Concord De La Salle to Play Mater Dei in 1998 and ’99

Two of the state’s most successful prep football programs will meet next season when Concord De La Salle travels to Southern California to play Mater Dei, Monarch Athletic Director Gary McKnight said Wednesday.

The teams will play in the third week of the season, either at Santa Ana Stadium or Cal State Fullerton. In 1999, Mater Dei will play De La Salle in Northern California.

De La Salle is still awaiting approval of its schedule from the Bay Valley League and the North Coast Section, but section commissioner Paul Gaddini said approval was a mere formality.

“Bay Valley is a nine-team league,” Gaddini said, “and De La Salle is scheduling five nonleague games, including Mater Dei. But I don’t see any objection coming from the league or section. This is a game people have wanted to see for a long time.”

Mater Dei and De La Salle have had tremendous success this decade.

The Monarchs have won three Southern Section Division I titles since 1991 (and were runners-up in 1993). They were named USA Today’s national champions in 1994 and ’96 but were second to De La Salle in the final Cal-Hi state rankings. Mater Dei takes a 20-game winning streak into Friday’s game against Mission Viejo.

De La Salle has a 104-1 record since 1988, its only loss being a 35-27 setback to Pittsburg in the Division 3A championship game in 1991. The Spartans, who have won four 3A titles and a 4A title the past five years, have a 70-game winning streak going into Friday’s game against Brentwood Liberty Union.

The national record for a high school winning streak is 72, set by Hudson (Mich.) from 1968-75.