Cub Football - Loyola hosts Cathedral in fourth non-league game Friday at Smith Field
SURGING CUBS HOST CATHEDRAL ON FRIDAY - TATUM SHINED IN VARSITY DEBUT
Loyola (2-1) recorded a signature 62-21 victory over a good Culver City team last Friday. The lopsided win drew favor in the various prep football rankings, including a rise to the number 14 spot in the CalPreps state computer rankings.
The Cubs are definitely an improved team since their season opening, 29-26, loss to Inglewood (3-0), which is ranked 15th in California by CalPreps. The biggest story in Loyola’s dominating win over Culver City was the impressive showing of first-time senior QB starter JOE TATUM, who completed 75 per cent of his passes and threw three TD passes in his varsity debut. Tatum was pressed into action following a season-ending injury to junior signal caller XAVIER RICE in the Damien game on August 27.
Tatum’s performance should have come as no surprise to those who watched him help engineer the Cub freshman team’s run to the Mission League championship in 2018. He demonstrated the same poise, moxie and play making ability last Friday as he did on the freshman level three years ago.
Senior All-CIF running back TAHJ OWENS is averaging nearly seven yards per carry and is a threat to take it the distance on any given play. Senior receivers JACOBY KELLY and PETER VANIS and junior wide outs BAYLIN BROOKS and WILKIE WILES form one of the best pass catching quartets in the state. Senior tight end JOE TAYLOR returned from injury after missing the first two games to provide a fifth quality target for TATUM.
Loyola’s ‘Wolfpack’ defense is also loaded with impact athletes. Senior linebacker PATRICK SODL leads all tacklers with 48 stops, which is currently the fifth best tackle total in California. Sophomore linebacker TY “TJ” SMITH is also racking up the tackles with 37. Senior outside linebacker RAMAN ENIGBOKAN and junior outside linebacker ZACHARY BOWLES, along with senior lineman SHAWN LIN, junior DL newcomer KEENAN TARBET and senior NG COLIN GAINEY are integral parts of a rapidly improving front seven. Senior safety JACKSON SHEA is the leader of a young secondary.
The Big Blue has a chance this Friday to ratchet up the momentum created by its road win over highly regarded Damien and its rout of Culver City. Continued progress by the offensive and defensive lines and a youthful secondary bodes well as Friday’s date with long-time rival Cathedral nears.
A LOOK AT CATHEDRAL
The Phantoms are 1-1 on the season with a 45-0 rout of Woodland Hills El Camino Real and a 36-6 loss to Downey on their ledger.
Cathedral head coach Anthony Jefferson is hoping the high scoring Phantom squad which shut out El Camino Real in its opener shows up at Smith Field on Friday night.
The best player for Cathedral might very well be junior two-way lineman/athlete Ashton Parker. The 6-4, 300 lb. bruiser is a beast.
The running back trio of junior Jeremy Ofulume (6-1, 190), sophomore Kristopher Kulikov (6-2, 177) and junior Brayon Crawford (6-0, 203) collectively average over 10 yards per carry.
Junior quarterback Aidan Moss (6-2, 180) has thrown two TD passes but has also been intercepted three times. Sophomore receiver Xavier Jordan is averaging 18.3 yards per catch.
The Phantoms’ top tackler is senior linebacker Jack Fitzgerald (6-2, 215). He has 19 stops including 14 solo tackles and two hurries. Junior linebacker Tyrelle Wilson (6-0, 215) has recorded 12 tackles. Junior safety Donovan Beckom (6-0, 187) and sophomore corner Jaden Moore (5-10, 180) each have one interception. Sanders has three tackles for loss, one sack and three hurries.
OUTLOOK
If Cathedral brings its “A” game the Phantoms will challenge the Cubs. That being said, if Loyola picks up where it left off in its dominant performance last Friday, the Cubs have the ability to make it a long night for their cross-town rivals.
Loyola’s play on the line of scrimmage will go a long way in determining the outcome in what promises to be a spirited contest. Parker will need to be accounted for on every snap.
A large crowd is expected from both schools.
THE SERIES
The Cub vs. Cathedral battles on the gridiron date back to 1927. Head coach LARRY DEVLIN, who steered Loyola to a 6-0-1 campaign, saw his Cubs defeat the Phantoms, 19-0, in the teams’ inaugural football skirmish.
One of the best contests between the programs was in 2017. Loyola defensive coordinator MIKE GILHOOLY ‘88 dialed up a special defense to shut down Cathedral’s prolific quarterback, Bryce Young, who later transferred to Mater Dei and is now the starting signal caller for the University of Alabama. The scheme worked to perfection as the Cubs pulled off a 17-7 victory over a highly ranked Phantom squad, thwarting Young’s passing efforts all night long. The game was played at Southwest College.
Loyola has a commanding 32-13-1 lead in the series which began 94 years ago.
LOYOLA ADDS GAME TO SCHEDULE - WILL TRAVEL TO MIRA COSTA ON SEPTEMBER 24 TO TAKE ON MUSTANGS
The Cubs have been searching for a tenth game to fill out their allotted ten-game schedule, and fortunately they just found one.
On Tuesday it was announced that Loyola would be traveling to Manhattan Beach to take on traditional South Bay rival Mira Costa. Book your tickets now. It will be a standing-room-only-affair. No doubt about it.
Loyola (2-1) recorded a signature 62-21 victory over a good Culver City team last Friday. The lopsided win drew favor in the various prep football rankings, including a rise to the number 14 spot in the CalPreps state computer rankings.
The Cubs are definitely an improved team since their season opening, 29-26, loss to Inglewood (3-0), which is ranked 15th in California by CalPreps. The biggest story in Loyola’s dominating win over Culver City was the impressive showing of first-time senior QB starter JOE TATUM, who completed 75 per cent of his passes and threw three TD passes in his varsity debut. Tatum was pressed into action following a season-ending injury to junior signal caller XAVIER RICE in the Damien game on August 27.
Tatum’s performance should have come as no surprise to those who watched him help engineer the Cub freshman team’s run to the Mission League championship in 2018. He demonstrated the same poise, moxie and play making ability last Friday as he did on the freshman level three years ago.
Senior All-CIF running back TAHJ OWENS is averaging nearly seven yards per carry and is a threat to take it the distance on any given play. Senior receivers JACOBY KELLY and PETER VANIS and junior wide outs BAYLIN BROOKS and WILKIE WILES form one of the best pass catching quartets in the state. Senior tight end JOE TAYLOR returned from injury after missing the first two games to provide a fifth quality target for TATUM.
Loyola’s ‘Wolfpack’ defense is also loaded with impact athletes. Senior linebacker PATRICK SODL leads all tacklers with 48 stops, which is currently the fifth best tackle total in California. Sophomore linebacker TY “TJ” SMITH is also racking up the tackles with 37. Senior outside linebacker RAMAN ENIGBOKAN and junior outside linebacker ZACHARY BOWLES, along with senior lineman SHAWN LIN, junior DL newcomer KEENAN TARBET and senior NG COLIN GAINEY are integral parts of a rapidly improving front seven. Senior safety JACKSON SHEA is the leader of a young secondary.
The Big Blue has a chance this Friday to ratchet up the momentum created by its road win over highly regarded Damien and its rout of Culver City. Continued progress by the offensive and defensive lines and a youthful secondary bodes well as Friday’s date with long-time rival Cathedral nears.
A LOOK AT CATHEDRAL
The Phantoms are 1-1 on the season with a 45-0 rout of Woodland Hills El Camino Real and a 36-6 loss to Downey on their ledger.
Cathedral head coach Anthony Jefferson is hoping the high scoring Phantom squad which shut out El Camino Real in its opener shows up at Smith Field on Friday night.
The best player for Cathedral might very well be junior two-way lineman/athlete Ashton Parker. The 6-4, 300 lb. bruiser is a beast.
The running back trio of junior Jeremy Ofulume (6-1, 190), sophomore Kristopher Kulikov (6-2, 177) and junior Brayon Crawford (6-0, 203) collectively average over 10 yards per carry.
Junior quarterback Aidan Moss (6-2, 180) has thrown two TD passes but has also been intercepted three times. Sophomore receiver Xavier Jordan is averaging 18.3 yards per catch.
The Phantoms’ top tackler is senior linebacker Jack Fitzgerald (6-2, 215). He has 19 stops including 14 solo tackles and two hurries. Junior linebacker Tyrelle Wilson (6-0, 215) has recorded 12 tackles. Junior safety Donovan Beckom (6-0, 187) and sophomore corner Jaden Moore (5-10, 180) each have one interception. Sanders has three tackles for loss, one sack and three hurries.
OUTLOOK
If Cathedral brings its “A” game the Phantoms will challenge the Cubs. That being said, if Loyola picks up where it left off in its dominant performance last Friday, the Cubs have the ability to make it a long night for their cross-town rivals.
Loyola’s play on the line of scrimmage will go a long way in determining the outcome in what promises to be a spirited contest. Parker will need to be accounted for on every snap.
A large crowd is expected from both schools.
THE SERIES
The Cub vs. Cathedral battles on the gridiron date back to 1927. Head coach LARRY DEVLIN, who steered Loyola to a 6-0-1 campaign, saw his Cubs defeat the Phantoms, 19-0, in the teams’ inaugural football skirmish.
One of the best contests between the programs was in 2017. Loyola defensive coordinator MIKE GILHOOLY ‘88 dialed up a special defense to shut down Cathedral’s prolific quarterback, Bryce Young, who later transferred to Mater Dei and is now the starting signal caller for the University of Alabama. The scheme worked to perfection as the Cubs pulled off a 17-7 victory over a highly ranked Phantom squad, thwarting Young’s passing efforts all night long. The game was played at Southwest College.
Loyola has a commanding 32-13-1 lead in the series which began 94 years ago.
LOYOLA ADDS GAME TO SCHEDULE - WILL TRAVEL TO MIRA COSTA ON SEPTEMBER 24 TO TAKE ON MUSTANGS
The Cubs have been searching for a tenth game to fill out their allotted ten-game schedule, and fortunately they just found one.
On Tuesday it was announced that Loyola would be traveling to Manhattan Beach to take on traditional South Bay rival Mira Costa. Book your tickets now. It will be a standing-room-only-affair. No doubt about it.
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