Cub Football - Loyola trounces Norte Vista after sluggish first half - Will play Yorba Linda on the road in quarterfinals
LOYOLA DEFEATS NORTE VISTA 35-7 IN FIRST ROUND OF CIF PLAYOFFS
As the teams left the field, tied 7-7, at the end of the first half in a first round CIF Southern Section Division 4 playoff matchup on Friday night at Smith Field, the contest had the ominous feel that the game between River Valley League champion Norte Vista and Angelus League champion Loyola would go down to the wire, but the Cubs revved it up after intermission while the Braves ran out of gas. Loyola (6-5) scored 28 unanswered second half points en route to a 35-7 victory.
Norte Vista, the 16th seed, seemingly had a game plan that would allow the Braves to pull off a potential upset of the number one seeded Cubs, but Loyola's superior talent and suffocating defensive effort were the difference in an inspired second half effort.
The Braves won the coin toss and forced a Cub fumble on the sixth play of Loyola's opening possession. Thereafter Norte Vista methodically controlled the clock for most of the first quarter before Cub safety JAKE ARELLANO intercepted a pass in the Loyola end zone. Unfortunately, the Cubs could not take advantage of the turnover. Following a Cub punt, a sack by Loyola Edge IKE SANDERS on third-and-long squelched the Braves' lone true scoring threat.
The Cubs finally got untracked offensively with a 70-yard scoring drive, capped by a 13-yard T.K. KNYAL touchdown pass to KHALIL CUEVA with 2:29 left in the first half. MARK HYAN's PAT kick gave Loyola a 7-0 lead.
JAKE ARELLANO picked off his second pass of the night to set the Cubs up at their 49 yard line. Catastrophe befell Loyola three plays later as Norte Vista picked off a Cub pass and returned it 50 yards for a touchdown with 32.7 seconds left on the first half clock to knot the score at 7-7.
The play that broke the game open and provided a huge momentum lift came on a long distance punt return by Loyola sophomore JOSH GALLAGHER following a Braves' three-and-out on the opening possession of the second half. GALLAGHER's return set the Cubs up at the Norte Vista four yard line. Loyola running back SEAN MORRIS burst into the end zone on the first play, and HYAN's extra point kick extended the Cubs' lead to 14-7 at the 9:42 mark of the third quarter.
After Loyola's 'Wolfpack' defense held Norte Vista on downs following a questionable decision not to punt while facing a fourth down at its 28 yard line. KNYAL hit CUEVA on the next play for a 28-yard TD with 7:48 remaining in the third quarter. HYAN's PAT kick increased the Cubs lead to 21-7, and for all intents and purposes the Braves were done.
With 4:05 left in the third frame Loyola drove 36 yards in four plays, scoring on an eight-yard keeper by KNYAL. HYAN's kick put the Cubs ahead 28-7. Loyola's final score of the contest, capping a 62-yard drive, came on a two-yard MORRIS run with 6:05 remaining on the game clock. The final score was 35-7.
Norte Vista ended its season with a 9-2 record while the Cubs improved to 6-5. Another great defensive effort was turned in by Loyola's stop unit, holding the Braves' ground attack, which came in averaging over 300 yards per outing, to a paltry 61 yards.
The Cub 'Wolfpack' stop squad has been playing lights out football of late, and Loyola's special teams have been making game changing plays. Both bode well for the Cubs as the CIF championship quest continues.
The Cubs will play Yorba Linda (8-3) on the road next Friday in the quarterfinals. The Mustangs outlasted Moorpark (9-2), 34-30, on Friday in Yorba Linda to advance. Yorba Linda will have the contest at home by virtue of winning a CIF coin toss.
2023 LOYOLA SCHEDULE - RESULTS
August 25 @ Damien (L 35-14)
September 1 Culver City (W 24-6)
September 8 Leuzinger (L 35-14)
September 15 @ Chaminade (L 42-35)
September 22 Oaks Christian (L 31-14)
September 29 @ St. Francis* (L 26-21)
October 6 St. Paul* (W 25-11)e
October 13 @ Crespi* (W 45-28)
October 20 Paraclete* (W 36-7)RG
October 29 @ Cathedral* (W 27-6)
November 3 Norte Vista (First Round CIF) (W 35-7)
November 10 @ Yorba Linda (Quarterfinals CIF)
(* denotes Angelus League game)
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