De La Salle (Calif.) football refuses to go against traditional core principles

As long as Justin Alumbaugh is head coach of the De La Salle Spartans (Calif.), don’t expect a couple things to ever change about the program: Pursuing transfers and going away from the veer option offense.

According to a report by The Mercury News on Wednesday, the storied California high school football program made it be known publicly that despite having lost eight consecutive CIF bowl games, including last week’s 47-13 Open Division championship to Santa Margarita Catholic, they won’t be changing how they do things.

“I’m trying to make De La Salle and our standard as best as we can possibly be without any deviance from who we’ve been in any way shape or form,” Alumbaugh said via the report. “I think what we’re seeing a lot in high school athletics is not educational athletics. I have to fight my own competitive instinct sometimes. I don’t want to lose. … I’m trying to focus on creating a legitimate, real Friday night lights atmosphere where we’re going to coach our kids, get the best out of them and hope for the best.”

“I think the pressure to win and the pressure to succeed can sometimes be very consuming. I also don’t want to diminish from educational athletics. You get a kid that transfers in and replaces Bubba Vargas. What does that say about me? So in that regard, yeah, I hope we rein this in a little bit.”

De La Salle just completed their 2025 season, finishing with a 12-1 record, the lone loss coming at the end of the season. The Spartans have been able to uphold the program’s winning pedigree behind what wouldn’t be viewed as a modern offense.

The Spartans have won eight CIF championships in the modern era and own the nation’s longest win streak at 151 games in a row, which ran from the start of the 1992 season through Sep. 4, 2004 when De La Salle lost to Bellevue (Wash.).

This past 2025 season, the Spartans had some impressive wins as they opened up the campaign with a 10-6 win over Florida Class 5A state finalist Lakeland, Cathedral Catholic, Junipero Serra and Pittsburg, respectively.

Alumbaugh’s team relied heavily on the ground game, rushing for 3,528 yards and scoring 53 touchdowns. In comparison to De La Salle’s passing attack, which generated 1,207 yards and 11 scores through the air.

Despite not lining up in shotgun spread sets every play or bringing in an abundance of transfers during the off-season, De La Salle has remained among one of the top high school football programs out of the state of California.

More about De La Salle High School

De La Salle High School, located in Concord, California, is a prestigious private Catholic institution known for its rigorous academics, competitive athletics, and commitment to spiritual development. Offering a variety of AP and honors courses, the school prepares students for higher education and future careers. De La Salle’s athletic teams are highly competitive, frequently achieving state championships. Emphasizing leadership, faith, and community service, the school ensures students are well-rounded and ready for future challenges.

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