It has been eight years since Concord (Calif.) De La Salle won the last of its seven high school national championships.

The 2003 team's 13-0 season marked the fourth of four consecutive national titles and was just a part of the school's amazing 151-game winning streak, which ended the following season.

Back then, Bart Houston and Michael Barton were planning how to celebrate turning 10 years old. This season, the stars of the NorCal power are planning how to bring the national title back home to De La Salle.

"Go 15-0 and win a state title," Barton told Rivals.com matter-of-factly when asked about his plans for this fall. "Of course, we expect to do that every year."

Houston wants more: "National championships are great," he said.

This fall, it appears to once again be in reach.

De La Salle is in the No. 4 spot in the preseason RivalsHigh 100. Having games against No. 33 San Jose (Calif.) Bellarmine Prep and at No. 10 Ft. Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas could help boost its ranking before the calendar turns to October.

"The game against Aquinas has to be in the discussion for the biggest out-of-state contest De La Salle has had since the end of the streak in 2004," Doug Benton, a sports reporter for NorCalPreps.com, said.

A run to a third straight CIF Open Division Bowl Title would add at least two more quality wins to the resume for De La Salle.

Houston, the highest-rated quarterback from De La Salle since Matt Gutierrez in the Class of 2003, said the showcase games are an opportunity to prove that the system at De La Salle works almost independent of the players on the field.

"It's probably the most important thing," he said. "At De La Salle, it's the mindset, not the play. We believe if you're self-accountable then you can be accountable to others. That's something I strive to be. Then you're a leader on the team. I try to get together my stuff, do it all right and then go on and help everybody else out."

Houston was certainly able to achieve that in his junior year.

As a junior, he completed 102-of-153 passes for 1,922 yards and 20 touchdowns. He also rushed for 236 yards and 11 touchdowns. Those may sound like pedestrian stats for more prolific quarterbacks, but considering De La Salle's offensive philosophy, they are astounding.

Much of the attack is still predicated on a physical, bend-but-don't-break defense, which has allowed an average of 182 points over the last five seasons, with a high of 213 in 2006.

This year, the defensive attack will be keyed by Barton, one of the best inside linebackers in the country and one of 51 semifinalists for the high school Butkus Award.

In the storied history of De La Salle, Barton is the highest-rated linebacker since Rivals.com began rating players in the Class of 2001.

"The De La Salle feeling is just a sense of community," Barton said. "A sense of brotherhood or accountability."

As a junior he led the team with 72 tackles and added three sacks.

Barton said he learned from the now graduated senior captains. And while they will be missed, Barton said he is ready to up his game.

"It is going to be tough to replace guys like (Dylan) Wynn, (Blake) Renaud, and (Antoine) Pickett," he said. "Not only for their skills and domination on the field, but more importantly for the intangibles they had such as leadership, effort, and determination.

"But I believe that guys like Bart Houston, Justin Walker, and Jeff Houd along with me have adopted the mindsets of last year's captains and are ready to fill in their shoes and have another successful season."

A successful season that he already defined as another undefeated campaign.

"Our ultimate goal, which is to win a third straight state title," he said.

And perhaps another national title to go along with it.