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Two California Powerhouse Football Programs Will Clash For First Time Since 2015

De La Salle will host Corona Centennial for the first time since 2015 on September 25, 2026.
Tarek Fattal|
De La Salle celebrated its 33rd straight championship on Nov. 21 at Diablo Valley College with a hard-fought 24-17 win over Pittsburg
De La Salle celebrated its 33rd straight championship on Nov. 21 at Diablo Valley College with a hard-fought 24-17 win over Pittsburg | Photo by Ernie Abrea

Two of California's most storied high school football programs are set to clash this upcoming 2026 season.

Concord De La Salle will host Corona Centennial on September 25 this upcoming fall in a supreme NorCal versus SoCal matchup. It will be the first time the two programs play against each other since they met in the 2015 state championship. De La Salle won 28-21.

De La Salle (12-1 in 2025) is coming off another championship season after winning the North Coast Section Open Division title with a 24-17 win over Pittsburg.

Centennial (11-2) didn't take home any silverware, but had one of the program's most successful seasons after beating Mater Dei twice and earning its way to the CIF Southern Section Division 1 final.

WHAT MAKES THE MATCHUP LEGENDARY?

When considering the winning tradition and history of each program, it's not hard to dial this game up as a marquee matchup. It will certainly be labeled the 'Game of the Week' locally and regionally, and maybe even nationally.

De La Salle is most notably known for its historic 151-game winning streak from 1992 to 2004. The program has won 40 CIF North Coast Section titles, 18 CIF State titles, and six national championships, according to the school's website.

Centennial has won 10 CIF Southern Section championships, all under coach Matt Logan. The Huskies won a CIF State title in 2008, and that win came over De La Salle led by NFL linebacker

COACHING PEDIGREE

The coaching matchup makes this game special, too. But there's where Centennial might have the edge with Matt Logan, who has more than 300 wins in his career along with 10 CIF titles.

Logan became just the 15th coach in California history to reach the 300-win mark this past October. Simi Valley's Jim Benkert, who currently sits at 314, is the only other active coach, according to history records kept by CalHiSports. Logan started at Centennial in 1997.

De La Salle's Justin Alumbaugh will enter his 14th season at the helm this coming fall. He's won the top division in the North Coast Section every year since he's been at the controls. Alumbaugh holds a career coaching record of 148-21.

CENTENNIAL 2026 SCHEDULE

  • AUG. 21: at Servite
  • AUG. 28: vs. Santa Margarita
  • SEPT. 11: at Mater Dei
  • SEPT. 18: vs. Rancho Cucamonga
  • SEPT. 25: at De La Salle
  • OCT. 2: at Vista Murrieta*
  • OCT. 9: vs. Murrieta Valley*
  • OCT. 15: vs. Norco*
  • OCT. 23: at Chaparral*
  • OCT. 29: at Murrieta Mesa*

De La Salle has not released its 2026 schedule yet.

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Published
Tarek Fattal, SBLive Sports
TAREK FATTAL

Tarek Fattal has been covering high school sports since 2015 in Southern California and primarily in Los Angeles, covering notable athletes such as Bronny James, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Alyssa Thompson. He was with the LA Daily News for eight years, which included being the beat reporter for the UCLA men's basketball team. Tarek can be seen on TV regularly on CBS/KCAL as a sports analyst with Jim Hill.

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