Posted on: Friday, October 24, 2003

De La Salle will put its streak on line, ESPN2

Advertiser Staff and News Services

The De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) High School football team will put its national-record win streak on the line before a national television audience at 2 p.m. today on ESPN2.

The Spartans, who have won 144 consecutive games since 1992, will play perennial national powerhouse Evangel Christian (Shreveport, La.) at Diablo Valley College, just a few miles from the De La Salle campus.

The event is believed to be the first time a high school football game will be televised live nationally. Previous high-profile high school games, such as De La Salle vs. Saint Louis last season, have been televised regionally.

De La Salle defeated Saint Louis, 31-21, before about 28,000 fans at Aloha Stadium on Sept. 21, 2002.

Bob Ladouceur, the De La Salle head coach since 1979, said he pushes the team hard, but the players often demand more of themselves than the coaching staff.

Is there pressure for Ladouceur to continue a streak that has doubled the previous consecutive win record of 72?

"The only pressure I put on myself is I want to able to help our kids perform at their maximum level," Ladouceur said yesterday. "I want to be able to call the right plays and see the right things. I feel I owe it to them. I feel obligated to them."