Cub Football - Loyola buried by Leuzinger rushing attack, loses 40-30
LOYOLA COULD NOT STOP OLYMPIANS' RUN GAME IN 40-30 LOSS TO LEUZINGER
They say the game is won and lost at the line of scrimmage, and that adage proved true on both sides of the ball Friday night in Lawndale as Leuzinger's trench corps consistently prevailed in the battles up front en route to a 40-30 triumph over Loyola in both teams' third non-league contest of the season.
The Olympians' rushing clinic was put on full display starting with the first series of the game. Behind a big, powerful offensive line Leuzinger junior running back Journee Tonga flashed uncommon speed, quickness and toughness, running for 82 yards on just seven carries, including a 52-yard sprint followed shortly thereafter by a two-yard TD dash at the 8:31 mark of the first quarter. He finished the evening with well over 200 rushing yards.
Cub senior DESI VALDES took the ensuing kickoff and raced 95 yards to pay dirt on a brilliant run, and just like that the score was tied, 7-7.
Unfortunately for Loyola that was as close as the contest would get. On the Olympians' next offensive drive their offensive line continued asserting its will, helping the host team to drive 86 yards on seven plays, capped by a 67-yard touchdown pass with 4:11 remaining on the first quarter clock. A missed extra point kick made the score 13-7.
The Cubs answered with a 55-yard drive, culminated by a 27-yard JACOB KREINBRING field goal, to cut the deficit to 13-10.
Luezinger fumbled the ball at the Loyola 14 yard line after driving 48 yards, but the Cubs were forced to punt six plays later. The Olympians then scored on a 23-yard pass, to cap a seven play, 43 yard drive to make the score 20-10 with just 12 seconds remaining in the first half. Luezinger amassed 256 yards to Loyola's 59 in the first two quarters.
Following a Cub punt to start the third quarter, the Olympians, marched 79 yards in seven plays, including Tonga runs of 21 and 32 yards, the latter of which was for a touchdown, to make the score 27-10.
Loyola refused to go away as VALDES had another outstanding long distance kick return. A personal foul assessed against Leuzinger set the Cubs up at the Olympians' 19 yard line. On the first play quarterback ASHTON PANNELL hooked up with wide receiver TK KNYAL for a touchdown. KREINBRING's PAT kick made the score 27-17 at the 6:58 mark of the third quarter,
The Olympians answered with an eight play, 71 yard TD drive, scoring on a six-yard Tonga run to up their lead to 33-17.
Again, Loyola refused to fold. On the first play of the Cubs' next series, PANNELL found junior receiver MARKUS KIER for a 45-yard gain. TK KNYAL threw a 31-yard TD pass to junior receiver BRYCE COLEMAN with 2:31 left in the third quarter. Loyola's two-point conversion attempt was foiled, making the score 33-23.
The Cub 'Wolfpack' defense forced a Leuzinger punt on the following series. Loyola then attempted a double pass from its 35-yard line that was intercepted and returned to the Cubs' 33 yard line.
On the Olympians' first play following the pick Tonga took the ball to the house on a 33-yard sprint to increase Leuzinger's lead to 40-23 eight seconds into the fourth quarter.
The Cubs then drove 55 yards in seven plays, with PANNELL completing a 30-yard scoring pass to KIER with 9:21 remaining in the contest. KREINBRING's PAT kick made the score 40-30.
After forcing the Olympians to punt, Loyola threw an interception. Leuzinger took over at its 44 yard line and proceeded to run out the clock.
The Cubs rolled up 219 offensive yards in the second half, but Loyola could not slow down the Olympians (243 second half yards), and that ultimately dictated the final outcome.
The Cubs (0-3) travel to La Canada-Flintridge next Friday to take on longtime arch rival St. Francis (0-4) in a non-league battle.
HOW LOYOLA'S FUTURE OPPONENTS FARED THIS WEEK
In order (opponent all caps):
Muir 28, ST. FRANCIS (0-4) 18
MOUNT MIGUEL (4-0), Bishop's 14
SERRA (2-1) BYE
BISHOP AMAT (2-1) 47, Vista Murrieta 42
Cathedral 35, CHAMINADE(0-4) 14
SIERRA CANYON (2-2) BYE
Servite 38, NOTRE DAME (2-2) 17
LOYOLA SOPHOMORE AND FRESHMAN RECAPS
Loyola's sophomore and freshman teams are a combined 6-0.
On Thursday, the Cub sophs torched Sonora in La Habra, 35-7.
Quarterback MATT SMITH threw four TD passes behind solid blocking by the offensive line. SAMUEL FRIEND had two scoring receptions. TOBY THUSS and TYLER HARPER both caught TD passes.
The coaching staff lauded inside linebackers KANE CASANI, DAN SULLIVAN and MERRICK DOTTS and defensive linemen ANDREI LOPEZ, GREGORSON LAW, BRENDAN VANIS and WESLEY SCHELLINGER.
Loyola's reserves played the entire second half.
The Cub freshmen routed Leuzinger's JV team, 40-6 on Thursday.
JOEY BOSKOVICH threw a 10-yard TD pass to BRANDON ALEXANDER, a 25-yard scoring strike to CADEN BRACKETT and a 15-yard TD toss to EJ SMITH. Running back QUINTIN WASHINGTON raced 44 yards for a score on Loyola's first possession of the second half.
JETT BOQUECOSA had a 40-yard pick six for the Cubs. Quarterback JC RISING scored on an eight-yard run.
For the third consecutive game, Loyola's defense was suffocating. The Cubs held the Olympians to 15 yards of total offense in the first half.
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
LEIGHTON LINE ‘23, DL, Cal Lutheran
CONNOR McDOWELL ‘21, DB, Angelo State
BLAKE NEITHART ‘20, DB, Carleton
TAHJ OWENS '22, DB, Princeton
RYAN QUINTANAR '20, LB, USC
ISAIAH SANDERS, ‘24, LB, UC Davis
PATRICK SODL ‘22, LB, Columbia
HENRY STICKLER ‘21, 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
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
9-27 @ Mount Miguel (Spring Valley, San Diego)
10-4 Serra (Home)*
10-11 @ Bishop Amat*
10-18 Chaminade (Home)*
10-25 @ Sierra Canyon*
11-1 Notre Dame (Home)*
All games on Fridays @ 7:00 p.m.
*Denotes Mission League game