Every week presents a new challenge for De La Salle.

The challenges lately have intensified as injuries to key players have forced the coaches to call on young and inexperienced understudies to plug gaps.

That certainly was not the game plan when De La Salle loaded its schedule once again with the best Northern California has to offer.

But that’s the reality.

Friday, the Spartans will face another heavyweight as Folsom, fresh off winning at Pittsburg and less than a year from eliminating De La Salle in a regional playoff game, will make another trip to Concord to play DLS.

This is a matchup many Spartans circled as part of their revenge tour. But how many of the veterans will be on the field?

Injuries to linemen Derek Thompson and Cooper Powers, defensive tackle Chase Tofaeono and linebacker Peter Rachwald have hurt.

But that’s part of the game. Folsom lost its Stanford-bound tight end, Walker Lyon, to a broken leg in the first half of the first game this season.

It’s unclear if DLS will get some of the injured guys back for the game Friday. Not that coach Justin Alumbaugh or anyone in the DLS program would use the lineup shuffling as an excuse if things go sideways.

Alumbaugh saw progress over the weekend as his team found a way to hold off host Cathedral-San Diego when the game was on the line in the fourth quarter. Cathedral beat Folsom in a state championship game last season.

Charles Greer ran for 211 yards and two touchdowns in 22 carries and Carson Su’esu’e threw for 180 yards and two TDs to lead DLS on Friday.

“To walk away with a win – where our kids didn’t fold and we responded – is encouraging,” Alumbaugh said. “But now the natural De La Salle coach in me is I know we have to be better. We just have to look at how we can get there and keep working.”

Folsom coming off bounce-back win

The final whistle was still echoing through the Pittsburg night as Folsom’s coach began to look forward to his team’s next Bay Area matchup. Paul Doherty’s Bulldogs will return to the East Bay on Friday to play De La Salle.

Last year, Folsom took down the Spartans 28-27 in the I-AA Northern California championship to deny DLS a shot at a state title.

But after blocking a kick and punt against Pittsburg, Doherty focused on De La Salle’s special teams’ dominance during the 2021 regular-season game between the Spartans and Folsom, which DLS won 31-10.

“Last year, we hosted De La Salle, and played terrible on special teams,” Doherty said. “We let Zeke Berry take it to the house, and then later in the half, they blocked a punt against us. That’s the difference in the game.”

Doherty also rued his team’s 17-12 loss this season to visiting Serra but admitted that he couldn’t be too upset considering how Folsom found a way to beat Pittsburg 23-15 on Friday.

“I felt like we gave one away a few weeks ago against Serra,” Doherty said. “I thought we were better than they were. But these guys from Pittsburg were probably better than us, and we stole one from them. So it evens out.”

Rico Flores is a player who could single-handedly tilt this Friday’s game in Folsom’s favor. Though he is a prolific receiver, the Notre Dame commit’s biggest impact could come on the other side of the ball.

“He hates me saying it, but that kid should be playing some defense at the next level, and even on Sundays,” Doherty said. “He’s that good. He breaks up passes and he’s in the middle field, which forces teams to check it down.”

– Joseph Dycus