October 7, 2023

Cub Football - Loyola posts dominant 25-11 win over St. Paul

LOYOLA DOMINATES ST. PAUL ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BALL IN IMPORTANT ANGELUS LEAGUE WIN
In what can only be described as a cathartic performance on a warm evening at Smith Field on Friday, Loyola dominated longtime rival St. Paul on both sides of the ball in a do-or die Angelus League battle which evened the Big Blue's conference record at 1-1.

Coming off a heartbreaking down-to-the-wire defeat at the hands of St. Francis in their league opener on September 29, the Cubs, paced by a suffocating defensive performance and a punishing ground attack, stepped up in what amounted to a must-win game against the Swordsmen.

To say Loyola needed a win on Friday would be an understatement. The victory over St. Paul lifted a huge weight off the Cubs' shoulders after three consecutive losses in imminently winnable contests, but most importantly, the 25-11 win kept them alive in the hunt for a potential CIF Southern Section playoff berth.

It was by no means a perfect effort as costly turnovers and penalties remained a problem for Loyola. But the bigger, faster Cubs played with great will and determination in the decisive triumph.

The offensive stars of the night were sophomore running back SEAN MORRIS and the offensive line, which paved the way to a total of over 300 rushing yards.

Every player on Loyola's 'Wolfpack' defensive unit played lights out football in shutting out the Swordsmen in the second half and holding them to a paltry 55 yards of total offense for the game.

After the teams exchanged punts to start the contest, the Cubs threw an interception that was returned to the Loyola 23 yard line. St. Paul capitalized on the turnover with a 31-yard field goal with 4:54 remaining in the first quarter.

Early in the second quarter, Cub punter AJ SCHULTZ boomed a punt that was downed at the Swordsmen's one yard line. On the next play, Cub defenders IKE SANDERS, HENRY CASANI AND RONEN ZAMORANO swarmed St. Paul's running back two yards deep in the end zone to record a safety, making the score 3-2.

Following the kickoff from the Swordsmen's 20-yard line, Loyola drove 60 yards on nine plays, scoring on SEAN MORRIS's one-yard run. The two-point conversion pass attempt failed, but the Cubs took the lead, 8-3.

Loyola fumbled a punt late in the second quarter and then was assessed with a personal foul infraction to set the Swordsmen up at the Cubs' 13 yard line. St. Paul scored on a nine yard pass, and was successful on its two-point conversion pass at the 1:06 mark of the second quarter to give the Swordsmen an 11-8 lead heading into intermission.

The second half was all Loyola. The Cub 'Wolfpack' defense smothered St. Paul's offense, limiting the Swordsmen to 17 yards of total offense. Meanwhile, Loyola's offensive rolled up 201 yards over the final two quarters.

On the Cubs' first possession of the third quarter they went 49 yards on three plays, scoring on a 21-yard MORRIS run. MARK HYAN's PAT kick gave Loyola a 15-11 lead with less than three minutes gone in the second half.

At the 3:37 mark of the third quarter HYAN kicked a 32-yard field goal to increase the Cubs' lead to 18-11.

Following a St. Paul punt, on the first play MORRIS sprinted 66 yards up the middle for a TD. HYAN's PAT kick gave Loyola a commanding 25-11 lead with 7:23 left in the contest.

On the game's final possession, the Cubs drove to Swordsmen's five yard line before taking a knee.

Loyola two-way Arizona State-bound lineman CHAMP WESTBROOKS had a stellar outing. His downfield pancake block allowed MORRIS to break away on the final scoring play of the contest. He also had a havoc-causing outing on defense. 

Senior safety JAKE ARELLANO made some big plays on defense, as did outside linebacker SCOTT TAYLOR (15-yard sack and multiple pressures) and Edge IKE SANDERS ( two sack and several QB hurries).

The Cub offensive line (RYAN TURK, NATE TURK, NELSON PYE III, CHAMP WESTBROOKS and LUKE HARRISON) had its best effort of the season.

MORRIS ran for 220 yards on 26 carries (8.5 ypc) and three TDs. He has established himself as a big time runner for the Cubs.

Loyola amassed 307 yards of total offense.

The most disappointing aspects of the Cubs' victory were the two turnovers which led to Swordsmen scores, the eight penalties for 75 yards assessed against Loyola and an unsuccessful passing effort.  All of those areas must be cleaned up if the Cubs are to have success in their final three contests in the Angelus League.

ELSEWHERE IN THE ANGELUS LEAGUE ON FRIDAY
League leader St. Francis (6-1, 2-0) held off Paraclete (6-1, 1-1) in a 28-21 double overtime thriller. Cathedral (3-4, 1-1) routed struggling Crespi (2-5, 0-2), 56-0.

Loyola travels to Encino to take on Crespi (2-5, 1-1) on Friday.

LOYOLA LOWER DIVISIONS CONTINUE WINNING WAYS
The Cub sophomore team with just 25 players suited up, and multiple players going both ways, recorded their second decisive Angelus League victory in a 31-8 romp over St. Paul at Smith Field on Thursday. It was a gritty old school Loyola performance. The all-alumni Cub staff, head coach ANTHONY HOLLY '87, QB Coach ART GARCIA '84, line coaches RICK PEDROARIAS '84 and DANIEL PEDROARIAS '15 and defensive coordinator P. J. PASCALE '78 have done a great job developing the squad, which has improved exponentially over the course of the season.

St. Paul did not field a freshman team, but the Cub freshmen found a replacement opponent in Long Beach Cabrillo, whom they defeated 28-6 in Long Beach on Thursday. Last Saturday, the Frosh took care of business against Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, winning 36-22.

FOUR FOR FOREVER
It is well known that Cub alumni cherish their four-year experience as Loyola students, thus making the saying, "Cubs For Life" an apt description of the loyalty of Loyola graduates.

This writer was invited by 1956 alumnus MIKE MADEKIC to an annual lunch gathering of some of his Class of 1956 classmates last Tuesday. What a fun experience it was to hear the stories of a "young" group of Cub alumni.

The attendees (current home towns in parentheses), in addition to MANDEKIC, were JOHN BOCCATO (Hancock Park), JACK BRADLEY (La Quinta), WILL CLARK (Lafayette), CHARLIE COLLINS (Temple City), DENNY DESPARS (Huntington Beach), MIKE HOWARD (Mission Viejo), and MIKE MURPHY (Studio City).

Among the memorable tales with which the former high school buddies regaled one another was the story of classmate John Bell, who was caught with a cheat sheet on a final English exam at the end of his senior year. The proctor was legendary basketball coach and English teacher BILL BARNETT. The notorious Vice Principal in charge of discipline, Father Carlin told Bell that the only way he could receive his diploma was to take and pass a semester of English at another high school during the summer, which he did at University High in West L.A. His parents never found out, but indeed he received his Loyola diploma.

CHARLIE COLLINS sometimes hitchhiked to Loyola from his home in Altadena when dressed in his ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps). People would give him a ride, thinking he was a soldier. He was a member of the swim team that trained in small pool at the old L. A. Elks Club because Loyola did not have a pool. One of his swim teammates was Tony Hope, the son of Bob Hope.

MIKE MURPHY said he was the "RUDY" of the 1955 Cub football squad, getting into the season's final game for the first time. MURPHY graduated from the University of Notre Dame and UCLA Law School. He still practices in the area of real estate law.

MIKE HOWARD was a starting left end on Loyola's 1955 football team coached by Mike McGee. He was presented with a plaque at the lunch for his commitment in serving as the class representative.

DENNY DESPARS played varsity basketball for Barnett, who led Loyola to the 1953 AAAA championship.

JACK BRADLEY, who told the Bell story, was the senior class President and also played varsity basketball. He also disclosed that Bell's dad, Ray Bell, was a famous Cowboy.

The group recalled Father Carlin administering shaves with ice cold water to guys with too much stubble on their faces and sending students whose hair was too long to the infamous Manuel, a nearby barber.

JOHN BOCCATO's nephew is former 1992 All-CIF quarterback CLELIO BOCCATO '93. He operates popular delis on Larchmont in Hancock Park and in Hermosa Beach. His son, SERGIO '85, also participated in the festivities.

WILL CLARK could not engage in extra curricular activities or athletics because he drove a pickle truck to help pay for his tuition. He drove from his home in the East Bay to reinite with his classmates, and was the first to leave as he had a 360-mile return drive back home.

The popular MIKE MANDEKIC is well known as the former owner (1973 -1999) of Tom Bergin's, one of Los Angeles' most venerable Irish pub-frequented by generations of Loyola alums-and now a historical landmark that is still going strong.

Indeed the hours spend with the Class of '56 Cubs showed why Loyola is so special. The 85-year "young" Cubs are an indelible part of the tapestry that forms the great traditions of The High.

2023 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE/ RESULTS