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What: “One Great Game.”

Author: Don Wallace.

Publisher: Atria Books.

Price: $26.

Those who remember the hype and buildup for the so-called national championship high school football game between Concord De La Salle and Long Beach Poly in 2001 will enjoy author Don Wallace’s year-long look at the schools and individuals involved.

“One Great Game” shouldn’t be compared to the mesmerizing tales from the best book of all on high school football, “Friday Night Lights,” but Wallace introduces us to the game’s major characters and provides insights into how De La Salle keeps winning.

Wallace goes behind the scenes at Poly and De La Salle, chronicles the differences at the two campuses and explores the reasons for football success. The book is far more entertaining and intriguing when it reveals the personalities of players and coaches than telling what happened in the game itself.

The names are familiar. The standouts from Poly who have gone on to college are shown as real teenagers, from Hershel Dennis to Marcedes Lewis, from Darnell Bing to Winston Justice.

Most interesting is what makes De La Salle Coach Bob Ladouceur a high school version of John Wooden.

One of his memorable quotes: “Individual egos must die in order for a team to live.”

Wallace deserves credit for a historic record of a game that won’t be soon forgotten.