Cub Football - Loyola travels to San Diego on Friday for final non-league game
LOYOLA NEEDS TO STAY ON WINNING TRACK BEFORE MISSION LEAGUE SLATE BEGINS Winless St. Francis (0-5) is the worst team on Loyola's regular season schedule, and the Cubs, as they should have, ran away with a 35-7 victory over the Golden Knights last Friday but the win was marred by 14 penalties called against the Big Blue. If Loyola is going to make a run at a possible playoff berth it needs to avoid the yellow flags at all costs, because every yard counts from here on out.
On Friday the Cubs will make the trek south to Spring Valley in San Diego County to take on dangerous, undefeated defending CIF San Diego Section Division IV champion Mount Miguel.
It is an important contest, as Loyola needs to build momentum going into league action which commences against Serra on October 4.
A LOOK AT MOUNT MIGUEL Head Coach Verlaine Betofe's Matadors are ranked 10th in the CIF San Diego Section and are intent on repeating as the CIF San Diego Section Division IV champions.
Don't let Mount Miguel's lower divisional placement fool you. The Matadors check a lot of boxes. In their last 18 games the Matadors have a 16-2 record. They are fast and athletic in every position group and have big, tough players up front. They have not played the caliber of schedule the Cubs have, but they dominated every opponent thus far.
Mount Miguel's four wins were against Long Beach St. Anthony (47-15), Rancho Buena Vista (54-12), La Jolla Country Day (35-21) and Bishop's (34-14). Those opponents have a combined record of 6-12.
The Matadors like to throw the ball, and they possess the personnel to do it at a high level. Junior quarterback AJ Stowers (6-0, 205) is a sharp shooter. He has completed 64% of his passes (54/85) for 877 yards (16.5 yards per completion) and seven TDs.
Stowers has a bevy of fast, athletic receivers. The game breaking pass catcher is junior AJ Logan (5-10, 185; 18/409, 22.7 ypc, 3 TDs). Junior Parris Vernon (5-10, 155) averages 14.5 yards per reception, and senior Ezelle Buchanan (5-10, 165) averages 16.3 yards per catch.
While 58% of Mount Miguel's total yardage has come via the air, the Matadors run the ball with equal effectiveness. Lightning quick junior AJ Shields (5-7, 158) has scored touchdowns on six of his 16 carries (11.6 ypc). Junior Zane Rottier (5-10, 180) has rushed for 201 yards on 25 carries (8 ypc). Meanwhile Stowers has a 7.3 yard per carry average.
The Matador defense has relinquished just 15 points per game. The tackle leaders are Junior Dominic Lopez (5-10, 205, 31 total tackles, 16 solo), senior outside linebacker Dominic De arcos (6-1, 215, 26/16)and junior corner Malachi Jackson (5-11, 150, 25/19).
An outstanding secondary is led by by senior corner Sha-Hei Phillips (5-7, 155, 2 interceptions, 71 return yards) and junior Vince Pryor (5-9, 176, 2 interceptions, 56 return yards).
GAME OUTLOOK Mount Miguel is an underrated team that will be anxious to make a statement against Loyola, and they have the talent to do so on both sides of the ball. The speed it brings to the table is a concern.
The Cubs cannot come into the contest overly confident from their victory over St. Francis, or they will be in store for a rude awakening. Their mind set should be to make their own emphatic statement in Spring Valley.
What will it take for Loyola to head back up I-5 with a win? The Cubs need to be balanced on offense, and play fast and furious on the defensive side of the ball. If the Cub 'Wolfpack' defense can make the Matadors one dimensional their chance for a victory will be enhanced.
Special teams could be a decider in the outcome. Mount Miguel has blocked two punts. Loyola needs its punt and kick operations to be buttoned down as it can be expected that the Matadors will have their ears pinned back, coming for blocks on every Cub punt and kick.
CalPreps gives Loyola a 65% chance to win and projects a 28-21 Cub victory.
THE SERIES The Cubs and Mount Miguel have only met on the gridiron once before. In the only losing season Loyola had in legendary head coach STEVE GRADY's three-decade tenure (269-77-6) at the helm of Cub Football, Loyola lost to the Matadors, 9-0, in a 1980 non-league contest.
PRE-GAME ON FRIDAY Loyola families, alumni and supporters will meet at 4:30 p.m. on Friday at Giardino, 8131 Broadway, Lemon Grove, CA 91945.
LOYOLA SOPHS AND FROSH WILL PLAY AT MOUNT MIGUEL ON SATURDAY The Cubs' undefeated sophomore and freshman teams will play at Mount Miguel on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.and 4:00 p.m., respectively.
LOYOLA OFFENSIVE STAT LEADERS AFTER FOUR GAMES
PASSING ASHTON PANNELL 58/104 (56%), 655 yds., 9 TDs, 3 interceptions
RUSHING SEAN MORRIS II 81 carries 499 yards, 6.2 yards per carry, 3 TDs
RECEIVING MARKUS KIER 22 receptions, 279 yards, 12.7 ypc, 4 TDs
BRYCE COLEMAN 9 receptions, 116 yards, 12.9 ypc, 2 TDs
SEAN MORRIS II 7 receptions, 109 yards, 15.6 ypc, 1 TD
Defensive statistics have not been updated yet.
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
LEIGHTON LINE ‘23, DL, Cal Lutheran
CONNOR McDOWELL ‘21, DB, Angelo State
BLAKE NEITHART ‘20, DB, Carleton
TAHJ OWENS '22, DB, Princeton
RYAN QUINTANAR '20, LB, USC
ISAIAH SANDERS, ‘24, LB, UC Davis
PATRICK SODL ‘22, LB, Columbia
HENRY STICKLER ‘21, 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
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)
10-4 Serra (Home)*
10-11 @ Bishop Amat*
10-18 Chaminade (Home)*
10-25 @ Sierra Canyon*
11-1 Notre Dame (Home)*
All games on Fridays @ 7:00 p.m.
*Denotes Mission League game