De La Salle-Concord has been an absolute juggernaut for 35 years, racking up an unbelievable 284-0-1 record against North Coast Section opponents and an astounding 33 consecutive section crowns. Seriously, thirty-three. But this 2026 high school football season? Two teams are staring down that dynasty and saying, “Not so fast.”
Pittsburg Is Smelling Blood After 35 Years
The Pirates from Pittsburg know what it takes. They’re the last squad to beat De La Salle, way back in ’91 in the NCS 3-A finals with a 35-27 win. And lately, they’ve been pushing them to the brink, losing by a single score in the last three meetings: 30-23, 10-7, and 24-17. That’s not just close, that’s knocking on the door with intent.
Head coach Charlie Ramirez is in his fourth season, and he’s got junior QB JaVale Jones, a bona fide Division I college prospect, slinging the ball. Add speedy junior receiver Kenneth Ward, Fresno State commit Terrance Murphy causing havoc off the edge, and two-way playmaker Isaiah Harrison, and you can see why they’ve got this undeniable internal belief. They genuinely feel like they can “slay the dragon.” The 2026 Spartans are still stacked, yeah, but their quarterback situation has a question mark, and Pittsburg is ready to pounce.
Cardinal Newman’s SoCal Blueprint Could Shock The League
Then you’ve got Cardinal Newman-Santa Rosa, who look like they’re building a monster. They’ve got an insane influx of transfers and playmakers, plus an offensive line averaging well over 300 pounds! We’re talking absolute behemoths. Their top-end QB, LT Retamoza, is legit, and the coaching staff is bringing that Southern California championship swagger. First-year head coach Kenny McMillan and assistants Sean Embree and Ryan Crowe all came from Santa Margarita-Rancho Santa Margarita, who absolutely throttled De La Salle 47-13 in last season’s state finals. That’s a blueprint for domination right there.
And the transfers? James Curoso, who scored 32 touchdowns last season at Clovis, is now in the backfield. On the line, they snagged Eazy Crichton (6-foot-4, 410 pounds) and Cal commit Joshua Bunni (6-6, 335 pounds), both from Australia. Seriously, Australia! This squad is blending developed local talent with blue-chip players from outside the region, exactly what those SoCal powerhouses do. Their nonleague schedule is a brutal gauntlet too, kicking off Friday at Folsom and including top Bay Area teams Riordan and Clayton Valley Charter-Concord. They are not messing around.
Other Storylines To Watch
Beyond the top two contenders, we’ve got some interesting situations brewing. St. Ignatius and El Cerrito pulled off surprising state titles last season with first-year coaches JaJuan Lawson and Tim Johnson, respectively. Both lost significant talent to graduation. St. Ignatius still has fantastic line play led by Jack Lucas (6-5, 270) and 1,000-yard rusher Luke Tribolet, while El Cerrito rides junior QB Dejuan Compton Jr. They’ll push for double-digit wins, but repeat state titles? That might be unrealistic. And shoutout to Balboa’s Joseph Smith, who was the Chronicle’s San Francisco Player of the Year as a sophomore after racking up over 1,700 yards from scrimma! He took a back seat in 2025, but everyone knows what he’s capable of.
The action kicks off with Cardinal Newman’s brutal nonleague schedule opening Friday at Folsom. After 35 years, with Pittsburg breathing down their necks and Cardinal Newman assembling an absolute juggernaut, the question isn’t “if” De La Salle will be challenged, it’s “how” they’ll respond. This season is going to be a wild ride!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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