Cub Football - Loyola dominates Chaminade in most complete game of season
LOYOLA TROUNCES CHAMINADE, 44-10, IN ANOTHER MUST-WIN GAME
In its best effort of the season, Loyola put on a dominant performance in a one-sided, 44-10, demotion of Chaminade at Smith Field on Friday night in another must-win Mission League game.
The Cubs rolled to a 23-0 halftime lead, and unlike in their last two outings against Serra and Bishop Amat, they kept the pedal to the metal to outscore the Eagles 21-10 after intermission.
Loyola drove 44 yards in eight plays on its first possession before JACOB KREINBRING split the uprights for a 40-yard field goal to put the Cubs up 3-0.
After corner BRANDON LOCKHART recovered an Eagle fumble at the visitors' 42 yard line, Loyola scored in one play, perhaps the best offensive call of the season, as quarterback ASHTON PANNELL tossed the ball to running back SEAN MORRIS II who immediately tossed it back to PANNELL. PANNELL then threw a strike to wide receiver MARKUS KIER who caught the ball in stride for a 42-yard touchdown. The PAT kick try was blocked, making the score 9-0 in favor of the Cubs at the 6:07 mark of the first quarter.
A big eight yard sack by linebackers SCOTT TAYLOR and DAEQUAN JEFFES forced Chaminade to punt on its ensuing possession.
Loyola then embarked upon a 62-yard, eight play drive, capped by an 11-yard scoring pass to from PANNELL to tight end SCOTT TAYLOR. KREINBRING's PAT kick increased the Cubs' lead to 16-0 with 4:45 left in the first quarter.
After Loyola's 'Wolfpack' defense forced another three-and-out, the Cubs marched 54 yards in seven plays, scoring on a 20-yard pass from PANNELL to KEIR with 3:15 remaining in the half. KREINBRING's PAT kick increased Loyola's lead to 23-0.
DAEQUAN JEFFES intercepted an Eagle pass with less than a minute left before intermission to thwart Chaminade's effort to close the gap.
The Eagles drove 63 yards in nine plays to open the second half before settling for a 45-yard field goal to make the score 23-3.
The Cubs answered with a seven play, 61-yard drive, capped by a two-yard MORRIS run at the 4:55 mark of the third quarter to make the score 30-3.
Loyola inside linebacker HENRY CASANI threw the knock out punch when he intercepted a Chaminade pass and raced 72 yards for a pick-six TD with 4:55 left in the third quarter. KREINBRING's PAT kick increased the Cubs' lead to 37-3.
With 9:25 remaining on the game clock MORRIS bulled into the end zone from two yards out to cap an eleven-play, 77 yard drive. KREINBRING's PAT kick upped Loyola's advantage to 44-3.
The Eagles finally found pay dirt on a two-yard TD run to complete a 61-yard drive against the Cub reserves.
In the first half, Loyola's defense played lights out football. Chaminade's five drives ended as follows: 22 yards, fumble; minus six yards, punt; seven yards, punt; one yard, punt; 22 yards, interception. The Eagles only managed 46 yards of total offense in the first two quarters.
The Cubs out-gained Chaminade 397 to 184 yards. Loyola's offense averaged 7.1 yards per play.
SEAN MORRIS II carried the ball 23 times for 136 yards (5.9 yards per carry) and two TDs.
ASHTON PANNELL completed 22 of 25 passes (88%) for 226 yards and three touchdowns.
The only negative for the Cubs was their continued pattern of committing multiple costly infractions. Against the Eagles Loyola was flagged ten times for 90 yards, including three personal foul penalties. The yellow flag trend must stop.
The Cubs improved their season record to 4-4 with Friday's victory.
WHAT LIES AHEAD FOR LOYOLA Next Friday the Cubs will travel to Chatsworth to take on Sierra Canyon (5-3), which defeated Bishop Amat 38-0 last night.
Notre Dame (4-4) put up a fight against Serra, but the Knights lost, 34-18. Loyola will host Notre Dame on November 1. The Cubs will have to win one of their two remaining games in order to secure a CIF playoff invitation.
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*
11-1 Notre Dame (Home)*
All games on Fridays @ 7:00 p.m. * Denotes Mission League game 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, New York Giants (practice squad)
DAVID LONG, JR., corner, Indianapolis Colts (practice squad)
COLEMAN SHELTON '13, center, Chicago Bears