Zion Cadet’s absolute one-on-one stick on fourth down wasn’t just a tackle, it secured a wildly entertaining 35-32 victory for De La Salle-Concord over Centennial-Corona on Saturday, sending the Spartans bench and home crowd into a frenzy like they hadn’t seen in 11 years. This wasn’t just any win, it was a statement. The kind of game you remember forever, as Cadet himself said he’d “definitely be telling [his] grandkids about this game.”
A Victory 11 Years in the Making
The emotion pouring out of Memorial Stadium was real because this win meant *everything*. This was the biggest statement for the Spartans since they squared off against Centennial for the 2015 State Open Division title. Back then, Centennial was ranked No. 1 nationally, and No. 8 De La Salle pulled off a 28-21 upset. Coach Justin Alumbaugh didn’t mince words, saying this win “definitely compares” to that one, feeling “very, very good and satisfying.” Why so much hype for a September game? Because De La Salle has been through it since that 2015 state championship, which was their last of seven crowns. They’ve since lost seven straight state title games and eight straight overall to Southern Section teams, getting beat by an average of 22 points. Snapping that kind of streak? Yeah, that feels good.
Big Plays, Trick Plays, and Non-Stop Drama
Centennial, led by Hawaii-bound quarterback Jaden Jefferson, threw the first punch, a massive 70-yard touchdown pass to Jaden Bynum on the game’s second play for a 6-0 lead. That missed extra point? It would come back to haunt them. From there, it was a constant back-and-forth slugfest. De La Salle’s Duece Jones-Drew was an absolute beast, finishing with 29 carries for 211 yards and three touchdowns, including a ridiculous 59-yard jaunt. Johnny Borba’s five extra-point kicks proved huge, as did his fake punt pass to Damari Dean, who busted a 49-yard run to set up a Judah Pape touchdown that gave De La Salle a 35-25 lead with 8:32 left in the third. Dean also reeled in a 65-yard trick play touchdown pass from linebacker/backup quarterback Landon Miller. Jefferson, with 392 total yards and four scores, hit Quentin Hale for a 44-yard TD to make it 35-32. Then, remarkably, nobody scored again. Both teams threatened, but defenses clamped down, capped by Cadet’s heroic tackle on Jefferson, who also rushed for 70 yards on 11 carries. Cadet even admitted he’d lost track of the downs on the final stop. “We needed all of it to beat that team,” Alumbaugh said, and he wasn’t kidding.
After a win like this, a game that feels like it rewrites the narrative for a program, what do you even look forward to? Maybe just reliving the highlights of Cadet’s game-winning tackle one more time. That’s the kind of moment that makes you a fan.
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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