De La Salle just one of many storied high schools

Q: De La Salle of Concord, Calif., the school with the 151-game football winning streak that was snapped by Bellevue, has to be among the most famous high schools in the nation. What are some other schools known nationally for their athletic programs?

A: We consulted Doug Huff, a nationally known high-school sports expert from Wheeling, W. Va., and came up with the following list:

DeMatha Catholic High School of Hyattsville, Md. — Legendary basketball coach Morgan Wootten compiled a 1,274-192 record in 46 seasons and won five mythical national titles before retiring in 2002. In 1965, DeMatha ended the 71-game winning streak of Power Memorial High School of New York, which had Lew Alcindor, with a 46-43 victory in possibly the most famous high-school basketball game in U.S. history.

Long Beach Poly of Calif. — This huge school leads the nation in producing NFL players with about 50 at last count.

Massillon High School (also known as Washington High School) in Massillon, Ohio — The legendary Paul Brown of Cleveland Browns fame coached here in the 1930s. The school has won 22 Ohio state titles and nine mythical high-school championships. Former UW Husky coach Don James quarterbacked state-title teams there. A favorably reviewed documentary, "Go Tigers" was made about Massillon's 1999 season.

Mater Dei of Santa Ana, Calif. — This steady provider of talent to Pac-10 teams and powerhouses nationwide won the Southern California football title five times in the 1990s. It also has one of California's top basketball programs. Famous alumni include John Huarte, the 1964 Heisman Trophy winner for Notre Dame.

Moeller High School, Cincinnati — Moeller won five Ohio football titles in six years in the 1970s under Gerry Faust, who wasn't nearly as successful at Notre Dame. This also is the alma-mater of Ken Griffey, Jr.

Permian High School of Odessa, Texas — The book "Friday Night Lights" followed this storied prep powerhouse in what is probably the most football-crazy state in the country.

Summerville High School, Summerville, S.C. — John McKissick, who turns 78 this week, started his 53rd season as coach of the Green Wave with 510 career wins, the highest total in the nation.

Valdosta High School, Valdosta, Ga. — This is the nation's winningest football school with more than 800 victories.

There also are certain high schools that aren't well known for recent accomplishments but are famous because of their alumni. Probably the three best known of these are: McClymonds High School in Oakland (Bill Russell and Paul Silas of basketball fame, baseball stars Vada Pinson and Hall of Fame member Frank Robinson, plus the Pointer Sisters), Overbrook High School in Philadelphia (Wilt Chamberlain) and Power Memorial High School in New York (Alcindor, who became Kareem Abdul-Jabbar).

Q: Do you think De La Salle's loss to a California team one week after Bellevue ended the Spartans' 151-game winning streak diminishes Bellevue's accomplishment?

A: No, because the fact remains Bellevue stopped the nation's longest winning streak. By the way, De La Salle continued to have trouble last weekend and tied Palma 7-7. Back in 1961, Mercer Island stopped Lake Washington's 51-game unbeaten streak with a 7-6 victory and it was big news, particularly on the Eastside. I have no idea what either team did the next week and probably the only guys who can remember are aging Islanders and Kangaroos.

Q: Are you aware of the turnaround by the North Beach High School football team of Ocean Shores?

A: I am now. The Hyaks had lost 35 straight games before beating Toutle Lake in the season finale last fall. This year, under new coach Don Oppelt, they are off to a 3-0 start as a Class B school (a drop from 1A). The state's longest current losing streak is Lynnwood with 41. The state record is 46 straight losses by Tyee, from 1988-1993.

Q: What is your favorite high-school yell in the state?

A: Fans of the 1A Overlake Owls of Redmond chant: "Nocturnal Birds of Prey — Hey! Nocturnal Birds of Prey — Hey!"

Have a question about high-school sports? Craig Smith will find the answer every Tuesday in The Times. Ask your question by: Voice mail (206-464-8279), snail mail (Craig Smith, Seattle Times Sports, P.O. Box 70, Seattle, WA 98111) or e-mail csmith@seattletimes.com