De La Salle's football history short but sweet.

Byline: The Register-Guard

CONCORD, Calif. - De La Salle is a private Catholic school founded by the Christian Brothers in 1965. Located in an upscale East Bay neighborhood, the campus is a series of two-story brick buildings that wouldn't look out of place at the University of Oregon.

Varsity football wasn't played there until 1972, and the Spartans didn't enjoy a winning season for their first seven years.

That all changed when Bob Ladouceur took over as head coach in 1979 and led De La Salle to a 6-3 record. In the 25 years since he took over, the Spartans are 288-14-1. They have won 151 straight games, more than twice as many as the previous national record, and have been named prep national champs by USA Today in each of the past four years.

And De La Salle has become the nation's pre-eminent football power not just by dominating its local competition but also by playing other top teams from across the country. This fall, the Spartans will travel to play Washington 3A power Bellevue on Sept. 4 at Seahawks Stadium in Seattle.

During Ladouceur's first 20 years, only one De La Salle player went to Oregon to play football - tailback Russell Lawson in 1986.

In 2000, Spartans cornerback Charles Favroth committed to the Ducks. The next year two more Spartans signed with Oregon, receiver Demetrius Williams and linebacker David Martin, who had attended a junior college.

That was the year Jackie Bates, Willie Glasper, Terrance Kelly and Cameron Colvin entered De La Salle as freshmen.

De La Salle's dean of students is Joe Aliotti, the younger brother of Oregon's defensive coordinator. Speculation is rampant that Joe Aliotti, who has been at De La Salle for less than a decade, steers players to Eugene, though far more Spartans have chosen other Pac-10 schools.

Still, Nick Aliotti said, it can't hurt to have a guy walking around the De La Salle campus wearing an Oregon sweatshirt, or leaving a UO cap in his locker where Colvin could see it - that being the cap Colvin later would put on for ESPN's cameras on signing day.

`That's like having the joker in the hole when you're playing cards, and that joker's wild,' Nick Aliotti said. `Joe in and of himself doesn't help us get these kids. But blood is thicker than water. He doesn't tell the kids where to go, but there's a constant reminder that Oregon is around the corner.'

- Rob Moseley

CAPTION(S):

De La Salle has filled its trophy case since Bob Ladouceur became coach.