Cub Football - Loyola opens season with game against state-ranked Inglewood
LOYOLA TO PLAY SUPER TALENTED INGLEWOOD AT SMITH FIELD ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 20th
The Cubs will play their first game of the 2021 campaign against the Inglewood Sentinels, a squad brimming with FBS talent, speed and uncommon athleticism on Friday, August 20 at Smith Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
Loyola was supposed to open against Pasadena Muir, which was forced to cancel because of COVID issues. It was a mad scramble to find a replacement for the zero week contest. To put it mildly the step up in competition with Inglewood is dramatic. In their short spring season the undefeated Sentinels romped over Muir, 70-14.
While the Cubs return multiple starters from their undefeated Angelus League championship spring season, there are inexperienced starters at several critical positions on the offensive and defensive lines and in the secondary.
It will be a tall order to compete effectively against a Sentinel team which is ranked 14th in the state by MaxPreps and 19th in California by CalPreps. Loyola got a good preview of the caliber of team it will face next Friday in an inter squad scrimmage against talented Gardena Serra played on Thursday night at Smith Field. The Cub starters got limited reps in the scrimmage, whereas the Cavaliers utilized their first team for most of the contest. Loyola should be in game shape after it’s grueling, hot and humid preseason practices.
A LOOK AT INGLEWOOD
Head coach Mil’Von James took over a program that was 0-10 in 2018. He quickly went to work to change the culture of a team that had languished in mediocrity for years. James was named the Chargers Don Shula High School Coach of the Year following a remarkable 2019 turnaround campaign which saw the Sentinels finish 12-1 after a deep CIF playoff run. Inglewood’s average score that season was 52-9. Inglewood went 4-0 this spring while defeating its opponents by an average score of 52-15.
There is good reason the Sentinels are so high in the preseason state rankings. They have no less than six players who have committed to or have been offered by FBS programs. The offensive leader is highly gifted senior quarterback Justyn Martin (6-5, 215) who has committed to Cal. Martin, an elite signal caller, has big time weapons at his disposal which is why Inglewood produces more than a point a minute.
UCLA commit senior Clint Stephens (6-1, 188) is among the most explosive wide receivers in the state. Senior running back Tomarian Harden (6-1, 230) is a beast with speed. He is also a UCLA commit. Senior wide receiver Damon Williams (5-11, 175) showcases his speed as a a top of the line receiver and shut-down corner. Among his scholarship suitors are Oregon, Michigan State and Colorado.
inglewood’s aggressive, physical defense possesses great speed. The leaders of the Sentinel stop unit are the best pair of linebackers the Cubs will face this season. Senior Washington State commit Taariq Al-Ugdah (6-0, 200) runs like a deer and hits with the force of a sledge hammer, while his classmate, Marshon Oxley (6-3, 215) is cut from the same cloth. Oxley is a San Diego State commit.
OUTLOOK
Inglewood’s offense is virtually unstoppable. For the Cubs to have a chance, they will need to devise a way to force some errors and punts. If the contest evolves into a shoot out, the Sentinels will probably have the advantage. Loyola will need to score points on virtually every possession to prevail. The team that wins the battle at the line of scrimmage will most likely prevail.
THE SERIES
The Cubs and Sentinels have played 12 times, with Loyola holding an 8-3-1 advantage in the win-loss ledger.
The first contest between the teams was in 1945. Under head coach Bill Sargent the Cubs downed Inglewood in the season opener, 12-0.
Loyola’s largest margin of victory was in a 33-6 victory in the second game of the 1947 campaign under coach Jack Bouchard.
After five straight wins over the Sentinels, the Cubs were downed in the season opener by Inglewood, 13-7 in 1950, but Loyola went on to post an 8-3 record and advanced to the CIF Southern Section Large Schools playoff semifinals.
The schools last played in 1961, some sixty years ago. Head coach Lew Stueck’s Cubs were led by CIF AAAA Player-of-the Year single wing tailback PAUL HORGAN in a 19-7 first round CIF playoff win over Inglewood.
Loyola and Inglewood played in five season openers from 1945 through 1957. The Cubs won four of those games.
CUB EXTRA POINTS
Loyola was ranked 11th by CalPreps and 16th by MaxPreps in the state preseason rankings. The game against Inglewood will tell if those rankings were deserved.
Three senior Cub players who hold multiple FBS scholarship offers made the Los Angeles Times’ preseason top ten position lists, offensive tackle SAM YOON, wide receiver JACOBY KELLY and running back TAHJ OWENS.
There are 28 seniors on the varsity roster, including 14 starters. As freshmen they won the Mission League championship. Many of them played key roles in the run to the CIF Division 4 championship game in 2019 and the undefeated run to the Angelus League championship this spring. It is their time to take charge and lead.
The team needs fans in the stands next Friday. Please make every effort to attend the game.
The Cubs will play their first game of the 2021 campaign against the Inglewood Sentinels, a squad brimming with FBS talent, speed and uncommon athleticism on Friday, August 20 at Smith Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
Loyola was supposed to open against Pasadena Muir, which was forced to cancel because of COVID issues. It was a mad scramble to find a replacement for the zero week contest. To put it mildly the step up in competition with Inglewood is dramatic. In their short spring season the undefeated Sentinels romped over Muir, 70-14.
While the Cubs return multiple starters from their undefeated Angelus League championship spring season, there are inexperienced starters at several critical positions on the offensive and defensive lines and in the secondary.
It will be a tall order to compete effectively against a Sentinel team which is ranked 14th in the state by MaxPreps and 19th in California by CalPreps. Loyola got a good preview of the caliber of team it will face next Friday in an inter squad scrimmage against talented Gardena Serra played on Thursday night at Smith Field. The Cub starters got limited reps in the scrimmage, whereas the Cavaliers utilized their first team for most of the contest. Loyola should be in game shape after it’s grueling, hot and humid preseason practices.
A LOOK AT INGLEWOOD
Head coach Mil’Von James took over a program that was 0-10 in 2018. He quickly went to work to change the culture of a team that had languished in mediocrity for years. James was named the Chargers Don Shula High School Coach of the Year following a remarkable 2019 turnaround campaign which saw the Sentinels finish 12-1 after a deep CIF playoff run. Inglewood’s average score that season was 52-9. Inglewood went 4-0 this spring while defeating its opponents by an average score of 52-15.
There is good reason the Sentinels are so high in the preseason state rankings. They have no less than six players who have committed to or have been offered by FBS programs. The offensive leader is highly gifted senior quarterback Justyn Martin (6-5, 215) who has committed to Cal. Martin, an elite signal caller, has big time weapons at his disposal which is why Inglewood produces more than a point a minute.
UCLA commit senior Clint Stephens (6-1, 188) is among the most explosive wide receivers in the state. Senior running back Tomarian Harden (6-1, 230) is a beast with speed. He is also a UCLA commit. Senior wide receiver Damon Williams (5-11, 175) showcases his speed as a a top of the line receiver and shut-down corner. Among his scholarship suitors are Oregon, Michigan State and Colorado.
inglewood’s aggressive, physical defense possesses great speed. The leaders of the Sentinel stop unit are the best pair of linebackers the Cubs will face this season. Senior Washington State commit Taariq Al-Ugdah (6-0, 200) runs like a deer and hits with the force of a sledge hammer, while his classmate, Marshon Oxley (6-3, 215) is cut from the same cloth. Oxley is a San Diego State commit.
OUTLOOK
Inglewood’s offense is virtually unstoppable. For the Cubs to have a chance, they will need to devise a way to force some errors and punts. If the contest evolves into a shoot out, the Sentinels will probably have the advantage. Loyola will need to score points on virtually every possession to prevail. The team that wins the battle at the line of scrimmage will most likely prevail.
THE SERIES
The Cubs and Sentinels have played 12 times, with Loyola holding an 8-3-1 advantage in the win-loss ledger.
The first contest between the teams was in 1945. Under head coach Bill Sargent the Cubs downed Inglewood in the season opener, 12-0.
Loyola’s largest margin of victory was in a 33-6 victory in the second game of the 1947 campaign under coach Jack Bouchard.
After five straight wins over the Sentinels, the Cubs were downed in the season opener by Inglewood, 13-7 in 1950, but Loyola went on to post an 8-3 record and advanced to the CIF Southern Section Large Schools playoff semifinals.
The schools last played in 1961, some sixty years ago. Head coach Lew Stueck’s Cubs were led by CIF AAAA Player-of-the Year single wing tailback PAUL HORGAN in a 19-7 first round CIF playoff win over Inglewood.
Loyola and Inglewood played in five season openers from 1945 through 1957. The Cubs won four of those games.
CUB EXTRA POINTS
Loyola was ranked 11th by CalPreps and 16th by MaxPreps in the state preseason rankings. The game against Inglewood will tell if those rankings were deserved.
Three senior Cub players who hold multiple FBS scholarship offers made the Los Angeles Times’ preseason top ten position lists, offensive tackle SAM YOON, wide receiver JACOBY KELLY and running back TAHJ OWENS.
There are 28 seniors on the varsity roster, including 14 starters. As freshmen they won the Mission League championship. Many of them played key roles in the run to the CIF Division 4 championship game in 2019 and the undefeated run to the Angelus League championship this spring. It is their time to take charge and lead.
The team needs fans in the stands next Friday. Please make every effort to attend the game.
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