De La Salle star filling big shoes

By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer

The De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) High School football program has built its national-record 126-game streak primarily on hard work, discipline and heart.

De La Salle's Maurice Drew gets taped before heading off to practice. The Spartan standout sprained an ankle in last week's game and tweaked it again during yesterday's practice. Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser

"He is definitely special," De La Salle coach Bob Ladouceur said. "He can run, block and catch, and he is an excellent player on defense. He is one of those rare football players who just has a great feel for the game."

In his role as a running back/defensive back/linebacker, Drew is following in the fresh footsteps of some of the Spartans' greatest players. In 1998, it was top recruit Atari Callen; in 1999, Rivals.com national player of the year D.J. Williams; and in 2000, it was USA Today All-American Kevin Simon.

Drew shared the starting tailback duties last year with Alijah Bradley and Nate Kenion, but he established himself as the heir apparent to Callen, Williams and Simon after a spectacular four-touchdown performance against then-No. 1-ranked Long Beach (Calif.) Poly.

"We saw film of Drew, and I said he reminded me of Marshall Faulk," said St. Louis coach Delbert Tengan, whose No. 17 Crusaders (2-0) face No. 1 De La Salle (1-0) tomorrow night in the HHSAA/First Hawaiian Bank Classic at Aloha Stadium. "He's an excellent receiver, and he creates big mismatches on linebackers. A lot of his big plays come when he makes people miss and he runs through the tacklers."

Despite splitting time in 12 games last year with Bradley and Kenion, Drew rushed for 736 yards and 15 touchdowns on only 59 carries, averaging an astounding 12.5 yards per carry. He also caught 13 passes for 307 yards and four touchdowns, in addition to scoring touchdowns on kick, punt and interception returns.

Drew entered this season with scholarship offers from Colorado, Washington State and Wisconsin.

In the Spartans' opener against Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) last week, Drew rushed for 131 yards on just 11 carries, including a 51-yard touchdown run. He also scored on a 55-yard punt return.

But on the second play of the fourth quarter, Drew caught a swing pass and was dropped for a loss, spraining his ankle on the play. Ladouceur said earlier yesterday that Drew "definitely will play Saturday; we just don't know how effective he'll be."

Drew tweaked his ankle again yesterday and now his status is even more in question.

Drew, who is 5 foot 7 and 193 pounds, never did look at himself as a superstar like Callen, Williams or Simon. Even after the four touchdowns against Long Beach Poly.

"Any of the other guys could have done it that night," Drew said. "I was just trying to make plays. It takes three different running backs to take the place of one guy like D.J.; everybody just has to do their part."

In his third varsity season, Drew knows the Spartans are greater than the sum of their individual parts, anyway. It's why he knows there was more to De La Salle's unspectacular 24-0 victory over Mitty than his 131-yard, two-touchdown performance.

"We made some mistakes — every team makes mistakes — but we just have to go slow and correct them," he said.

It's also why Ladouceur, while hopeful that Drew can play, does not look at his standout senior as the game's critical element.

"I'd be disappointed if our team is gonna hang its hat on Maurice Drew," Ladouceur said.