De La Salle Streaks to Record Win

Vince Padilla and D.J. Williams each scored three touchdowns as De La Salle High of Concord routed College Park, 56-0, for a national-record 73rd consecutive victory Friday night before 6,000 at Diablo Valley College.

The six-year streak eclipsed Hudson (Mich.) High’s record of 72 set in 1975.

“It’s a relief, no doubt about it,” De La Salle Coach Bob Ladouceur said. “There’s been a lot of pressure on us and these kids, and I’m happy with the way they responded. It’s not as easy as people think it is. The credit goes to these kids.”

De La Salle took a 35-0 halftime lead. By the end of the third quarter, the starters had been pulled and players were smiling and congratulating each other.

Three players from the Hudson High team that held the record were on hand for De La Salle’s victory. They were filmed watching their record broken for a documentary about the streak.

For the Spartans, the biggest pressure was to live up to the former teammates who started the streak six years ago.

“It’s kind of like a sense of fulfillment,” said Justin Alumbaugh, a senior tight end. “We’ve held up our end of the bargain with the people that came before us.”