Perfect (regular) season: De La Salle routs Clayton Valley, improves to 10-0
Another game, another De La Salle romp.
On the 20th anniversary season of Clayton Valley’s tie against De La Salle — the Spartans’ lone blemish within their own section since 1991 — a sequel was never in question.
Toa Faavae scored on a quarterback keeper from 55 yards out just 25 seconds into the regular-season finale and the visitors never looked back, cruising to a 49-3 victory and a 10-0 record.
Next stop: The North Coast Section Open/Division I playoffs.
Derrick Blanche followed Faavae’s touchdown with one of his own, from 10 yards out, to widen the margin to 15-0.
When Dominic Kelley crossed the goal line a short time later, De La Salle led 22-0.
Kelley’s touchdown gave the Spartans more points in the first quarter than they scored when Herc Pardi-coached Clayton Valley tied DLS 17-17 on Oct. 22, 2004.
The rout Friday improved the Spartans’ record against NCS opponents to 275-0-1 since another Pardi-coached team, Pittsburg, beat DLS in a section championship game in 1991.
Blanche’s touchdown reception completed the first-half scoring for DLS as the Spartans took a 29-3 lead into the locker room.
Jaden Jefferson continued the onslaught with a touchdown run in the third quarter, extending the advantage to 36-3.
Robert Williams finished the scoring with a 74-yard pick-six on the final play.
Among the statistical highlights for De La Salle: Faavae became the first Spartans quarterback to rush for more than 2,000 yards in his career, team color analyst Damin Esper noted on a live stream of the game.
The 10-0 regular season is De La Salle’s first since 2018, when it went 12-0 before losing to Mater Dei-Santa Ana 35-21 in the Open Division state championship game.
The Spartans are now two playoff wins from another likely Open state title game against Mater Dei, the favorite the represent Southern California in the top division.
Clayton Valley fell to 6-4.
The NCS playoff matchups will be announced Sunday.