Cub Football - Loyola cruises in CIF Southern Section first round victory over Villa Park
LOYOLA DOWNS OUTMATCHED VILLA PARK, 35-14, IN FIRST ROUND OF CIF DIV. 3 PLAYOFFS
Loyola was supposedly the underdog entering Saturday’s CIF Southern Section Division 3 first round playoff contest against Crestview League runner-up Villa Park at Fred Kelly Stadium on the campus of El Modena High School in Orange.
The Cubs, who were still feeling the sting of an agonizing one-point upset loss to St. Paul a week ago, played with chips on their shoulders, and as a result, made quick work of the over matched Spartans, cruising to a 35-14 romp that was not as close as the final score. Loyola’s purported underdog status heading into the tilt only added fuel to Loyola’s fire in the important playoff road triumph.
The Angelus League champion Cubs started the first drive of the game on their 34 yard line. It took just seven plays for Loyola to cover 66 yards with the touchdown coming on a 22-yard JOE TATUM pass to wide receiver JACOBY KELLY at the 8:41 mark of the first quarter . MARK HYAN’s PAT kick gave the Cubs a 7-0 lead they would never relinquish.
Villa Park responded with a 13-play 70-yard scoring drive, capped by a six-yard TD jaunt to tie the score with 1:23 left in the first quarter. But for all intents and purposes that was the end of the Spartans’ quest to derail a determined Loyola crew. Villa Park (7-4) lost its talented senior quarterback to injury two weeks ago, and could muster little offense all night long.
After the two teams exchanged punts the Cubs had possession at their own 23 yard line. On the first play, All-CIF tailback TAHJ OWENS broke another of his patented spectacular runs for 74 yards. A holding penalty put Loyola into a third down-and 18 situation, but TATUM found wide receiver PETER VANIS on a well executed TD pass, and the Big Blue was in the lead, 14-7 with 4:57 left in the second quarter.
The Spartans fumbled the ball on the ensuing kickoff, setting the Cub offense up at the home teams’s 29 yard line. On the fifth play of the short drive, OWENS sprinted into the end zone to put Loyola up, 21-7, with 2:25 left before intermission.
The Cubs extended their lead to 28-7 with 7:40 left in the third quarter on a 25-yard scoring strike from TATUM to sophomore running back KHALIL CUEVA to cap a four-play 61-yard drive.
Loyola tacked on an insurance touchdown at the 9:43 mark of the final quarter on a short OWENS run to make the score 35-7. The Spartans scored a TD on a 21-yard pass with 8:46 left in the game, capping a 78-yard drive against mostly Cub reserves.
OWENS was once again the catalyst for Loyola’s good offensive showing. He finished the night with 167 rushing yards (11,1 yards per carry). TATUM was 14 of 19 passing for 167 yards and three touchdowns.
The Cub ‘Wolfpack’ defense was stout. Inside linebacker PATRICK SODL led the unit in tackles and had a huge sack as did outside linebacker RAMAN ENIGBOKAN.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE CUBS
Loyola (8-3) moves on to the quarterfinal round of the CIF Division 3 playoffs this Friday. The Cubs will host undefeated Baseline League champion Etiwanda (11-0) at Smith Field. Etiwanda routed Oak Hills, 46-20, in the first round.
If the Cubs keep playing as they did on Saturday, their chances to make a championship run are promising.
Loyola was supposedly the underdog entering Saturday’s CIF Southern Section Division 3 first round playoff contest against Crestview League runner-up Villa Park at Fred Kelly Stadium on the campus of El Modena High School in Orange.
The Cubs, who were still feeling the sting of an agonizing one-point upset loss to St. Paul a week ago, played with chips on their shoulders, and as a result, made quick work of the over matched Spartans, cruising to a 35-14 romp that was not as close as the final score. Loyola’s purported underdog status heading into the tilt only added fuel to Loyola’s fire in the important playoff road triumph.
The Angelus League champion Cubs started the first drive of the game on their 34 yard line. It took just seven plays for Loyola to cover 66 yards with the touchdown coming on a 22-yard JOE TATUM pass to wide receiver JACOBY KELLY at the 8:41 mark of the first quarter . MARK HYAN’s PAT kick gave the Cubs a 7-0 lead they would never relinquish.
Villa Park responded with a 13-play 70-yard scoring drive, capped by a six-yard TD jaunt to tie the score with 1:23 left in the first quarter. But for all intents and purposes that was the end of the Spartans’ quest to derail a determined Loyola crew. Villa Park (7-4) lost its talented senior quarterback to injury two weeks ago, and could muster little offense all night long.
After the two teams exchanged punts the Cubs had possession at their own 23 yard line. On the first play, All-CIF tailback TAHJ OWENS broke another of his patented spectacular runs for 74 yards. A holding penalty put Loyola into a third down-and 18 situation, but TATUM found wide receiver PETER VANIS on a well executed TD pass, and the Big Blue was in the lead, 14-7 with 4:57 left in the second quarter.
The Spartans fumbled the ball on the ensuing kickoff, setting the Cub offense up at the home teams’s 29 yard line. On the fifth play of the short drive, OWENS sprinted into the end zone to put Loyola up, 21-7, with 2:25 left before intermission.
The Cubs extended their lead to 28-7 with 7:40 left in the third quarter on a 25-yard scoring strike from TATUM to sophomore running back KHALIL CUEVA to cap a four-play 61-yard drive.
Loyola tacked on an insurance touchdown at the 9:43 mark of the final quarter on a short OWENS run to make the score 35-7. The Spartans scored a TD on a 21-yard pass with 8:46 left in the game, capping a 78-yard drive against mostly Cub reserves.
OWENS was once again the catalyst for Loyola’s good offensive showing. He finished the night with 167 rushing yards (11,1 yards per carry). TATUM was 14 of 19 passing for 167 yards and three touchdowns.
The Cub ‘Wolfpack’ defense was stout. Inside linebacker PATRICK SODL led the unit in tackles and had a huge sack as did outside linebacker RAMAN ENIGBOKAN.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE CUBS
Loyola (8-3) moves on to the quarterfinal round of the CIF Division 3 playoffs this Friday. The Cubs will host undefeated Baseline League champion Etiwanda (11-0) at Smith Field. Etiwanda routed Oak Hills, 46-20, in the first round.
If the Cubs keep playing as they did on Saturday, their chances to make a championship run are promising.
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