California high school football: De La Salle announces 2025 schedule

Spartans open season with Florida powerhouse Lakeland in rematch of 2009 double-overtime classic; Cathedral Catholic, Serra and St. Mary's-Stockton also on the nonleague schedule

De La Salle enjoying its 32nd straight NCS championship hardware after a 10-7 win over Pittsburg on 11/22/2024 at Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill California / Photo: Dennis Lee

The release of football schedules has become big news around high school circles, especially ones with as big a name as De La Salle.

The football program that won a national-record 151 straight games (1992-2004) and inspired a book and Hollywood movie — "When the Game Stands Tall" — announced its 2025 schedule this week with a big hundinger to open the season versus Lakeland (Fla.) on Aug 29.

The two programs from two juggernaut football states met once before, and came through with a juggernaut of a game, a 31-30 Lakland victory in double-overtime at Diablo Valley College (Pleasant Hill, Calif.)

The game came down to a two-point conversion stopped by the Dreadnaughts.

De La Salle running back Duece Jones-Drew breaks into the open while scoring on a 65-yard touchdown run. | Photo by Dennis Lee /

Lakeland will come back to California for the rematch and though De La Salle coach Justin Alumbaugh was on the sideline the first time, he wasn't the head coach as he is now. The team was coached then by legendary Hall of Famer Bob Ladouceur.

Lakeland was led then by its own Hall of Fame coach, Bill Castle, and now is headed by Marvin Frazier. The Dreadnaughts went 13-1 last season, losing to St. Thomas Aquinas (34-0) in the Florida 5A state finals. De La Salle (12-1) also went unbeaten before losing in the CIF State Open Division finals to Mater Dei, 37-15.

Both teams will hope to make amends.

The rest of the De La Salle nonleague schedule includes traditional West Catholic Athletic League rivals Serra and Saint Francis, along with Sac-Joaquin Section power St. Mary's, El Cerrito and San Diego Section power Cathedral Catholic.

A competitive league opponent for several years, San Ramon Valley will host the Spartans on Oct. 24. De La Salle will host six of its 10 games in 2025.

Among the many key returners for the Spartans are North Carolina-bound running back/cornerback Jaden Jefferson, highly-touted junior running back Duece Jones-Drew and quarterback Brayden Knight.

2025 DE LA SALLE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Aug. 29: vs. Lakeland (Fla.)

Sept. 5: at Serra

Sept 12: at Saint Francis

Sept 19: vs. St. Mary's-Stockton

Sept 26: vs. El Cerrito

Oct. 3: vs. Cathedral Catholic-San Diego

Oct. 17: at Amador Valley

Oct. 24: at San Ramon Valley

Oct. 30: vs. California

Nov. 7: vs. Clayton Valley Charter

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