CUB FOOTBALL - Loyola wins Angelus League championship with dominating 54-6 win over Crespi
LOYOLA CRUSHES CRESPI, 54-6, IN COVID-SHORTENED SEASON FINALE
Trapped in a dissonant nearly year-long quagmire of frustration, isolation and uncertainty, a group of 57 young men found uncommon patience, dedication and commitment to be ready for the day-which was never certain to occur-that a green light would be given to play the game they love amidst a maddening, persistent COVID-19 landscape.
Those 57 young men are members of the Loyola High School of Los Angeles football team. The talented group saw its fortitude pay off in completing a pandemic-delayed, shortened season undefeated, with a dominant, 54-6, victory over Crespi Carmelite in the Angelus League finale on Saturday night at Pius X-St. Matthias Academy in Downey.
Yes, the story is about winning the league championship and achieving an undefeated campaign. But the bigger narrative really is about the grit, determination and perseverance displayed by a Cub squad which could have made excuses and succumbed to adversity, but instead rose up to overcome it in impressive fashion.
The final Angelus League contest was not close. The Big Blue dominated from the opening kickoff until the final gun.
Senior University of Arizona-bound quarterback BRAYDEN ZERMENO had the best game of his career, completing 14 of 19 passes for 275 yards, throwing for four touchdowns and running for another. Junior wide receiver PETER VANIS also put on a show, amassing 149 receiving yards on just five receptions and scoring three TDs.
Superb play by the Cub O-line (SAM YOON, ANDRES PEREZ, CIARAN O’LIONAIN, JOSH MORALES, JACK SUSNJAR and TEs JOE TAYLOR and JALEN PRIESTLEY) played a huge role in the team’s best offensive performance of the season.
On the defensive side, Loyola’s ‘Wolfpack’ played with its trademark speed and fury, shutting down the Celts all night long until Crespi got lucky on a double reverse for a fourth quarter TD. Big hits, tackles for loss, sacks, relentless pressure and just plain havoc were mainstays of the ‘Wolfpack’, manned by linemen JOSH LONG, TAVO CASADO, JEFF JOHNSON, and SHAWN LIN; linebackers PATRICK SODL, ZACHARY BOWLES, TYE SMITH, RAMAN ENIGBOKAN, FINNEGAN POWELL, and CARTER ESPARZA; and defensive backs CEYAIR WRIGHT, ZAKHARI SPEARS, JORDAN HEWITT AND JACKSON SHEA.
After forcing the Celts to punt on their first offensive series, the Cubs quickly marched 40 yards in seven plays, capped by a five yard scoring sprint around the left side by ZERMENO. JACKSON SHEA’s PAT kick put Loyola ahead 7-0. That was the beginning of an offensive avalanche that saw the Cubs roll up 54 unanswered points before the visitors got on the score board.
Junior inside linebacker PATRICK SODL, who had a brilliant night, recovered a fumble on Loyola’s ensuing kickoff. The Cubs went 43 yards in five plays with electric senior running back NOAH BUSTOS racing 15 yards for a TD to up Loyola’s lead to 14-0 at the 4:12 mark of the first quarter.
Senior defensive lineman JEFF JOHNSON, who made ferocious hits throughout the game, forced a fumble on Crespi’s next possession, which the Cubs recovered at their own 41-yard line. It took just four plays for Loyola to score its third touchdown, which came on a 33-yard pass from Zermeno to VANIS with 1:49 left in the first quarter.
VANIS had yet another fantastic 40-yard punt return after the ‘Wolfpack’ forced a three-and-out. Junior running back TAHJ OWENS bolted into the end zone from three yards out. SHEA’s kick upped the Cubs’ lead to 28-0 at the 9:55 mark of the second quarter.
After the Celts turned the ball over on downs, ZERMENO hooked up with VANIS again on a beautifully executed play that covered 81 yards. A key downfield block was thrown after VANIS’s catch by junior receiver JACOBY KELLY. Loyola’s lead ballooned to 35-0 with 4:08 left before halftime.
Crespi once again turned the ball over on downs, following which the Cubs drove 53 yards on nine plays, with VANIS catching a 16-yard ZERMENO pass for a touchdown with just 13 seconds remaining before intermission. After a blocked PAT kick attempt, Loyola entered the locker room at intermission with a dominant, 41-0, lead.
The Cubs’ second half TDs came on a 39-yard Zermeno screen pass to BUSTOS at the 8:41 mark of the third quarter and a five-yard burst by junior running back HARRISON ALLEN with 37 seconds remaining in the third quarter to increase Loyola’s lead to 54-0.
After the Celts scored their lone touchdown of the game in the fourth quarter, USC-bound Cub All-American corner CEYAIR WRIGHT intercepted a Crespi pass deep in Loyola territory late in the final stanza to thwart a last gasp scoring try by the visitors.
While only a four-game season, with the non-league contest against Upland having to be canceled because of a positive Covid test, the Cubs finished 4-0 and won the Angelus League championship, outscoring their three conference opponents by the cumulative score of 126-20 (average score, 42-7). Loyola won its first outright conference title since 2000, and finished its first season without a loss since it won the CIF AAAA and National Championship in 1975.
The 54 points scored against the Celts were the third most in Cub Football annals, and the 48-point differential was the second best in Loyola grid history.
All 57 players on the Cubs’ roster contributed to a great campaign that will long be remembered not only for the team’s talent and excellent performances, but also for its exceptional triumph over adversity.
Trapped in a dissonant nearly year-long quagmire of frustration, isolation and uncertainty, a group of 57 young men found uncommon patience, dedication and commitment to be ready for the day-which was never certain to occur-that a green light would be given to play the game they love amidst a maddening, persistent COVID-19 landscape.
Those 57 young men are members of the Loyola High School of Los Angeles football team. The talented group saw its fortitude pay off in completing a pandemic-delayed, shortened season undefeated, with a dominant, 54-6, victory over Crespi Carmelite in the Angelus League finale on Saturday night at Pius X-St. Matthias Academy in Downey.
Yes, the story is about winning the league championship and achieving an undefeated campaign. But the bigger narrative really is about the grit, determination and perseverance displayed by a Cub squad which could have made excuses and succumbed to adversity, but instead rose up to overcome it in impressive fashion.
The final Angelus League contest was not close. The Big Blue dominated from the opening kickoff until the final gun.
Senior University of Arizona-bound quarterback BRAYDEN ZERMENO had the best game of his career, completing 14 of 19 passes for 275 yards, throwing for four touchdowns and running for another. Junior wide receiver PETER VANIS also put on a show, amassing 149 receiving yards on just five receptions and scoring three TDs.
Superb play by the Cub O-line (SAM YOON, ANDRES PEREZ, CIARAN O’LIONAIN, JOSH MORALES, JACK SUSNJAR and TEs JOE TAYLOR and JALEN PRIESTLEY) played a huge role in the team’s best offensive performance of the season.
On the defensive side, Loyola’s ‘Wolfpack’ played with its trademark speed and fury, shutting down the Celts all night long until Crespi got lucky on a double reverse for a fourth quarter TD. Big hits, tackles for loss, sacks, relentless pressure and just plain havoc were mainstays of the ‘Wolfpack’, manned by linemen JOSH LONG, TAVO CASADO, JEFF JOHNSON, and SHAWN LIN; linebackers PATRICK SODL, ZACHARY BOWLES, TYE SMITH, RAMAN ENIGBOKAN, FINNEGAN POWELL, and CARTER ESPARZA; and defensive backs CEYAIR WRIGHT, ZAKHARI SPEARS, JORDAN HEWITT AND JACKSON SHEA.
After forcing the Celts to punt on their first offensive series, the Cubs quickly marched 40 yards in seven plays, capped by a five yard scoring sprint around the left side by ZERMENO. JACKSON SHEA’s PAT kick put Loyola ahead 7-0. That was the beginning of an offensive avalanche that saw the Cubs roll up 54 unanswered points before the visitors got on the score board.
Junior inside linebacker PATRICK SODL, who had a brilliant night, recovered a fumble on Loyola’s ensuing kickoff. The Cubs went 43 yards in five plays with electric senior running back NOAH BUSTOS racing 15 yards for a TD to up Loyola’s lead to 14-0 at the 4:12 mark of the first quarter.
Senior defensive lineman JEFF JOHNSON, who made ferocious hits throughout the game, forced a fumble on Crespi’s next possession, which the Cubs recovered at their own 41-yard line. It took just four plays for Loyola to score its third touchdown, which came on a 33-yard pass from Zermeno to VANIS with 1:49 left in the first quarter.
VANIS had yet another fantastic 40-yard punt return after the ‘Wolfpack’ forced a three-and-out. Junior running back TAHJ OWENS bolted into the end zone from three yards out. SHEA’s kick upped the Cubs’ lead to 28-0 at the 9:55 mark of the second quarter.
After the Celts turned the ball over on downs, ZERMENO hooked up with VANIS again on a beautifully executed play that covered 81 yards. A key downfield block was thrown after VANIS’s catch by junior receiver JACOBY KELLY. Loyola’s lead ballooned to 35-0 with 4:08 left before halftime.
Crespi once again turned the ball over on downs, following which the Cubs drove 53 yards on nine plays, with VANIS catching a 16-yard ZERMENO pass for a touchdown with just 13 seconds remaining before intermission. After a blocked PAT kick attempt, Loyola entered the locker room at intermission with a dominant, 41-0, lead.
The Cubs’ second half TDs came on a 39-yard Zermeno screen pass to BUSTOS at the 8:41 mark of the third quarter and a five-yard burst by junior running back HARRISON ALLEN with 37 seconds remaining in the third quarter to increase Loyola’s lead to 54-0.
After the Celts scored their lone touchdown of the game in the fourth quarter, USC-bound Cub All-American corner CEYAIR WRIGHT intercepted a Crespi pass deep in Loyola territory late in the final stanza to thwart a last gasp scoring try by the visitors.
While only a four-game season, with the non-league contest against Upland having to be canceled because of a positive Covid test, the Cubs finished 4-0 and won the Angelus League championship, outscoring their three conference opponents by the cumulative score of 126-20 (average score, 42-7). Loyola won its first outright conference title since 2000, and finished its first season without a loss since it won the CIF AAAA and National Championship in 1975.
The 54 points scored against the Celts were the third most in Cub Football annals, and the 48-point differential was the second best in Loyola grid history.
All 57 players on the Cubs’ roster contributed to a great campaign that will long be remembered not only for the team’s talent and excellent performances, but also for its exceptional triumph over adversity.
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