Cub Football - Sixteen Loyola players earn All-Angelus League honors, three get MVP acclaim
LOYOLA DOMINATES ALL-ANGELUS LEAGUE SELECTIONS
After capturing the Angelus League title and completing an abbreviated undefeated season in which the Cubs trounced their three conference foes by an average score of 42-7, it was not surprising that Loyola dominated the “2020” All-Angelus League honor list.
Sixteen Cubs earned all conference notice, with one being named league Most Valuable Player, one earning Defensive League MVP recognition and a third being accorded co-most Valuable Lineman accolades.
Two of the big stories behind Loyola’s late 2019 success which ended with a trip to the CIF Division 4 finals and its undefeated “2020” league title campaign this spring were the play of senior defensive lineman JEFF JOHNSON (6-5, 232) and senior outside linebacker FINNEGAN POWELL (6-3, 217). No two players developed better than JOHNSON, who was named Angelus League MVP, and POWELL, who was lauded as the Angelus League Defensive Player of the Year.
JOHNSON built upon a stellar 2019 effort in the delayed 2020 season. Fast, quick and athletic are just a few of the adjectives to describe JOHNSON’s skill set. He absolutely dominated on the Cub ‘Wolfpack’ front, making multiple tackles for loss, relentlessly pressuring opposing quarterbacks and recording a boatload of sacks. Defensive line coaches ELIC MAHONE and CHRISTIAN GASCOU ‘93 deserve a lot of credit for the development of a tremendous player, who was highly deserving of the league MVP honor. There were more acclaimed Big Blue athletes entering the spring campaign, but anyone who witnessed Johnson’s efforts understands why he earned the conference’s top honor.
Courageous is just one word to describe FINN POWELL. As a sophomore in 2018 he suffered a severe leg injury that included a lacerated artery, which for some harrowing hours had doctors worried about a potentially catastrophic outcome. Suffice to say the injury would have ended the football career for most individuals, but the resilient POWELL fought long and hard to regain his playing form. Quality time in the weight room made him an absolute force as a ferocious play-making outside linebacker. Coached by defensive coordinator and outside linebacker coach MIKE GILHOOLY, Powell was all over the field making highlight tape hits time and again for the league champion Cubs.
Junior offensive tackle SAN YOON (6-5.5, 287), earned league co-Most Valuable Lineman notice. Yoon benches 335 pounds and dead lifts 525 pounds. On top of that he maintains a 4.8 GPA and scored 1550 out of 1600 on the SAT. It is no wonder he has multiple Ivy League schools chasing him. YOON’s improvement under offensive line coaches RICK PEDROARIAS and JOE MURRAY will continue to earn him FBS scholarship offers. He will be an anchor on the offensive line this fall.
Loyola’s first team All-Angelus League offensive players were gamebreaking junior wide receivers PETER VANIS (5-11, 180) and JACOBY KELLY (6-2.5, 193), strong armed Arizona-bound senior quarterback BRAYDEN ZERMENO (6-4, 224), and highly talented junior running backs HARRISON ALLEN (5-10, 173) and TAHJ OWENS( 5-11, 191).
The first team All-Angelus League defenders were the team leader in interceptions, USC-bound All-American CEYAIR WRIGHT (6-1, 175); Washington signee, big hitting senior safety ZAKHARI SPEARS (6-3, 193), who battled through a severe ankle sprain to compete for the Cubs; fast, disruptive senior defensive lineman JOSH LONG (6-5, 232); tough, hard hitting junior inside linebacker PATRICK SODL (6-0, 203), who was the team leader in tackles with an average of 13.3 stops per game; and junior outside linebacker RAMAN ENIGBOKAN (6-1, 193), a fast, physical defender who started his Cub career at corner,
Second team All-Angelus League Loyola players included huge and athletic sophomore offensive tackle JACK SUSNJAR ( 6-5.5, 305), senior guard ANDRES PEREZ (6-3, 231), senior defensive lineman TAVO CASADO (5-11, 230), junior safety JACKSON SHEA (6-0, 173), and sophomore corner JORDAN HEWITT (5-10, 180).
Every starter in Loyola’s secondary, dubbed the Cub No Fly Zone, earned all-conference recognition as did every defensive line and outside linebacker starter.
Eight of Loyola’s All-Angelus League selections return in the fall. Every returnee has scholarship potential, and several already have multiple FBS offers.
Head coach DREW CASANI has done a remarkable job at the helm of Cub Football as evidenced by the large number of his players who earned all-league accolades, but more importantly by how they played the game.
it is unfortunate the “2020” squad did not have the opportunity to play a full slate of games and participate in the CIF playoffs, as Loyola would have been a CIF title contender. The 2020 campaign was supposed to have been the first time every school would be assigned to a CIF playoff division after the conclusion of the regular season.
After capturing the Angelus League title and completing an abbreviated undefeated season in which the Cubs trounced their three conference foes by an average score of 42-7, it was not surprising that Loyola dominated the “2020” All-Angelus League honor list.
Sixteen Cubs earned all conference notice, with one being named league Most Valuable Player, one earning Defensive League MVP recognition and a third being accorded co-most Valuable Lineman accolades.
Two of the big stories behind Loyola’s late 2019 success which ended with a trip to the CIF Division 4 finals and its undefeated “2020” league title campaign this spring were the play of senior defensive lineman JEFF JOHNSON (6-5, 232) and senior outside linebacker FINNEGAN POWELL (6-3, 217). No two players developed better than JOHNSON, who was named Angelus League MVP, and POWELL, who was lauded as the Angelus League Defensive Player of the Year.
JOHNSON built upon a stellar 2019 effort in the delayed 2020 season. Fast, quick and athletic are just a few of the adjectives to describe JOHNSON’s skill set. He absolutely dominated on the Cub ‘Wolfpack’ front, making multiple tackles for loss, relentlessly pressuring opposing quarterbacks and recording a boatload of sacks. Defensive line coaches ELIC MAHONE and CHRISTIAN GASCOU ‘93 deserve a lot of credit for the development of a tremendous player, who was highly deserving of the league MVP honor. There were more acclaimed Big Blue athletes entering the spring campaign, but anyone who witnessed Johnson’s efforts understands why he earned the conference’s top honor.
Courageous is just one word to describe FINN POWELL. As a sophomore in 2018 he suffered a severe leg injury that included a lacerated artery, which for some harrowing hours had doctors worried about a potentially catastrophic outcome. Suffice to say the injury would have ended the football career for most individuals, but the resilient POWELL fought long and hard to regain his playing form. Quality time in the weight room made him an absolute force as a ferocious play-making outside linebacker. Coached by defensive coordinator and outside linebacker coach MIKE GILHOOLY, Powell was all over the field making highlight tape hits time and again for the league champion Cubs.
Junior offensive tackle SAN YOON (6-5.5, 287), earned league co-Most Valuable Lineman notice. Yoon benches 335 pounds and dead lifts 525 pounds. On top of that he maintains a 4.8 GPA and scored 1550 out of 1600 on the SAT. It is no wonder he has multiple Ivy League schools chasing him. YOON’s improvement under offensive line coaches RICK PEDROARIAS and JOE MURRAY will continue to earn him FBS scholarship offers. He will be an anchor on the offensive line this fall.
Loyola’s first team All-Angelus League offensive players were gamebreaking junior wide receivers PETER VANIS (5-11, 180) and JACOBY KELLY (6-2.5, 193), strong armed Arizona-bound senior quarterback BRAYDEN ZERMENO (6-4, 224), and highly talented junior running backs HARRISON ALLEN (5-10, 173) and TAHJ OWENS( 5-11, 191).
The first team All-Angelus League defenders were the team leader in interceptions, USC-bound All-American CEYAIR WRIGHT (6-1, 175); Washington signee, big hitting senior safety ZAKHARI SPEARS (6-3, 193), who battled through a severe ankle sprain to compete for the Cubs; fast, disruptive senior defensive lineman JOSH LONG (6-5, 232); tough, hard hitting junior inside linebacker PATRICK SODL (6-0, 203), who was the team leader in tackles with an average of 13.3 stops per game; and junior outside linebacker RAMAN ENIGBOKAN (6-1, 193), a fast, physical defender who started his Cub career at corner,
Second team All-Angelus League Loyola players included huge and athletic sophomore offensive tackle JACK SUSNJAR ( 6-5.5, 305), senior guard ANDRES PEREZ (6-3, 231), senior defensive lineman TAVO CASADO (5-11, 230), junior safety JACKSON SHEA (6-0, 173), and sophomore corner JORDAN HEWITT (5-10, 180).
Every starter in Loyola’s secondary, dubbed the Cub No Fly Zone, earned all-conference recognition as did every defensive line and outside linebacker starter.
Eight of Loyola’s All-Angelus League selections return in the fall. Every returnee has scholarship potential, and several already have multiple FBS offers.
Head coach DREW CASANI has done a remarkable job at the helm of Cub Football as evidenced by the large number of his players who earned all-league accolades, but more importantly by how they played the game.
it is unfortunate the “2020” squad did not have the opportunity to play a full slate of games and participate in the CIF playoffs, as Loyola would have been a CIF title contender. The 2020 campaign was supposed to have been the first time every school would be assigned to a CIF playoff division after the conclusion of the regular season.
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