By now, it appears clear that St. Francis didn’t simply finish De La Salle’s historic unbeaten soccer streak towards opponents from this area final season.
The beautiful consequence, achieved on a landing move with 16.7 seconds on the clock, did one thing extra.
It crushed De La Salle’s mystique.
That one way or the other, someway the Harmony powerhouse was going to discover a method to win each sport — massive or not so massive — towards groups from this a part of the state.
For 318 of them over 30 years, De La Salle didn't lose to such opponents.
Now the Spartans have misplaced to 3 in lower than a calendar 12 months, the newest final Friday when Serra rallied from 14 factors behind on the street within the fourth quarter to win 24-21 on nationwide tv.
The sport was De La Salle’s first at dwelling since one other opponent from this area, Folsom, overcame a 14-point first-half deficit final December to beat the Spartans 28-27 in a regional ultimate.
Mystique is an fascinating — and maybe misused or misguided — time period in sports activities. When you consider in mystical powers, groups that win on a regular basis have them. Groups that don’t can’t beat the groups that do.
De La Salle was a type of groups that had them and an entire lot extra. This system received a national-record 151 consecutive video games below legendary coach Bob Ladouceur from the beginning of the 1992 season to 2004. Neil Hayes, a former columnist at this information group, wrote a guide about it. Hollywood turned the guide right into a film.
There have been quite a few losses for De La Salle for the reason that nationwide streak ended. Some to out-of-state powerhouses. Some to juggernauts from Southern California.
However the St. Francis sport final season ended De La Salle’s aura of invincibility towards opponents from the Spartans’ yard. The undisputed Kings of NorCal had been now not on prime of the throne.
“It’s a testomony to lots higher groups in NorCal proper now,” De La Salle coach Justin Alumbaugh mentioned on the sphere final Friday as Serra celebrated a number of toes away. “However we’ve obtained to get higher. It’s a easy reality. It’s not simply on the children. We had alternatives. Youngsters made errors. Coaches made errors. Myself included. All of us need to get higher.”
Throughout De La Salle’s heyday, nearly each sport — even these towards the most effective of the most effective — was decisive. And within the few that weren't, the Spartans discovered the play or two that made the distinction.
That they had solely 4 video games determined by single digits through the national-record streak: Buchanan-Clovis (30-24 in 2000), Mater Dei-Santa Ana (31-28 in 2000), Mater Dei (28-21 in 1998) and Pittsburg (26-21 in 1993).
Because the nationwide streak ended 18 years in the past, De La Salle has had 15 video games towards groups from this area determined by fewer than 10 factors.
The Spartans had been 10-0-2 in these video games earlier than the St. Francis loss final 12 months.
They've now misplaced three in a row.
Having been on the sideline for all three of the losses, I can inform you the distinction was paper skinny. De La Salle was outscored by a complete of seven factors within the three video games.
Within the St. Francis sport, it appeared inconceivable that De La Salle would lose on the finish.
Within the Folsom sport, it appeared much less inconceivable.
Within the Serra sport, as soon as the momentum swung, it appeared conceivable, if unlikely.
If the three outcomes went the opposite manner, we’re writing a unique column as St. Francis travels to De La Salle on Friday night time for the rematch.
If St. Francis’ Matthew Dougherty Jr. doesn’t join with Nicolas Andrighetto for the profitable landing, if Zeke Berry crosses the purpose line on a two-point conversion run late towards Folsom, if De La Salle doesn’t drop a third-down display move that may have ended Serra’s comeback, the mystique about DLS would nonetheless be an actual, respiration factor.
Now?
Nicely, maybe Alumbaugh mentioned it greatest every week earlier than this season began.
“We misplaced twice to NorCal groups final 12 months,” he mentioned. “Nobody’s coming in afraid of De La Salle. These guys obtained to earn a status again.”
Given what’s left on its schedule, De La Salle can have an opportunity to do this, starting with the opponent that began the downward cycle — St. Francis.