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September 11, 2017

Cub Football - Loyola punishes St. Augustine in San Diego, prepares for big game Friday against Cathedral

Loyola shuts out St. Augustine 41-0, continues improvement
In a rivalry dating back to 1925, Loyola improved its record against San Diego St. Augustine to 9-2 on Friday night at Mesa College. The Cubs dominated in their best, most complete effort to date against the San Diego Union Tribune's eighth ranked squad. And the good news is there is still plenty of room for improvement as the Big Blue is putting down the roots of toughness and discipline.

A hint of what was to come might have been demonstrated in the Loyola 'Wolfpack' defense's second half shut out of the high scoring Santa Margarita offense the previous week at Smith Field. The setback to the Eagles may well have served as another step in the ongoing culture change underway in the Cub Football program.  Santa Margarita crushed Alemany, 61-7 last Friday. Suffice to say, Loyola arrived in San Diego with determined focus, and came away with a victory that was the worst setback suffered by the Saints since 2008 according to the Union Tribune. 

​Freshman quarterback MILLER MOSS connected with junior wide receiver ALEX BLAKE for a 12-yard TD at the 7:46 mark of the first quarter.  It was an historic moment as it was Moss's first TD of the season and the first by a freshman signal caller - or for any freshman for that matter - in the history of Loyola's football. Moss finished 7 of 14 for 103 yards.

Senior corner ALEX JOHNSON picked off his second pass of the campaign late in the first quarter and returned it to the St. Augustine 32-yard line. Shortly thereafter senior running back DAKOTA SMITH bolted into the end zone from 14 yards out. Junior kicker NICHOLAS BARR-MIRA's PAT kick made the score 14-0 at the 11:52 mark of the second stanza. Smith tallied his second rushing TD of the night just over three minutes later upping the Cubs' lead to 21-0. Barr-Mira nailed a 34-yard field goal with 4:47 left in the first half, and senior outside linebacker TOMMY VANIS picked off a Saints pass and took it 40-yards for six points just before intermission. The rout was officially on with Loyola leading 31-0.

​Early in the second half Barr-Mira boomed a 48-yard field goal with plenty of distance to spare, increasing the Cubs' lead to 34-0. Barr-Mira is three for three on field goal attempts through three games. Smith scored his third rushing touchdown of the evening with 26 seconds left in the third quarter on a two-yard run. He carried the ball 15 times for 92 yards on the evening. The final score was 41-0.
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Senior inside Stud linebacker JACK FITGERALD notched his third turnover in as many games, causing a fumble which he recovered, and fellow senior inside Whip linebacker JORDAN McMILLAN was all over the field, pacing the 'Wolfpack' stop unit with a team-leading 13 tackles. Junior two-way lineman SCOTT KASE continued to impress as a two-way lineman, grading out at near 90% on the defensive side of the ball.

The Cubs take on Cathedral of Los Angeles this Friday at Southwest College, which is located at the intersection of Imperial Highway and Western Avenue.  The Phantoms are currently ranked 22nd in the Southland by the Los Angeles Times. Cathedral (3-0) has outscored its first three opponents 139-3. The Phantoms most recent victim was Lynwood, whom they defeated 63-0 on Friday. The challenge for the Cubs will be keeping the ball out of Cathedral's hands and slowing down its prolific aerial assault.

​Loyola was nipped by the Phantoms 21-19 at Smith Field last season, and the Cubs are looking to the turn the tables this time out.

​Loyola freshmen down St. Augustine 19-0
​Loyola's freshman team played excellent defensive football on Saturday as the Cubs shut out visiting St. Augustine, 19-0. Once again, running back NOAH BUSTOS had a big day running the football, scoring two TDs. Quarterback FINN COLLINS was also on target. Wide receiver CEYAIR WRIGHT caught five of Collins's aerials for over 100 yards.

​Linebacker JACKSON DADICH and free safety ZAKHARI SPEARS each had an interception. Linebacker CONNOR KROC was a stalwart in the 'Wolfpack's' tenacious defensive effort against the Saints.

Cub sophomores fall to St. Augustine JV squad
​Loyola's sophomore team fell to the St. Augustine JV team, 22-20, in San Diego on Thursday.




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