Cub Football - Looking back, looking ahead - How other Jesuit schools fared
LOYOLA'S SEAN MORRIS II HAD MONSTER CAMPAIGN - HAS CHANCE TO BREAK CUBS' ALL-TIME RUSHING RECORD IN 2025
Loyola junior running back SEAN MORRIS II put together one of the school's all time great rushing efforts in the Cubs' 2024 campaign, which saw Loyola advance to the semifinal round of the CIF Southern Section Division 3 playoffs.
The 5-10, 195 lb. MORRIS combines power and speed like few other tailbacks in the state. The top runner in the Mission League rushed for 1,762 yards (5.9 yards per carry) and scored 16 TDs on the ground against a very formidable schedule. MORRIS also gained 271 receiving yards to amass 2,033 yards of total offense.
The junior All-Mission League standout rolled up 1,119 rushing yards (5.3 ypc) as a sophomore varsity starter. Morris is well within realistic striking distance of 1962-1963 All-CIF Cub tailback MIKE BERGDAHL's 4,231 career rushing yards record.
The good news for MORRIS is that six offensive linemen who started games-or played substantial minutes up front-this season will return next fall. MORRIS is a rare talent who is already in the pantheon of Loyola's all-time best running backs.
NOTABLE CUB OUTINGS IN 2024
The Cubs ended their 2024 season with a close, 28-25, loss to Simi Valley at Smith Field in the CIF Southern Section Division 3 playoffs on November 22. Loyola's overall 6-7 record is deceiving as it lost two one-point games and two others by a combined six points.
Few prep pundits foresaw the Cubs making a playoff run before the season kicked off with the school moving up to the rugged Mission League, but they proved the doubters wrong.
So looking back, what games stand out?
There can be little doubt that the 44-10 Mission League home victory over Chaminade was Loyola's best, most complete game of the 2024 campaign. The passing offense, spearheaded by junior QB ASHTON PANNELL, had its best aerial outing of the year with 265 yards.
It can be argued that the CIF Division 3 first round, 30-13, win on the road against Tustin, which came into the game with an impressive 9-1 record, was the second most impressive triumph of the fall. The Cub 'Wolfpack' defense dominated.
The quarterfinal, 23-21, overtime win against nine-win Crean Lutheran of Irvine at Smith Field also was one of the squad's best. Not surprisingly, MORRIS carried the ball on every play of Loyola's overtime possession, and the Cub defense stood tall in forcing the Saints to kick a field goal on their first overtime series.
Loyola's five best offensive outings from a total yardage standpoint were against Notre Dame (483 total yards), Mount Miguel (432 yards), Damien (426 yards), Crean Lutheran (412 yards), and Chaminade (405 yards).
With 26 players, including eleven All-Mission League performers, who started, or played substantial minutes, slated to return in 2025, the Cubs look to put a formidable squad on the field next fall.
TWO LOYOLA SENIORS SIGN TO PLAY COLLEGE FOOTBALL
All-Mission League/All-State outside linebacker/Edge SCOTT TAYLOR (6-4, 230) signed with UCLA last week, while All-Mission League corner BROCK BOJORQUEZ inked with Johns Hopkins. Loyola has as many as twelve juniors and sophomores who will likely play college football.
EXTRA POINTS
Former Cub All-Angelus League competitors, linebacker PATRICK SODL'22 and defensive lineman SHAWN LINN '22 are teammates at Columbia which won its first Ivy League championship since 1961 this fall . . . Loyola has three former players who are members of College Football Playoff squads.
LOOKING AT SOME OTHER JESUIT COLLEGE PREPARATORY SCHOOLS WHICH EXCELLED IN FOOTBALL THIS FALL
There is a popular notion that rigorous academic standards and tough entrance requirements make it more difficult for Jesuit college preparatory schools, such as Loyola, to compete at a championship level, but don't tell that to the Jesuit institutions highlighted below:
ST. JOSEPH'S PREP (Philadelphia. Pennsylvania)
"The Prep", as it is known in Philadelphia, has been a national high school football powerhouse for many years. The Hawks, who are the top ranked team in the Keystone State, defeated Pittsburgh Central Catholic, 35-6, on Saturday in the PIAA State playoffs to capture another of many state championships. The winner of the Philadelphia Catholic Red Conference, St. Joseph's Prep (11-2) entered the weekend ranked 34th in the United States.
LOYOLA ACADEMY (Wilmette, Illinois)
Loyola Academy, located in the Chicago North Shore suburb of Wilmette, completed another state championship campaign. The Ramblers (12-2) won the Illinois Class 8A title after capturing the Chicago Catholic Blue Conference championship. Former Northwestern University head coach Pat Fitzgerald served as an assistant coach for Loyola Academy, for which his son plays quarterback.
DE SMET JESUIT (St. Louis, Missouri)
The De Smet Jesuit Spartans of St. Louis won the MSHSAA championship game on Saturday to finish an outstanding season with a 13-2 record.
ST. IGNATIUS COLLEGE PREPARATORY (San Francisco, California)
The St. Ignatius Wildcats (10-3) captured the CIF Central Coast Section championship before falling to Central of Fresno in a Division I Regional bowl contest on Saturday. The Central Coast Section is one of the Golden State's toughest interscholastic conferences.
ST. XAVIER, (Cincinnati, Ohio)
The St. Xavier Bombers of Cincinnati lost to Cincinnati Moeller, 28-23, in the OHSAA Region 4 title contest to finish the season with a 10-4 record.
Among other outstanding Jesuit prep school football programs are Marquette University High School of Milwaukee, Wisconsin (10-2, the Greater Metro Conference champion Hilltoppers lost in the Division I playoffs to the Wisconsin state champions), and Portland Jesuit (9-3, Oregon Class 6A semifinalists).
2024 LOYOLA VARSITY FOOTBALL RECORD (6-7)
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 quarterfinals) (W, 23-20 (OT))
11-22 Simi Valley (CIF Division 3 Playoffs semifinals) (L, 28-25)
CUBS IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Below is the list of Loyola graduates who played 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