Cub Football - Henry Casani named Southern California Defensive Player of the Week
LOYOLA INSIDE LINEBACKER HENRY CASANI NAMED SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK BY CAL-HI SPORTS
After yet another outstanding performance at his inside linebacker post in last Friday's CIF Southern Section Division 3 playoff win over fourth seeded Tustin, Cub senior inside linebacker and team captain HENRY CASANI was honored by Cal-Hi Sports as the Southern California Defensive Player of the Week.
The 6'2", 215 pound defender recorded 16 tackles against the Tillers in a contest which saw Loyola's 'Wolfpack' defense relinquish only one TD to high scoring Tustin, a squad that entered the contest with a 9-1 record.
CASANI's tackle total for the season now stands at an off-the-charts 136, including 35 solo stops. In addition to having the eighth most tackles in the entire CIF Southern Section (which is comprised of over 500 schools), the bruising man in the middle has six tackles for loss, including a sack, two forced fumbles and two interceptions, one of which culminated in a long distance pick six.
CASANI's 16 tackles against Tustin were the third most of the campaign with his top outing coming against Leuzinger, against whom he recorded 20 tackles.
Toughness is built into CASANI's DNA. He is the son of former Loyola standout nose guard JASON CASANI '89 and the nephew of Cub head coach DREW CASANI '91, who was named CIF Division I Defensive Player of the Year after helping lead Loyola to the 1990 CIF Division I championship as a ferocious inside linebacker.
You would think Casani would be intent on taking his prolific gridiron skills to a major college football program as he possesses the size, strength and speed to play at the FBS level, but his first love is lacrosse, another sport in which he excels. He accepted a lacrosse scholarship offer from the University of North Carolina where he will continue his career as a defender. CASANI was a key player on the Cubs' CIF Division I finalist squad last spring.
It is a good bet to ecpect another dominating defensive effort from CASANI this Friday in the CIF Division 3 quarterfinals at Smith Field against Crean Lutheran (9-2) of Irvine.
TWO LOYOLA DEFENSIVE NEWCOMERS HAVE MADE IMPRESSIVE MARK, A LOOK AT OTHER TOP PERFORMERS
Three of Loyola's losses have been by three points (Cathedral), one point (Damien) and one point (Notre Dame). And two of the setbacks were by seven (Serra) and ten points (Leuzinger). It is fair to credit the Cub 'Wolfpack' defense for keeping Loyola in ten of its eleven contests thus far this season.
Two newcomers to the program have played huge roles in helping the Cubs advance to the CIF Southern Section Division 3 playoff quarterfinals, and the duo continues to ascend.
Junior inside linebacker DAEQUAN JEFFES and junior defensive lineman ZION SCRIVENS have proven to be difference-making standouts on Loyola's stop unit this fall.
JEFFES (5-11, 195) is the second leading tackler on the team with 109, and leads the defensive squad with 40 solo stops. The hard hitting speedster has made five tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and one interception.
SCRIVENS (6-0, 280) is an anchor on the defensive line. Strong as a bull and very quick for his size, SCRIVENS is a shut down defender. He has made 75 tackles, including 25 solos, is third on the team in tackles for loss with eight and picked off one pass.
Other Cub defenders who continue building impressive resumes (in alphabetical order) are senior corner BROCK BOJORQUEZ (two interceptions), junior corner BRANDON LOCKHART (four interceptions), junior defensive end MAX MEIER (team-leading eight sacks, team-leading tackles for loss with 16.5 and second on the squad with 22 hurries), senior Edge/outside linebacker SCOTT TAYLOR (team-leading 31 hurries, second on the squad with six sacks and second on the team with 11 tackles for loss).
MISSION LEAGUE SLATE PREPARED LOYOLA WELL FOR CIF DIVISION 3 PLAYOFFS
The saying about war, "that which doesn't kill you, makes you stronger" is attributed to 19th Century German philosopher Freidrich Nietzsche. And so much of football parlance is about war (attack, battle, contain, explosive, defend, perimeter, hard-hitting, etc.)
Indeed, Nietzsche's words are relevant to Loyola's preparation for the CIF Southern Section Division 3 playoffs. Considered on of the top ten prep football leagues in the nation and arguably the second best conference in California, the Mission League gauntlet served the Cubs well for the challenges posed by a strong Division 3 playoff bracket. This was the first season since 2019 they have competed in the rugged circuit, after winning league titles every year in their four-year stint in the comparatively weaker Angelus League.
Loyola finished its Mission League schedule with a 2-3 record and was in every contest to the end save for a lopsided defeat at the hands of Sierra Canyon. A one point loss to Notre Dame in the league finale and a seven point loss to Serra, whom the Cubs led 35-14 in the fourth quarter, could have ended up on the win side of the ledger. But the physicality and speed of the Mission League's teams undeniably prepared Loyola well for the Division 3 playoffs.
Last Friday, Notre Dame, an at-large team from the Mission League, gave Division 3's top seed, Simi Valley, everything it could handle before falling short in a 49-47 nail biter.
Serra, the Mission League's second place squad, pummeled Downey, 28-7, in the first round of the CIF Division 2 playoffs last Friday, while the loop campion, Sierra Canyon had a bye last week and will try to upset Mater Dei, the top seed in Division I, this Friday in Santa Ana.
FRIDAY PRE-GAME Loyola families, alumni and supporters will meet at El Cholo on Western Avenue of Friday at 4:30 p.m. before the playoff quarterfinal battle with Crean Lutheran at Smith Field. Kickoff is at 7:00 p.m.
LOYOLA NEEDS FANS IN THE STANDS!!
2024 LOYOLA VARSITY FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
8-23 @ Cathedral (L, 16-13, 2OT)
8-30 Damien (L, 30-29)
9-13 @ Leuzinger (L, 40-30)
9-20 @ St. Francis (W, 35-7)
9-27 @ Mount Miguel (Spring Valley, San Diego) (W, 46-38)
10-4 Serra (Home)* (L, 42-35)
10-11 @ Bishop Amat* (W, 24-17)
10-18 Chaminade (Home)* (W, 44-10)
10-25 @ Sierra Canyon* (L, 45-0)
11-1 Notre Dame (Home)* (L, 35-34)
CIF SOUTHERN SECTION DIVISION 3 PLAYOFFS
11-8 @ Tustin (CIF Division-3 Playoffs first round) (W, 30-13)
11-15 Crean Lutheran (CIF Division 3 Playoffs quarterfinals)
CUBS IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Below is the list of Loyola graduates playing college football in 2024 according to published collegiate rosters:
CHAD BAILEY ‘20, DB, Bentley University
NICHOLAS BARR-MIRA ‘19, K, Mississippi State
COLIN CRUCE ‘22, OL, Bowdoin
JEFFREY JOHNSON ‘21, TE, Cal
LUKE HARRISON ‘24, OL, University of San Diego
ANDREW KOZHAYA ‘21, OL, Grinnel
SHAWN LIN '22, DL, Columbia
LEIGHTON LINE ‘23, DL, Cal Lutheran
CONNOR McDOWELL ‘21, DB, Angelo State
BLAKE NEITHART ‘20, DB, Carleton
TAHJ OWENS '22, DB, Princeton
JACK PARIS '23, DL, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
RYAN QUINTANAR '20, LB, USC
ISAIAH SANDERS, ‘24, LB, UC Davis
PATRICK SODL ‘22, LB, Columbia
HENRY STICKLER ‘22, WR, SMU
JACK SUSNJAR ‘23, OL, USC
JOE TATUM ‘22, QB, Texas
EVAN THOMAS ‘20, DB, UCLA
RYAN TURK ‘24, OL, Dartmouth
ALEX WHITMAN ‘22, WR, Notre Dame
CHAMP WESTBROOKS ‘24, OL, Arizona State
CEYAIR WRIGHT ‘21, DB, Nebraska
SAM YOON ‘22, OL, UCLA
LOYOLA GRADS IN THE NFL
MYLES BRYANT '16, corner, Houston Texans
ALEX JOHNSON '19, corner, Indianapolis Colts (practice squad)
DAVID LONG, JR., corner, Indianapolis Colts
COLEMAN SHELTON '13, center, Chicago Bears