High School

Live score updates: De La Salle routs Serra in Northern California high school football rivalry

Serra had knocked off the Spartans two straight years, but De La Salle responded with a resounding victory Friday night

Mitch Stephens

De La Salle linebacker Niko Baumgartner is about to wrap up Serra tight end Clay Hinsdale during the Spartans 39-10 win Friday night at Owen Owens Field on the campus of De La Salle.
De La Salle linebacker Niko Baumgartner is about to wrap up Serra tight end Clay Hinsdale during the Spartans 39-10 win Friday night at Owen Owens Field on the campus of De La Salle. / Photo: Dennis Lee

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

De La Salle, the kings of the sport for three decades, were replaced three years ago but a rival school from the other side of the Bay — the Serra Padres from San Mateo.

The Spartans seemed prime to take back that unoffical crown when they post Serra Friday at Owen Owens Field. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m. De La Salle seeks a little packback after losing to the Padres two straight years, including 28-0 last season.

Both teams started the season last week in resounding fashion, the the Spartans blasting then Sac-Joaquin Section second-ranked team Grant Union, 42-14 behind an explosive running attack and tough defense. Serra, meanwhile, having to replace 18 graduated starters, stunned the then state's No. 4 team Folsom, 22-21, with a stirring late fourth-quarter comeback.

De La Salle moved up to No. 6 in the SBLive California Power 25 rankings, while Serra moved up to No. 12. The Padres have represented Northern California in the CIF's top game, the Open Division, while De La Salle owns the most California state titles with seven, though the last was in 2015.

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

Follow along below for live updates once the game starts, with the kickoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m. PT.

(Refresh for the latest updates)

4TH QUARTER UPDATES

FINAL SCORE: DE LA SALLE 39, SERRA 10

No quit in Padres, who methodically drive down field on 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 avenged a pair of humbling loss to the Padres, including a 28-0 win last season in San Mateo.

DE LA SALLE TOUCHDOWN! Derrick Blanche busts loose for a 62-yard touchdown to put the game away with 6:31 left in the fourth quarter. De La Salle 39, Serra 10

3RD QUARTER UPDATES

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

TOUCHDOWN DE LA SALLE! Jaden Jefferson breaks free for a 43-yard TD run to give De La Salle a 32-10 lead with 1:34 left in the quarter.

TOUCHDOWN SERRA! The Padres strike back on a 14-yard TD run by Iziah Singleton to cut the lead to 26-10 with 2:25 left in the third quarter.

TOUCHDOWN DE LA SALLE!: The Spartans are pouring it on now. Dominic Kelley scores on a 3-yard run to give De La Salle a 26-3 lead.

TOUCHDOWN DE LA SALLE!: Dominic Kelley scores on a 12-yard TD run to give De La Salle a 20-3 lead with 8:09 left in the 3rd quarter (PAT blocked).

2ND QUARTER UPDATES

HALFTIME SCORE: DE LA SALLE 14, SERRA 3

TOUCHDOWN DE LA SALLE!: 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 swing.

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

BLOCKED FIELD GOAL! De La Salle blocks Serra's 30-yard field goal attempt and takes over on their own 29-yard line, still leading 7-3.

1ST QUARTER UPDATES

TOUCHDOWN DE LA SALLE!: 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 strike first on a 29-yard field goal to take a 3-0 lead with 4:53 left in the first quarter.

De La Salle receives the opening kickoff and Serra's defense stuffs them on 4th-and-2.

PREGAME UPDATES

Serra has 92 PLAYERS on its roster!

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

De La Salle features numerous players who starred on the team's 4x100-meter relay track team including quarterback Toa Faavae and running back/cornerback Jaden Jefferson. Duece Jones-Drew, the son of former NFL back Maurice Jones-Drew, also was a track member and got off to 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 out to a 13-0 lead, fell behind 21-13 by halftime, then got a late touchdown, but missed the extra point. Serra recovered an onside kick, then Brode Smith, who earlier missed an extra point, drilled a 38-yard field goal with 10 seconds left, finishing off one of the more unlikely wins in Walsh's career.  

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Mitch Stephens
MITCH STEPHENS

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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