Story By Jesse Gomez | Photos By Berry Evans III
Legendary coach John Wooden described success as “peace of mind, which is a direct result of the self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming.” The De La Salle High-Concord soccer team simply knows it as tradition.
With seven North Coast Section championships in the last 10 seasons, the Spartans hold themselves to a higher standard. The continuous expectation to be greater than the team before comes with having the iconic Spartan shield across their chest.
On the sideline, assistant coach Mario Selva is a constant reminder that what they are chasing is never too far off. Selva was a member of the 1996 team enshrined in the DLS Athletics Hall of Fame — the only boys soccer team in school history to go undefeated.
In a way, you could say everything this team embodies and is motivated by is fueled by tradition. Even its pre-game ritual — dubbed “lights out,” featuring a dark room broken into segments of complete silence for reflection and the other for music and motivational speeches — has been passed down from Spartans before.
“It’s not easy playing sports here.” Spartans head coach Derricke Brown said. “It can be a burden at times because we have such high standards, but I think it helps keep guys in line and the fire burning year after year.”
Another tradition the soccer program keeps alive each year is writing its goals and expectations on the team room white board, ensuring the objective is clear and concise.
Atop the list this year was getting the new guys up to speed, followed by repeating as NCS champions. The new addition to the list is to win the CIF Northern California regional tournament for the first time in school history.
The 2017-18 season marked the first CIF regional tournament. After winning its section title last season, the Spartans earned a top seed but were bounced out in the quarterfinals in a 2-1 home loss to Burlingame.
Although their 9-1-2 record halfway through this season may not show it, growing pains along with a larger than normal learning curve were the first major obstacles this young team faced.
With a roster that holds a combination of nine freshman and sophomores, the Spartans boast their youngest team to date.
Co-captains, senior Dillon Morley and junior Ben Parker have focused heavily on getting each teammate on the same page. The pair have focused on building the brotherhood and camaraderie that has served as the building blocks for success in years prior.
It takes time to get a newly assembled team on the right track. Sometimes it takes a little friction to reach the proper level of teamwork.
“I don’t push one individual player,’ said Parker. “I push each guy so that they can also be a voice on this team.”
Parker and Morley both believe that for this year’s team to have a chance at a deep run, each player must have leadership tendencies in their game. Equal trust among each one is what any successful team must have.
However, the coaching staff and captains know that great expectations and a storied past also comes with a target on their back.
“As a team we are aware that we get everyone’s best effort,” Brown said. “We can’t take days off here. If we do, we get beat.”
Shut-down defense has become the Spartans’ best way to combat teams looking to catch them off guard. With six shutouts and only eight total goals allowed through the team’s first 12 games, it has become clear why this team prides itself on a bend-but-don’t-break style of defense.
Coming out aggressive, letting opponents know there won’t be any easy goals has become a game inside the game for these Spartans — a task both captains look forward to week in and week out.
“I look to set the tone early in each game, I don’t play dirty, but I will come in hard,” said Morley. “We are expected to win every 50/50 ball.”
The Spartans faced some early adversity this season as they failed to put a tally in the win column against state power Cathedral High of Los Angeles. After leading early, the Spartans fell 2-1 in the neutral-site tournament game.
Losing to a highly ranked team may not seem like a season dark spot. But the missed opportunity forced the coaching staff to seek a recommitment of focus. “We either do this, or not,” Brown pleaded.
Using that game as a turning point, the Spartans bounced back with a 5-1 no-doubt win over Ridgeview-Bakersfield in their next match.
Overcoming adversity and rough patches isn’t something that happens by accident. It starts at the top and works its way down.
Starting with the blueprint De La Salle as an institution had developed, the coaching staff molded it into something it wanted from its team.
“We have built a culture here that expects our young men to be great people in the community as well,” Brown said. “Good expectations off the field results in great ones on it.”
With the amount of support and trust his players show, it’s clear they have embraced and accepted his philosophy for winning. “Our coaches have such a clear passion for the sport,” Parker said. “As players we want to make them proud.”
That motivation right there is likely the fastest ticket to this team’s spot within the De La Salle soccer legacy.
This story appeared in the SportStars January 2019 issue which was released on Jan. 18. To view more of the issue or see other local high school sports content, visit SportStarsMag.com
As Coach Art Poulin used to say at PHHS back in the day, “the energy is within you to become champions.”