November 18, 2019

Cub Football - Loyola will play in its 19ith CIF playoff semifinal game of all time this Friday

One more hurdle for Cubs - Loyola travels to Moopark College this Friday to take on number two seed Camarillo in CIF Southern Section Division 4 semifinals

In at once an improbable and fantastic journey Loyola travels to Moorpark College this Friday to play the Camarillo Scorpions (11-1) in the CIF Southern Section Division 4 semifinals.

To understand the magnitude of both the great opportunity and high achievement which finds the Cubs on the doorstep of a possible banner season, it is important to know that this marks just the 19th time Loyola has advanced to the final four of the CIF football playoffs in the program's illustrious gridiron history. Make no mistake about it, getting to the semifinal round of the playoffs is no easy task in any sport. But here are the Cubs, one win away from playing for the school's seventh CIF football title. 

Part of what makes the still unfolding story so improbable is that Loyola finished the regular season with a 3-6 record and a fifth place finish in the wickedly tough Mission League. Based on their strength of schedule, the Cubs were awarded an at-large berth in the D-4 playoff bracket and have taken full advantage of the opportunity to vie for a CIF title trophy. 

In the first round on November 8, Loyola's defense played lights out in a physical battle to take down number three seed, Bay League champion Palos Verdes, by a score of 7-0. Last Friday at Smith Field, the Cub offensive line paved the way for sophomore running backs TAHJ OWENS and HARRISON ALLEN to score five touchdowns in a 45-28 quarterfinal victory over dangerous Villa Park. Aiding Loyola's cause was junior CEYAIR WRIGHT's 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and the Cub 'Wolfpack' defense causing three Spartan turnovers.

There is no question that its brutally tough regular season schedule prepared Loyola well for the postseason. Every team the Cubs played made the CIF playoffs, with six of those squads making the either the Division 1 or 2 field.

Over the last 74 years, Loyola has won 12 of the 18 CIF Southern Section AAAA/Division I semifinal contests in which it has competed. All of those final four contests were hotly contested. The largest margins of victory were 14 points in a 1946 win against Huntington Beach and a 14-0 shut out of Mater Dei in 2005. Perhaps the most exciting Cub semifinal triumph was the 37-34 victory against Los Alamitos in 1995 in which the Big Blue overcame a 14-point deficit to punch their ticket to the championship game.

Loyola has won six CIF Southern Section AAAA/Division I championships, and finished as runner-up six times. To be on the verge of advancing to the title game for the 13th time, indeed puts this Cub squad in rarefied company.

Of particularly interesting note is that of the 56 teams playing in the 14 divisions of the CIF semifinals this weekend, Loyola is the only one with a losing record (5-6). That is a testament to head coach DREW CASANI '91, his staff and the players for continuing to develop and persevere in the grand tradition of Cub Football. The overall win-loss record of the 56 teams still alive in the playoffs is 565-97.

A look at the Camarillo Scorpions

Number two seed Camarillo's average score over 12 games is 39-14. Its only loss was to state 17th-ranked, Camino League champion Grace Brethren (11-1) by a score of 28-13. In the first round of the Division 4 playoffs, head coach Jack Willard's Scorpions got by La Verne Damien (5-6), 34-28, and last Friday Camarillo hung on for a 28-27 road win at Downey (5-7) in the quarterfinals.

The Scorpions pose a real challenge with the most balanced offense (177 passing and 190 rushing yards per game) the Big Blue has faced thus far in the playoffs. Camarillo is propelled by a top flight quarterback and high caliber running back. Senior signal caller James McNamara has thrown for 2,125 yards at a 65% completion rate and has 25 TD passes to his credit. Senior running back Jesse Valenzuela has run for 1,446 yards, scored 25 touchdowns and averages a whopping 9.4 yards per carry.

Senior receiver Carter Alexander (5-11, 175) leads a talented receiving corps with 596 yards (15.7 yards per catch). Senior Grady Liddell (6-1, 200) has caught 28 passes for 348 yards, and Valenzuela averages 11.2 yards per reception out of the backfield.

Camarillo's strength on defense is a fleet footed, hard hitting linebacker unit. Senior middle linebacker Ryan Lythgoe (6-0, 195) leads the squad with 75 total tackles, including 45 solo stops. Senior inside LB Jamie Schatmeier has made 61 tackles with 35 solos.

Senior strong safety and college prospect Liddell packs a big punch and has a team-leading eight interceptions.

Outlook

Downey rushed for 223 yards on 40 carries and completed 50% of its passes for 163 yards in its one point loss to the Scorpions, which bodes well for the Cubs. On the other side of the ball Downey held Camarillo to just 69 yards on 26 carries (2.7 ypc), which also could portend a beneficial outcome for the Big Blue.

Loyola scored its most points (45) of the season against a good Villa Park team in the quarterfinals. If the Cubs can reprise their offensive and special teams performance it will have a good chance to notch a huge victory. Loyola must play with the same intensity as it has in its first two playoff contests. If it does, the Cubs could be playing for yet another CIF title.

The semifinal battle will be played this Friday at 7:00 p.m. at Moorpark College, 7075 Campus Road, Moorpark, CA 93021. At the last census, Camarillo was reported as having 65,201 residents. It is a good bet a large number of those folks will fill 6,000-seat Griffin Stadium. The Big Blue needs their fans to make the drive to Moorpark for what promises to be a great ball game.

The series

The Cubs and Scorpions have met twice before in football in non-league contests. In 1962, Loyola routed Camarillo, 51-0, and in 1963 the Cubs blasted the Scorpions 33-6. Ironically, in both of those seasons, Loyola went 12-0 and won back-to-back CIF Southern Section AAAA championships, with the '63 team ending the campaign ranked number two in the nation. The Cubs are hoping that same good fortune will manifest itself again some 56 years later.

Pre-game festivities

The Loyola Gridiron Vanguard has chosen The Dugout Sports Grill, 109 W. Cochran Street, Simi Valley, California 93065, as the pre-game meeting place. Make plans to get there early to fire up for the big semifinal battle. For Ventura County alums, this is one you don't want to miss!