Cub Football - Loyola faces big challenge this Friday in CIF Div. 3 quarterfinals against
LOYOLA TAKES ON UNDEFEATED ETIWANDA IN CIF SOUTHERN SECTION DIVISION 3 QUARTERFINAL BATTLE FRIDAY AT SMITH FIELD
Loyola’s 35-14 first round CIF Southern Section Division 3 road win over Villa Park on Saturday propelled the Cubs to the second round of the CIF playoffs for the 36th time in their storied post season history.
The quarterfinal battle against 11-0 Baseline League champion Etiwanda, which routed Oak Hills of Hesperia, 46-20, in the first round last Friday, presents a major challenge for Loyola. The Eagles, ranked number 22 in the state by CalPreps.com, are the number two seed in the Division 3 playoffs.
Etiwanda’s abundant athleticism and all around team speed evoke comparisons to Inglewood, another fast, athletic squad to whom the Cubs fell, 29-26, in the season opener in August. Like Inglewood, the Eagles have their fair share of high end players with impressive FBS scholarship offers.
Loyola played with energy and intensity in Saturday’s first round playoff victory, and it will need to bring those elements to Smith Field on Friday night to notch a win. A huge crowd is expected from both schools in what should be one of the premier quarterfinal contests in the Southern Section.
A LOOK AT ETIWANDA
Highly regarded head coach Nick Baiz made a name for himself at Rancho Cucamonga before taking the helm at Etiwanda. His teams are disciplined and play a very physical brand of football. The Eagles may prove to be the physically toughest squad the Cubs will have played this season.
Etiwanda likes to throw the ball, and the Eagles put up impressive numbers when it does. Senior quarterback Zach Congalton (6-2, 175) has a gluttony of riches at the wide receiver position of which he takes full advantage.
Congalton’s top target is Jordan Williams (6-1, 180). Heading into last week’s first round playoff game, the senior speedster had 39 catches for 727 yards and 19 TD receptions. Williams averages 18.6 yards per reception and has scholarship offers from the likes of Oregon and Arizona State.
Eagle receiver Norian Espadron (5-8, 150) may be on the smaller end of the size spectrum, but the electric senior is a flat out speed burner. Espadron had 38 receptions for 812 yards and seven scoring catches during the regular season, boasting an off-the-charts 21.4 yards per reception average.
Congalton completed 64% of his passes in his first ten outings for 1,830 yards and threw for 19 touchdowns.
Williams doubles as a running back. He averages 8.3 yards per carry and has scored six rushing TDs. Lightning quick senior running back Damonte Swift (5-8, 160) rushed for 491 yards in the regular season at a 5.2 yards per carry clip.
Etiwanda’s defense is fast and stout. The Eagles have relinquished an average of just 12 points per game on the season. The centerpiece of Etiwanda’s attacking stop unit is senior linebacker Saipeti Maiava, Jr. (6-0, 200). Maiava is also a tough runner on the offensive side. He scored two rushing touchdowns and had a pick six against Oak Hills last Friday.
Up front, senior De’jon Roney (6-3, 286) is a monster defender. The senior defensive tackle has 13 FBS scholarship offers, including invitations from Oregaon, USC and Washington.
Pairing up with Maiava at linebacker is the team’s leading tackler, Luke Toki (6-0, 220). Senior defensive end Tony McGee (6-1, 245) sets the edge with attitude.
Bottom line, the Eagles check all the boxes on both sides of the ball. There is a reason they are ranked 17th in the Southern Section by CalPreps.
CUBS VS. EAGLES GAME OUTLOOK
This quarterfinal bout will likely be a slugfest-with a peed element-to the end. One of the keys for Loyola will be to contain a passing offense which averages 18.3 yards per reception.
Etiwanda is a big play team. The Cubs must limit the large chunk plays which are routine for the Eagles, and force them out of their comfort zone. Etiwanda averages 36 points per game and Loyola gives up an average of 22. If the Cubs can hold the visitors to three scores or less that would go a long way in securing a potential win.
Loyola (8-3) is averaging 36 points per game, and the Cub offense will probably need to score near its average against a stingy Etiwanda defense.
CalPreps ranks the Eagles’ strength of schedule at 24.9, and has Loyola’s ranked 33.5. The only straight up comparative scores were those involving La Verne Damien. The Cubs downed the Spartans, 16-14, in a tight game in which their original starting signal caller, XAVIER RICE, was lost for the season. Etiwanda defeated Damien 17-3.
The Eagles’ closest contest was a 30-28 win over rival Rancho Cucamonga. Rancho beat Damien by a point, 45-44, in overtime. Another indirect comparison involved Upland, which Etiwanda defeated, 21-13. In a non-league contest, Upland fell to Villa Park, 34-21, whom Loyola just beat, 35-14. Villa Park had the services of their prolific quarterback when it beat Upland, but he did not play against the Cubs because of injury.
Any way you cut the mustard, Friday’s contest pits two very talented teams against one another with a semifinal berth on the line.
The CalPreps’ projection predicts a 28-21 Eagles’ win. That may be a good sign for the Cubs, as the same site predicted a loss to Villa Park.
If Loyola’s big playmakers make big plays, the Cubs will have a good chance to pull off a win. The home field advantage for Loyola cannot be underestimated. A large, vocal home crowd will help the Big Blue’s cause. The Cubs (8-3) are currently ranked number 26 in the Southern Section by CalPreps.
THE SERIES
This is the first time the schools have met on the gridiron.
TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets for the heavyweight quarterfinal shon Friday can only be purchased online. Visit the Loyola website (loyolahs.edu), click on Athletics, then click on Football.
As of the time of this writing, the link for ticket purchases had not yet been posted.