September 25, 2022

Cub Football - “New season, new opportunities - Angelus League campaign gets underway Friday

LOYOLA HAS BIG OPPORTUNITIES AS LEAGUE PLAY COMMENCES THIS WEEK The Cubs commence Angelus League competition this Friday when they travel to Santa Fe Springs to take on long time rival St. Paul.

While Loyola finished its non-league schedule with a disappointing 1-4 record, none of the opponents it will face in the next five conference contests will be nearly as formidable as Chaminade and Oaks Christian, the last two highly ranked opponents the Cubs faced to close out the non-league campaign.

But make no mistake, the Big Blue’s road to a possible third consecutive Angelus League championship is riddled with substantial hurdles. Much improved Cathedral (4-1 and ranked 55th in the state by CalPreps) is the favorite to win the conference crown, followed by high scoring La Canada St. Francis (2-3, ranked number 140 in the state, 12 spots ahead of the Cubs).

The general consensus is that Friday’s contest could be a battle for third place and a possible trip to the CIF playoffs which commence on November 4.  

The Cubs, though,  are not viewing Friday night’s battle as anything but one of five opportunities to win one game per week. No team in the Angelus League has played as tough a pre-league slate as Loyola, and the Cubs believe the caliber of completion they have faced in the first half of the regular season will play a positive role in their effort to keep the Angelus League championship trophy at 1901 Venice Boulevard.

Loyola has not performed as well on the offensive side of the ball as it would have liked, but there have been more than subtle signs that the Cub offense is on the verge of taking a step up.

Against Oaks Christian, the Big Blue put together its most productive offensive effort of the 2022 campaign. The rushing attack averaged five yards per carry. The passing game was the best of the season thus far. Costly turnovers, though, proved difficult to overcome.

Receivers must step up their production, the big offensive line needs to continue its quest to perform to its potential and the inexperienced running backs have to keep running hard.

Defensively, Loyola has shown flashes. It needs help from the offense, and there is good reason to believe that help is just around the corner.

Senior captain, inside linebacker ZACH BOWLES leads the ‘Wolfpack’ stop unit with 59 tackles, including 18 solos. Junior safety JAKE ARELLANO has made 48 tackles, with 20 solo stops. Sophomore inside linebacker HENRY CASANI has recorded 33 tackles with an impressive 29 of them being solos.

Sophomore outside linebacker SCOTT TAYLOR is the team’s fourth leading tackler with 31. Senior inside linebacker JARED ERBY has made 23 stops and four sacks, and senior defensive lineman KEENAN TARBET has 23 tackles to his credit. Junior ISAIAH SANDERS consistently wreaks havoc, lining up on the inside and outside of the defensive line. He has garnered attention from major college football programs.

Senior corner JORDAN HEWITT and junior defensive back ELIJAH BRADLEY, each have interceptions to their credit, and impressive 6-2 freshman corner BRANDON LOCKHART is making plays, including a caused fumble and recovered fumble, as his playing time continues to increase.

Senior XAVIER RICE is getting the ball to gifted senior wide receiver WILKE WILES (10.4 yards per reception) with greater frequency. Hard running sophomore running back DESI VALDES is averaging 4.5 yards per tote. Senior tailback CLAY WINNEK is tough as nails and is averaging an eye-popping 10.4 yards per carry. Senior halfback JON BAUTISTA (4.6 yards per carry) possesses impressive speed.

Junior kicker/punter MARK HYAN has been excellent on special teams.

Freshman receiver KYLE ROBERTSON is averaging 17.5 yards per reception, and junior ZANE NUR has a 12.3 yard per catch average.

If all of the aforementioned players continue to ascend, the chances are good that the Cubs will be in the thick of the conference title race.

A LOOK AT ST. PAUL
The Swordsmen are 2-3, having lost their last three games by lopsided scores to Pius X-St. Matthias Academy (42-13), West Ranch (35-0) and Downey 44-23.

St. Paul defeated winless Vista of the CIF San Diego Section, 35-21 and Huntington Park of the City Section, 37-0 in its first two outings. 

The Swordsmen average 192 yards passing per game at a 55% completion percentage clip, but average only 112 rushing yards per contest.

Junior signal caller ANDREW MAUSHARDT (6-3, 215)  is an athlete who can beat you with his arm (60 of 109 for 960 yards, nine TDs and four interceptions) and legs (5.1 yds. per carry). His top targets are senior receiver AIDAN BRAVO (6-3, 190, 321 yards, 24.7 yds. per catch), probably the team’s best athlete, and BRAEDON SIMONIAN (5-10, 180, 229 yds., 16.4 yds. per reception).

Junior tailback CHRISTIAN MELENDEZ (5-11, 185, 363 yards, 6.4 yds. per carry) is a punishing runner.

On the defensive side of the ball senior OLB/SS JEREMIAH LAFERRE, JR. leads St. Paul in tackles with 44, including 23 solo stops. Senior outside linebacker CODY KAUTZ (5-10, 185) is the second leading tackler with 26. Defensive back MIGUEL RIOS (5-9, 165) has 25 tackles, and two-way standout AIDAN BRAVO is credited with 25 tackles and one interception.

St. Paul averages 22 points per game and has relinquished an average of 28 points per contest. The Swordsmen are ranked 254th in the state by CalPreps, largely based on an average strength of schedule.

GAME OUTLOOK
If Loyola’s ‘Wolfpack’ defense can replicate what West Ranch did against the Swordsmen in holding them to a season-low 25 passing yards, and what Pius X did in limiting St. Paul to a season-low 26 rushing yards, a victory would be almost assured.

The Cubs will need to force the Swordsmen to be one dimensional on offense. If Loyola can improve on its above average offensive performance of last week, a critical first conference win will be well within reach.

The game stacks up as a must-win contest for both squads.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Friday at St. Paul.

THE SERIES
The St. Paul vs. Loyola rivalry began in 1975 when the two undefeated national powerhouses met in the CIF Southern Section AAAA title game before a large crowd at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

The Cubs prevailed in a taut, physical battle, 14-13. Loyola was thereafter crowned National High School Champion by the National Sports News Service. Fourteen players on that Cub title team went on to play collegiate football, and one, GORDON BANKS, played in the NFL as a wide receiver.

Loyola has dominated the series since the epic 1975 contest, holding an overall 17-6-1 advantage. Most games between the long time rivals have been hard fought, close physical affairs. The Swordsmen tripped up the Cubs last season in a stunning 36-35 upset at Smith Field.

KEEPING TABS ON CUB GRADS
Loyola’s 2020 State Defensive Back of the Year CEYAIR WRIGHT ‘21 nabbed the first interception of his collegiate career in USC’s win over Oregon State in Corvallis on Saturday.

Baylor defensive lineman BRAYDEN UTLEY ‘18, an All-Mission League two-way lineman for the Cubs, has made five tackles and forced two quarterback hurries for the Bears.

NICHOLAS BARR-MIRA ‘19, a two-time All-Mission League kicker at Loyola, is averaging 40.9 yards per punt for UCLA and has converted on seven of nine field goal attempts for the undefeated Bruins.

MYLES BRYANT ‘16, the Cub MVP in 2015, is currently the third leading tackler for the New England Patriots and the squad’s top punt returner.