De La Salle High School football team on very cool trip to London to take on NFL Academy

Famed California program will experience Buckingham Palace, Big Ben but must also deal with giant Swede tackles among NFL's developmental European squad

Jaden Jefferson, who finished fourth in the state 100-meter dash (10.40 seconds), scored on a 43-touchdown run in the third quarter during De La Salle's 39-10 win over Serra on Sept. 6, 2024 at Owen Owens Field. He'll be one of a handful of super speedy Spartans to head overseas to play NFL Academy Tuesday in London. / Photo: Dennis Lee

CONCORD, CALIFORNIA — De La Salle star lineman Matt Johnson wiped the sweat from his brow after practice Tuesday when informed the temperatures in London next week won’t creep much past 60 degrees with even a little drizzle. 

“Cool,” replied the behemoth 6-foot-6, 270-pound four-star Oregon commit. 

Considering Concord, during a record heat weave, hovered around triple digits all week, Johnson meant that in the most literal and figurative sense. 

Playing a football game in England is beyond awesome or dope.

It’s wicked.

Aces.

Peng.

The 59-person squad (including five team managers), carrying one of high school sports’ most recognizable brands, will break huddle for a 10-hour direct United flight from San Francisco International Airport Thursday evening and arrive in London about noon Friday local time, 4 a.m. PT. 

Joining them be their parents, the coaches, their families, a support team, more family and even one prominent former coach, Bob Ladouceur, the architect of this De La Strucure. All told making the trip over the pond?

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"Truly no idea," De La Salle head coach Justin Alumbaugh said. "Ninety-one in travel party. Coaches. Wives. Families adds another 60. Maybe double that. So like 400?"

Part of the NFL’s expansion to grow the game, the Spartans will play against NFL Academy, a European development team Tuesday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium two days after the New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings battle at the same venue. 

Alumbaugh jumped at the chance when former Spartan Zach Klaas, a Nike representative, presented the opportunity two years ago. He’s called it a “once in a lifetime opportunity,” every day since, but Tuesday admitted “I’ll be a lot more excited once we get there.

“It’s been no surprise about the work it would take to get there and it’s been challenging coaching and teaching and trying to be a dad (he has three children under 7). Obviously it’s not all on me. A lot of people have done a lot more than me for this trip. But it will be really great once our boots are on the ground.” 

De La Salle coach Justin Alumbaugh took over for legendary Bob Ladouceur in 2013. / Photo: Dennis Lee

PROGRAM STILL STANDS TALL

The cleats on the pitch have been very good so far for the 5-0 Spartans, ranked No. 1 in the North Coast Section and No. 6 in the state, according to SBLive Sports. 

The program is one of the more renowned in the state, if not the nation, with a state-record seven state titles, although the last was 2015 before Southern California juggernauts Mater Dei and St. John Bosco began attracting upwards of 20 Division I recruits or more annually. 

Largely because of the emergence of those programs as well as Serra and Folsom in Northern California, De La Salle has lost seven straight state-title games. 

But no shame there. The Spartans are still making it to the pinnacle and still  lay claim to the nation’s all-time win streak record of 151 games (from 1992 to 2004). They’ve had a book written about them turned into a 2014 Hollywood movie — “When the Game Stands Tall” starring Jim Caviezel, Michael Chiklis and Laura Dern. 

This team, with excellent speed and game-breaking backs, resemble some of those best teams that featured NFL talents like Amani Toomer, Aaron Taylor, Maurice Jones-Drew and D.J. Williams, and current standouts Houston Texans linebacker Henry To'oTo'o and New Orleans Saints defensive end Isaiah Foskey.  

Many of today’s game-breakers were part of track team’s school record-breaking track team last spring, including quarterback Toa Faavae, running back/cornerback Jaden Jefferson, receivers/defensive backs Jayden Nicholas and Ant Dean, and sophomore running back/defensive back Duece Jones-Drew, son of Maurice. 

Add a pair of third-year starting running backs, Derrick Blanche and Dominic Kelley, strong line play led by Johnson and 6-2, 286-pound junior Myah Telona, who recently received an offer from Oregon, and strong linebacker play from Niko Baumbgartner and Bubba Vargas, and the Spartans look like strong contenders to play in California’s pinnacle game. 

Derrick Blanche Jr. (22) finished with 12 carries, 182 yards rushing, including a 62-yard touchdown jaunt to finish off the scoring. De La Salle finished with 332 yards rushing and 408 overall in a 39-10 win over Serra on Sept. 6, 2024. / Photo: Dennis Lee

SCOUTING SPARTANS

That won’t mean much dealing with a NFL Academy squad that has “a bunch of big, strong, fast athletes, coached by a great staff with all the amenities,” Alumbaugh said. “So, yeah, it’s going to be a challenge. These guys really hit. A lot of them grew up playing rugby so they know how to tackle.”

The NFL Academy squad has played two U.S. high school teams thus far in 2024, losing both games, 51-45 to Florida power Edgewater Aug. 15 in Loughborough, UK; and 35-20 to defending Ohio D2 champion Washington (Massillon) Aug. 22 at Nike Headquarters in Oregon. 

“They’re huge and they like to run the ball,” Telona said. 

According to Alumbaugh, both NFL Academy’s starting offensive tackles are “6-foot-7, 300-plus pound dudes from Sweden.” One is Max Hoke (6-7, 328). 

Blimey. 

Said De La Salley third-year letterman, junior linebacker Peli Pasa: “They have big, physical fast athletes, but they’re probably not as experienced as us. Hopefully we can take advantage of that.” 

Johnson noted that the USA Academy “hasn’t played a game for a month or two, so they’ve just been practicing for us that whole time.” 

Besides the long travel, new surroundings and opponents, Johnson thinks the biggest adjustment will be “being off schedule and changing our routine.” 

That’s why all the Spartans said Tuesday, they’re looking at this as a “business trip,” said Faavae, a third-year starting quarterback. “If we use the same mentality as we’ve shown all season and look at these guys as just another opponent, come in with 100% physicality, it shouldn’t matter that this is a different place, a different country or time zone.”

De La Salle 4-star defensive lineman and University of Oregon commit Matt Johnson (56) was a menace all night. He had a second-half sack in the Spartans' 39-10 win over Serra. / Photo: Dennis Lee

WINS AND CRUMPETS

The travel itself will be largely new to Pasa, whose first trip on an airplane was as a freshman when the Spartans flew to San Diego for a game with Cathedral Catholic. 

“This will be my second trip,” Pasa said. “Just a lot longer. I’ll probably sleep a lot more (on the plane). I’m just looking forward to getting there and focusing on the game with my brothers. I want to see some of the buildings and try out their food. I heard it was a lot of bread and beans.” 

The team will no doubt spend some time touring those buildings like Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and Tower of London. But experimenting with fish and chips, crumpets or lardy cake might need to wait until after the game. 

According to both CIF Executive Director Ron Nocetti and NCS commissioner Pat Cruickshank, the game will count toward De La Salle’s record. 

“We got to eat right, hydrate and take care of our bodies,” Faavae said. “We know this is a lifetime opportunity and to experience it with my teammates is amazing. But it won’t be nearly as fun if we don’t win. No matter what, I can’t wait to take it all in.”

De La Salle defensive back Ant Dean (right) celebrates scoring on a fumble return against visiting Grant in his team's season opener. / Photo by Dennis Lee