Cub Football - Loyola makes statement in first round of CIF playoffs
CUBS STEP UP IN FIRST ROUND, 30-13, TRIUMPH OVER NUMBER 4 SEED TUSTIN
On Friday night in Orange County Loyola served emphatic notice that it will be a factor in the race for the CIF Southern Section Division 3 championship, as the Cubs imposed their will in a 30-13 victory over the number four seed Tustin Tillers, who came into the first round playoff bout with an impressive 9-1 record.
After a rocky first half, Loyola played like a team possessed after intermission, as the 'Wolfpack' defense pitched a shutout and the Cubs scored 20 unanswered points, with the punctuation mark coming on an 11-yard pick six by senior safety DESI VALDES, who led Loyola's stop squad with two interceptions and a forced fumble.
After the Cub defense forced a punt on Tustin's first possession, Loyola drove 58 yards on seven plays before junior JACOB KREINBRING put the Cubs up 3-0 on a successful 23-yard field goal at the 5:13 mark of the first quarter.
Loyola safety PETER SCIARRINO picked off a Tiller pass at the Cubs' 21 yard line on the home team's next possession, but the Cubs gave the ball right back with an interception on the ensuing series. A 1-yard Tustin touchdown run capped a five-play, 19 yard drive to give the home squad a 7-3 lead at the 10:38 mark of the second quarter.
After the teams traded punts, the Tillers returned an interception 68 yards for a TD to increase their lead to 13-3, after a failed two-point conversion attempt, with 6:26 left in the second quarter.
Loyola had to answer, and it did, marching 79 yards on 13 plays, capped by an 8-yard TD sprint by SEAN MORRIS II with 1:16 left in the first half. KREINBRING's PAT kick narrowed Tustin's lead to 13-10 just before intermission.
After VALDES had a fantastic kick return to set the Big Blue up at its 41 yard line to start the second half, it took the Cubs just two plays to score. ASHTON PANNELL completed a 20-yard pass to tight end SCOTT TAYLOR, followed by a 39-yard TD aerial to MARKUS KIER. KREINBRING's PAT kick put Loyola in the lead, 17-13.
The Cubs' 'Wolfpack' defense completely stifled the Tillers' offense in the second half. Tustin managed to gain only 82 yards in the final two quarters, after compiling just 76 total yards in the first half.
With 1:06 remaining in the third quarter KREINBRING split the uprights on a 34-yard field goal attempt to increase Loyola's lead to 20-13.
KREINBRING kicked his third field goal of the contest from 46 yards out, to put the Cubs up, 23-13, with 6:49 left in the game.
VALDES' pick six with 59 seconds on the game clock put icing on the cake to make the final score, 30-13.
Delta League champion Tustin entered the first round playoff contest with one of the best rushing offenses in the Southern Section, but the Tillers were never able to get their ground game into high gear against Loyola's stout defense. In addition to the three pass thefts and fumble forced by the Cubs, Tustin's QB was under heavy pressure by Loyola's defensive front all night. Inside linebacker DAEQUAN JEFFES had two sacks.
Cub quarterback ASHTON PANNELL finished the contest with 24 completions in 32 attempts (75%) for 227 yards. MORRIS was slowed down by the Tillers' standout defensive line which came into the game allowing only 52 rushing yards per game, but he did most of his damage as a pass catcher out of the backfield.
Loyola improved its record to 5-6, and won a first round playoff game for a sixth consecutive time in its 50th trip to the CIF Southern Section playoffs.
WHAT'S NEXT FOR LOYOLA
The Cubs will host a CIF Southern Section Division 4 quarterfinal battle at Smith Field on Friday against Crean Lutheran (9-2) of Irvine.
The Saints downed favored Moore League champion L.B. Millikan in a thriller in Long Beach on Friday, kicking a field goal in the waning seconds to pull off a 20-17 first round playoff victory.
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* (L, 45-0)
11-1 Notre Dame (Home)* (L, 35-34)
CIF SOUTHERN SECTION DIVISION 3 PLAYOFFS
11-8 @ Tustin (CIF Division-3 Playoffs first round) (W, 30-13)
11-15 Crean Lutheran (CIF Division 3 Playoffs quarterfinals)
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