recovers the ball with 31 seconds left in the first half.

BLOCKED GOAL! De La Salle blocks Serra’s field goal attempt from 30 yards out and takes over at their own 29-yard line, still leading 7-3.

1ST QUARTER UPDATES

TOUCHING THE HALL!: QB Toa Faavae scores on a 2-yard sneak to give De La Salle a 7-3 lead over Serra with 2:14 left in the first quarter.

FIELD GOAL SERRA! The Padres scored first with a 29-yard field goal to take a 3-0 lead with 4:53 left in the first quarter.

De La Salle receives the kickoff and Serra’s defense stops them on 4th-and-2.

UPDATES FOR THE GAME

Serra has 92 PLAYERS in his squad!

The teams are coached by best friends, Justin Alumbaugh of De La Salle and Patrick Walsh of Serra, both considered two of the best in the state.

De La Salle has had numerous players shine on the team’s 4×100-meter relay, including quarterback Toa Faavae and running back/cornerback Jaden Jefferson. Duece Jones-Drew, the son of former NFL running back Maurice Jones-Drew, also was a track member and began a stellar varsity career last week with a 64-yard touchdown run on his first varsity carry.

In the win over Folsom, the Padres jumped to a 13-0 lead, trailed 21-13 at the break, scored a late touchdown but missed the extra point. Serra recovered an onside kick, then Brode Smith, who had missed an extra point earlier, kicked a 38-yard field goal with 10 seconds left to complete one of the more improbable victories of Walsh’s career.

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