High School

Look: Photo gallery from De La Salle's 41-0 win over Clovis North in NorCal D1-AA football championship

Spartans beat the Broncos at their own game, ball control and physical defense in what coach Justin Alumbaugh said was their best game of the season

Mitch Stephens, SBLive Sports

CONCORD, CALIFORNIA — De La Salle's football team turned back the clock a few years Friday with a dominating 41-0 victory over previously unbeaten Clovis North in the CIF Northern California Region Division 1-AA championship game.

An offense that has struggled most of the season, piled up 242 yards and scored on their first five possessions of the first half to advance to next week's CIF State championship against Mission Viejo, a 49-21 winner over Granite Hills. 

It's the 16th time in the 17-year history of the CIF State Bowl Championships the Spartans (11-2) have reached the state finals. They've won a state record seven state crowns. 

Junior quarterback Toa Faavae rushed for two touchdowns and threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to tight end Landon Cook. Junior running back Derrick Blanche Jr rushed 19 times for 146 yards and two touchdowns and sophomore speedster Jaden Jefferson took a backward pass from Faavae and sprinted 81 yards for a touchdowns. 

Clovis North, making its first NorCal Regional appearance, dropped to 13-1. 

(All photos below by Dennis Lee)

De La Salle 41, Clovis North 0 by Dennis Lee 12-1-2023120120231 (1)
Photo: Dennis Lee
De La Salle 41, Clovis North 0 by Dennis Lee 12-1-2023120120230 (2)
De La Salle 41, Clovis North 0 by Dennis Lee 12-1-2023120120230
De La Salle 41, Clovis North 0 by Dennis Lee 12-1-2023120120230 (1)
Photo: Dennis Lee
De La Salle 41, Clovis North 0 by Dennis Lee 12-1-2023120120231 (2)
De La Salle 41, Clovis North 0 by Dennis Lee 12-1-2023120120231
Photo: Dennis Lee
De La Salle 41, Clovis North 0 by Dennis Lee 12-1-2023120120232 (1)
De La Salle 41, Clovis North 0 by Dennis Lee 12-1-2023120120232 (2)
De La Salle 41, Clovis North 0 by Dennis Lee 12-1-2023120120232
De La Salle 41, Clovis North 0 by Dennis Lee 12-1-2023120120233 (1)
De La Salle 41, Clovis North 0 by Dennis Lee 12-1-2023120120233
De La Salle 41, Clovis North 0 by Dennis Lee 12-1-2023120120233 (2)
De La Salle 41, Clovis North 0 by Dennis Lee 12-1-2023120120234 (1)
De La Salle 41, Clovis North 0 by Dennis Lee 12-1-2023120120234 (2)
De La Salle 41, Clovis North 0 by Dennis Lee 12-1-2023120120234
De La Salle 41, Clovis North 0 by Dennis Lee 12-1-2023120120235 (1)
De La Salle 41, Clovis North 0 by Dennis Lee 12-1-2023120120235 (2)
De La Salle 41, Clovis North 0 by Dennis Lee 12-1-2023120120235
De La Salle 41, Clovis North 0 by Dennis Lee 12-1-2023120120236 (1)
De La Salle 41, Clovis North 0 by Dennis Lee 12-1-2023120120237 (1)
De La Salle 41, Clovis North 0 by Dennis Lee 12-1-2023120120236
De La Salle 41, Clovis North 0 by Dennis Lee 12-1-2023120120237
De La Salle 41, Clovis North 0 by Dennis Lee 12-1-2023120120238 (1)
De La Salle 41, Clovis North 0 by Dennis Lee 12-1-2023120120238 (2)
De La Salle 41, Clovis North 0 by Dennis Lee 12-1-2023120120238
De La Salle 41, Clovis North 0 by Dennis Lee 12-1-2023120120239 (1)
Photo: Dennis Lee
De La Salle 41, Clovis North 0 by Dennis Lee 12-1-2023120120239
De La Salle 41, Clovis North 0 by Dennis Lee 12-1-2023120120239 (2)

 

Published
Mitch Stephens, SBLive Sports
MITCH STEPHENS, SBLIVE SPORTS

Mitch Stephens is a senior editor at SBLive Sports for California, a state he's covered high school sports since 1984. He won multiple CNPA and CPSWA writing awards with the Contra Costa Times, San Francisco Chronicle and MaxPreps.com before joining the SBLive staff in 2022. He's covered the beat nationally since 2007, profiling such athletes as Derrick Henry, Paige Bueckers, Patrick Mahomes, Sabrina Ionescu, Jayson Tatum, Chiney Ogwumike, Jeremy Lin and Najee Harris as preps. You can reach him at mitch@scorebooklive.com.

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