Cub Football - Six Loyola players earn All-CIF honors, and many make All-State nominations list - News o. Grads
SIX CUBS, INCLUDING FOUR UNDERCLASSMEN, EARN ALL-CIF DIVISION 3 RECOGNITION
Following its 2024 run to the CIF Division 3 semifinals, Loyola saw six of its players earn All-CIF Division 3 accolades. Four of the honorees will return for the 2025 campaign along with other multiple returning starters and players who saw substantial playing time last season.
The following Cubs (in alphabetical order) were named to the All-CIF Division 3 squad:
HENRY CASANI (Sr.), Linebacker
JACOB KREITENBERG (Jr.), Kicker
BRANDON LOCKHART (Jr.), Corner
SEAN MORRIS II (Jr.),Running Back
SCOTT TAYLOR (Sr.), Linebacker
NATHAN TURK (Jr.), Offensive Tackle
EIGHT LOYOLA PLAYERS MAKE CAL-HI SPORTS’ ALL-STATE NOMINEES LIST
Cal-Hi Sports recently published its list of All-State Nominees, and eight Cubs, including five non-seniors, made the list. The Cub nominees (in alphabetical order) are as follows:
HENRY CASANI (Sr.) LB
JACOB KREINBRING (Jr.) K/P
BRANDON LOCKHART (Jr.) DB
MAX MEIER (Jr.) DL
SEAN MORRIS (Jr.) RB
SCOTT TAYLOR (Sr.) LB
NATHAN TURK (Jr.) OL
DESI VALDES (Sr.) DB/KR
LOCKHART NAMED ALL-AMERICAN FOR THIRD CONSECUTIVE YEAR
For the third consecutive year, Loyola junior corner BRANDON LOCKHART was named an high school All-American. He made the second team MaxPreps All-American honor squad, following being tabbed a Freshman and Sophomore All-American in 2022 and 2023, respectively.
This past season, LOCKHART, a USC commit, missed the first three games due to injury, but still had an outstanding campaign in the Cub secondary.
LOYOLA JUNIOR WIDE RECEIVER MARKUS KIER RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF STATE’S TOP RECEIVERS
Loyola Junior wide receiver MARKUS KIER (6-3, 185) gained 950 yards receiving and scored 11 TDs last fall for the Cubs. RedZone just announced that he moved inside of its list of California’s top 100 players.
Kier has five FBS scholarship offers already, and projects as on of the most talented pass catchers in California next season.
LOYOLA FOOTBALL NEWS
Former Loyola quarterback Jerry NEUHEISEL ‘11 was promoted to the rank of Assistant Head Coach at UCLA, where he is in charge of the Bruin tight ends.
KODI WHITFIELD 12, who was a star receiver and safety for the Cubs before a standout career at Stanford, serves as UCLA’s cornerbacks coach and special teams coordinator.
Former All-CIF Loyola offensive tackle SAM YOON started at center for UCLA last season and possesses the highest GPA on the Bruins’ squad, with a major in mechanical engineering.
Loyola ties play a role in college recruiting. Former star Cub safety ADAM PILAPIL ‘14, who was a starting linebacker at the University of Wyoming and a four-time All-Academic Mountain West Conference honoree before embarking on a career in college coaching with stints at Wyoming, Kansas State, and Montana State before becoming the linebackers coach at Colorado State in 2022, knows the quality of Cub football players.
Pilapil just extended a scholarship offer to 6-5 Loyola junior defensive end MAX MEIER.
It was reported that Pilapil also extended a scholarship offer to Cub freshman corner MALIQUE POLLARD who was a rare ninth grade starter in the 2024 Loyola secondary.
Former Cub MVP MYLES BRYANT ‘16 started for Houston in the Texans’ two NFL playoff games as the squad’s nickel corner.
LOYOLA’s FINAL 2024 RANKINGS
After Loyola advanced to the CIF Division 3 semifinal playoff round last fall, the final 2024 CalPreps’ (now hs ratings.com) rankings placed the Cubs at number 29 in the CIF Southern Section and number 49 in California out of 1,042 Golden State schools that compete in football.