Cub Football - Some All-Decade Loyola players
SOME OF THE DECADE’S TOP LOYOLA FOOTBALL PLAYERS (2010-2019)
Compiling a list of the best players who competed for Loyola on the gridiron during the second decade of the New Millennium (2010-2019) is a tough task, and for the most part a subjective exercise, even with thoughtful input from long time knowledgeable Cub Football observers. So here goes a stab at creating a list of some of the most outstanding Loyola football competitors over the last decade. Note that underclass players from the 2018 and 2019 seasons are not included.
RUNNING BACKS
JARED BAKER ‘11
Loyola MVP in 2010; two-time Serra League Most Valuable Offensive Player; 2,605 career rushing yards, 22 TDs; team captain; National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Scholar Athlete; accepted scholarship to the University of Arizona; All-Academic Pac-12.
NICO EVANS ‘14
All-CIF Southern Section PAC-5 Conference honoree; over 1,600 yards rushing as a senior; Serra League Most Valuable Offensive Player; accepted scholarship to University of Wyoming where he started for the Cowboys; earned 2018 All-Mountain West Conference first team honors; one of four Cowboy players including former Cub teammate, linebacker ADAM PILAPIL, to earn National Football Foundation Hampshire Society Scholar Athlete Award after his senior campaign.
QUARTERBACKS
SEAN O’MALLEY ‘17
2016 All-Mission League second team; team captain; school record holder for passing yards (4,199 yards) and touchdown passes (32); team captain; National Football Foundation Scholar Athlete; accepted scholarship to Lafayette College where he started at QB for the Leopards as a true freshman.
NICOLAS COTTON ‘12
This talented player has an interesting story in how he became one of the best signal callers of the decade. In game seven of his junior year he was called upon to take over quarterback duties after working solely as a wide receiver; in his senior campaign in 2011 he helped lead Loyola to an 8-3 record as the starting QB; Cotton completed 65 per cent of his passes for 1,381 yards, enabling him to earn All-Serra League second team acclaim; the 2011 team compiled the second best record of the decade; Cotton attended Hampton University, but did not play football; he recently served as an assistant JV football coach at Loyola.
WIDE RECEIVERS
CHAZ ANDERSON ‘12
All-Serra League first team wide receiver; the highly athletic two-way player accepted a scholarship to Boise State University where he started for three years as a wide receiver for the Broncos after converting from defensive back before his redshirt sophomore season.
KODI WHITFIELD ‘12
First team All-CIF PAC-5 Conference; team captain; first team All-Serra League; 2011 Serra League Most Valuable Offensive Player (955 receiving yards); doubled as a starting safety; National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete; accepted scholarship to Stanford University where he initially started as a wide receiver and ended his Cardinal career as a starting strong safety.
TIGHT ENDS
JACK NEUHEISEL ‘13
Three-year varsity starter; was a team captain both his junior and senior years, which is believed to be the only time in Cub Football history a player was a team captain for consecutive seasons; played briefly at Southern Methodist University.
BRENDAN PERNECKY ‘20
Earned All CIF Southern Section Division 4 honors for CIF finalist team; team captain; the two year starter who also played defensive end as a junior will attend and play football at Duke University.
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN
NICK ANDERSON ‘20
2019 All-CIF Southern Section Division 4 center; All-Mission League, Loyola Lineman of the Year; two-year varsity starter; helped lead 2019 team to CIF Division 4 title contest.
CHRIS BROWN ‘14
2013 All-State; All CIF PAC-5 Conference, Serra League Most Valuable Lineman, Loyola Most Valuable Player; accepted scholarship to USC where he started for two years; earned All-Pac 12 honorable mention honors as redshirt junior in 2017; was on practice squad of Los Angeles Chargers early in 2019.
SAM DOMINGUEZ ‘20
2019 All-CIF Southern Section Division 4; team captain; winner of Loyola’s award recognizing passion and commitment; a tough tactician; National Football Foundation Scholar Athlete; three years on varsity, did not miss a snap in 23 consecutive games; key lineman who helped lead Loyola to CIF Southern Section Division 4 championship game in 2019.
WILLY HOCK ‘14
A hard-nosed, fundamentally sound center; two-year starter. Hock did not play football in college, but he was a stalwart player for Loyola.
TY MAHAR ‘18
A tough as nails center on the 2017 squad which was one of the top four squads of the decade; team captain; made every offensive snap over two seasons; named team’s Most Inspirational Player as a senior captain; now attending and playing for Colby College in Maine.
COLEMAN SHELTON ‘13
2012 All-Serra League second team offensive tackle; earned the Loyola Code of the Warrior Award; also started on Cub defensive line; National Football Foundation Scholar Athlete; awarded scholarship to the University of Washington; was Washington’s Most Valuable Lineman in 2015 as redshirt sophomore; All-Pac12 All-Academic second team in 2016; 2017 All-Pac-12 first team center; 2017 All-Pac-12 All-Academic; as a
senior he was named Huskies’ John P. Angel Lineman of the Year, also earned the Academic Achievement Award; in his first year in the NFL Shelton was on the rosters of the San Francisco ‘49ers and Arizona Cardinals; now plays for the Los Angeles Rams.
ANTHONY VALDEZ ‘16
A mammoth, earth moving guard for the 2015 team which finished 9-3 and ranked 17th in state; played football for two seasons for College of Idaho.
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN
KEVIN QUISUMBING ‘16
2015 All-Mission League second team mauler on the defensive front of the decade’s best team; earned Loyola Outstanding Lineman Award; National Football Foundation Scholar Athlete; came in first place in the CIF Southern Section Div. II shot put competition as a senior; attends Tufts University where he starts on the defensive line; earned New England Small College Athletic Conference second team honors.
CHRISTIAN RECTOR ‘15
2014 All-Mission League first team defensive end; selected as Loyola’s Most Valuable Defensive Player; accepted scholarship to USC; 2018 Associated Press All-Pac-12 second team defensive lineman, Pro Football Focus All-Pac-12 second team; 2017 All-Pac-12 second team, CollegeFootballNews.com All-Pac-12 first team; won the 2019 Dr. Arthur C. Bartner Commitment Award after an injury-plagued senior campaign; played in the post season NFLPA Bowl; hoping to play in NFL.
JOHN TURNER ‘14
2013 All-Serra League offensive lineman who also started on the defensive line; was Loyola’s Lineman of the Year after his junior season, second-team All-Serra League; as a senior, earned All-Serra League first team honors; National Football Foundation Scholar Athlete; accepted scholarship to the University of Washington; Huskies’ career unfortunately cut short by injury but he helped coach the offensive line after his playing days conc.
NOAH UTLEY ‘16
2015 All-Mission League two-way lineman on what was Loyola’s best squad of the decade; the fierce D-lineman earned All-Mission League second team accolades; National Football Foundation Scholar Athlete; accepted appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point; a member of Army West Point’s football team as an offen
OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS
JACOB McBRIDE ‘18
Pound-for-pound one of the toughest players ever to wear the Blue helmet; was second team All-Mission League in 2017; team captain; McBride defined the word toughness; won the Loyola Award for Most Passionate and Committed after his senior season; a quintessential hard nosed Cub football player; continued his academic career at Texas Christian University.
TOMMY VANIS ‘18
2017 Loyola MVP and All-Mission League stalwart; the outstanding athlete even played quarterback for several games as a senior; team captain; now an inside linebacker for the Cal Bears; one of a long line of Loyola players from the Vanis family who played big roles for the Cubs over the span of seven decades; grandfather RICH VANIS ‘64 was a All-Catholic League blocking back on Loyola’s 1962 and 1963 CIF AAAA championship teams, and his uncles MATT VANIS ‘92 and MIKE VANIS ‘96 were All-CIF Division I running backs in 1991 and 1992, respectively.
INSIDE LINEBACKERS
WINSTON ANAWALT ‘17
2016 All-Mission League linebacker, Loyola team MVP and captain; played with great passion; National Football Foundation Scholar Athlete; three year varsity starter, Loyola’s Rookie of the Year as a sophomore and was Loyola’s Defensive MVP as a junior; matriculated to UCLA where he a member of the Bruins’ squad for two seasons.
STEVEN ARELLANO ‘20
2019 All-CIF Southern Section Division 4 linebacker; All-Mission League; team captain; led team with an incredible 177 total tackles, including 16 for loss; one of the top linebackers in Loyola annals; National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Scholar Athlete; will attend and play football for the University of Chicago.
DEFENSIVE BACKS
KELLY BLAKE ‘16
All-CIF Southern Section PAC-5 safety on 2015 team which was ranked 17th in the state after a 9-3 campaign, and earned All-State Special Mention; California CIF State Scholar Athlete of the Year; Scholar-Athlete of the Year of the Los Angeles Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame; one of 20 Finalists for the U.S. Army-Pro Football Hall of Fame Award for Excellence; led 2015 squad with six interceptions, and saw double duty at receiver; team captain; continued academic studies at Stanford University.
MYLES BRYANT ‘16
Loyola’s 2015 Most Valuable Player, All-Serra League first team, All-State Special Mention; an all purpose star, the elite talent also was highly productive as a receiver and punt and kick returner; three-year varsity starter; team captain; earned place on All-State sophomore team in 2013 and made the All-State Underclass team and notched second team All-Mission League honors as a junior; was a scholarship standout for the Huskies of the University of Washington; as a defensive back for Washington Bryant earned Honorable Mention All-Pac-12 accolades in 2017 and 2018 and captured 2019 All-Pac-12 second team honors; was named Washington’s 2019 Defensive MVP and won the 2019 Tyee Sports Council Community Service Award; Bryant was acclaimed as the 18th best player in former Husky head coach Chris Petersen’s six-year tenure as the leader of Washington’s program; invited to and participated in this spring’s NFL Combine; looks forward to an NFL career.
LEE HIGHTOWER ‘11
Second team All-Serra League corner; the elite athlete won the first place medal in the long jump for Loyola’s CIF Division II Championship track & Field team in the spring of his senior year; National Football Foundation Scholar Athlete; accepted scholarship to Boise State, but later transferred to the University of Houston, where he was a starter in the secondary; Hightower did stints on the practice squads of the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts and Washington Redskins.
DAVID LONG ’16
2015 All-American defensive back, All-State first team, All-State All-Academic, first team All Mission League; also a standout receiver (515 yards); participated in the Army All-American Bowl, started at corner for the West squad; earned second team All-Mission League and All-State Underclass accolades as a junior; rated the top defensive back prospect in the Western United States; National Football Foundation Scholar Athlete; accepted scholarship to the University of Michigan; started at corner for the Wolverines before being drafted by the Los Angeles Rams; 2018 first team All-Big 10; selected in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams; plays corner and special team for the Rams.
EAMON McOSKER ‘12
Loyola’s 2011 Most Valuable Player on an 8-3 squad that was the second best Cub team of the decade; Serra League Defensive Player of the Year; also was a standout receiver and kick returner; team captain; brought a ferocious linebacker mentality to the safety position; was an All-Serra League linebacker as a junior; National Football Foundation Scholar Athlete; lcontinued his academic and football careers at the University of Notre Dame.
DAVID TOLBERT ‘16
Was a second team All-Mission League defensive back in a talent laden secondary on the 2015 squad; had five deflected passes, 32 tackles and two interceptions as a senior; he and his twin brother, DANIEL, continued their academic and football careers at the University of San Diego; was a Pioneer Football League as a junior and first team all-league selection as a senior when he had six interceptions for the Tereros, placing him third in the nation for pass thefts.
CAMERON WALKER ‘13
Three year starter for the Cubs at corner; also excelled as a running back; 2012 Loyola Most Valuable Player; was Loyola’s Defensive Player of the Year as a sophomore and earned first team All-Serra League honors; was CalHi Sports All-State Underclass as a junior; was Loyola’s MVP as a senior; team captain; earned a scholarship to Cal where he was a four-year starter as a corner and safety; two time All-Pac-12 All-Academic second team.
PUNTER
CONRAD UKROPINA ’11
Set Loyola’s single season punting record (43.6 average) as a senior in 2011; first team All-Serra League; doubled as Cubs’ kicker; National Football Foundation Scholar Athlete; matriculated to Stanford University where he served as the Cardinal’s kicker; earned All-Pac-12 second team honors as senior and also earned All-Pac-12 All-Academic honors as a senior.
KICKERS
STEFAN FLINTOFT ‘14
Had sterling kicking and punting career at Loyola; Flintoft was a scholarship punter at UCLA, where he finished his collegiate career as the third best punter in UCLA football aannals; Flintoft earned Honorable Mention All-Pac-12 and All-Pac-12 All Academic honors as a senior.
NICK BARR-MIRA ‘19
Barr-Mira was an All-Mission League kicker for the Cubs in 2017 and 2018; his strong kicking leg allowed him to continue his kicking career at UCLA, where his brother Anthony Barr ‘10 was an All-American linebacker.
This list of some of the all-decade players is probably far from complete, but there can be little argument that the Cub stalwarts listed above were among the very best of the last decade.
DIEGO CACHO-SOUSA ‘17
As a junior in 2015, Cacho-Sousa earned All-CIF PAC-5 accolades after 95 per cent of his kickoffs were touchbacks, was 10 of 16 on field goal attempts, including a team record 53-yarder.
TOP PLAYERS OF THE DECADE
MYLES BRYANT: All-everything star on the decade’s best team (2015) which finished the campaign 9-3 and ranked 17th in the state. Arguments can be made for KODI WHITFIELD and JARED BAKER, among others.
BEST TEAM OF THE DECADE
2015 (9-3), final ranking: number 17 in state according to CalHi Sports.
SOME OF THE BEST GAMES OF THE DECADE
2011 overtime 36-35 victory over Crespi
2013 31-20 upset of Alemany, which made it to PAC-5 playoff semifinals
2016 come from behind win over Bishop Amat
2017 defensive masterpiece in triumph over Cathedral
2019 CIF Div. 4 semifinal playoff rout (31-14) of number two seed Camarillo
UNDERRATED PLAYERS OF THE DECADE
Offensive lineman SAM DOMINGUEZ ‘20; the All-CIF offensive tackle did not miss a snap in 23 consecutive games.
CAMERON WALKER ‘13 was a three year do-it-all star.
BEST STORY OF THE DECADE
Under first year head coach DREW CASANI ‘91, the Cubs made it into the CIF Southern Section Division 4 playoffs as an at-large team, and advanced to the CIF finals, before falling to San Juan Hills in a heartbreaker. It was an incredible turnaround season.
All of the above, of course, is fodder for plenty of discussion for those who support Cub Football.
Compiling a list of the best players who competed for Loyola on the gridiron during the second decade of the New Millennium (2010-2019) is a tough task, and for the most part a subjective exercise, even with thoughtful input from long time knowledgeable Cub Football observers. So here goes a stab at creating a list of some of the most outstanding Loyola football competitors over the last decade. Note that underclass players from the 2018 and 2019 seasons are not included.
RUNNING BACKS
JARED BAKER ‘11
Loyola MVP in 2010; two-time Serra League Most Valuable Offensive Player; 2,605 career rushing yards, 22 TDs; team captain; National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Scholar Athlete; accepted scholarship to the University of Arizona; All-Academic Pac-12.
NICO EVANS ‘14
All-CIF Southern Section PAC-5 Conference honoree; over 1,600 yards rushing as a senior; Serra League Most Valuable Offensive Player; accepted scholarship to University of Wyoming where he started for the Cowboys; earned 2018 All-Mountain West Conference first team honors; one of four Cowboy players including former Cub teammate, linebacker ADAM PILAPIL, to earn National Football Foundation Hampshire Society Scholar Athlete Award after his senior campaign.
QUARTERBACKS
SEAN O’MALLEY ‘17
2016 All-Mission League second team; team captain; school record holder for passing yards (4,199 yards) and touchdown passes (32); team captain; National Football Foundation Scholar Athlete; accepted scholarship to Lafayette College where he started at QB for the Leopards as a true freshman.
NICOLAS COTTON ‘12
This talented player has an interesting story in how he became one of the best signal callers of the decade. In game seven of his junior year he was called upon to take over quarterback duties after working solely as a wide receiver; in his senior campaign in 2011 he helped lead Loyola to an 8-3 record as the starting QB; Cotton completed 65 per cent of his passes for 1,381 yards, enabling him to earn All-Serra League second team acclaim; the 2011 team compiled the second best record of the decade; Cotton attended Hampton University, but did not play football; he recently served as an assistant JV football coach at Loyola.
WIDE RECEIVERS
CHAZ ANDERSON ‘12
All-Serra League first team wide receiver; the highly athletic two-way player accepted a scholarship to Boise State University where he started for three years as a wide receiver for the Broncos after converting from defensive back before his redshirt sophomore season.
KODI WHITFIELD ‘12
First team All-CIF PAC-5 Conference; team captain; first team All-Serra League; 2011 Serra League Most Valuable Offensive Player (955 receiving yards); doubled as a starting safety; National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete; accepted scholarship to Stanford University where he initially started as a wide receiver and ended his Cardinal career as a starting strong safety.
TIGHT ENDS
JACK NEUHEISEL ‘13
Three-year varsity starter; was a team captain both his junior and senior years, which is believed to be the only time in Cub Football history a player was a team captain for consecutive seasons; played briefly at Southern Methodist University.
BRENDAN PERNECKY ‘20
Earned All CIF Southern Section Division 4 honors for CIF finalist team; team captain; the two year starter who also played defensive end as a junior will attend and play football at Duke University.
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN
NICK ANDERSON ‘20
2019 All-CIF Southern Section Division 4 center; All-Mission League, Loyola Lineman of the Year; two-year varsity starter; helped lead 2019 team to CIF Division 4 title contest.
CHRIS BROWN ‘14
2013 All-State; All CIF PAC-5 Conference, Serra League Most Valuable Lineman, Loyola Most Valuable Player; accepted scholarship to USC where he started for two years; earned All-Pac 12 honorable mention honors as redshirt junior in 2017; was on practice squad of Los Angeles Chargers early in 2019.
SAM DOMINGUEZ ‘20
2019 All-CIF Southern Section Division 4; team captain; winner of Loyola’s award recognizing passion and commitment; a tough tactician; National Football Foundation Scholar Athlete; three years on varsity, did not miss a snap in 23 consecutive games; key lineman who helped lead Loyola to CIF Southern Section Division 4 championship game in 2019.
WILLY HOCK ‘14
A hard-nosed, fundamentally sound center; two-year starter. Hock did not play football in college, but he was a stalwart player for Loyola.
TY MAHAR ‘18
A tough as nails center on the 2017 squad which was one of the top four squads of the decade; team captain; made every offensive snap over two seasons; named team’s Most Inspirational Player as a senior captain; now attending and playing for Colby College in Maine.
COLEMAN SHELTON ‘13
2012 All-Serra League second team offensive tackle; earned the Loyola Code of the Warrior Award; also started on Cub defensive line; National Football Foundation Scholar Athlete; awarded scholarship to the University of Washington; was Washington’s Most Valuable Lineman in 2015 as redshirt sophomore; All-Pac12 All-Academic second team in 2016; 2017 All-Pac-12 first team center; 2017 All-Pac-12 All-Academic; as a
senior he was named Huskies’ John P. Angel Lineman of the Year, also earned the Academic Achievement Award; in his first year in the NFL Shelton was on the rosters of the San Francisco ‘49ers and Arizona Cardinals; now plays for the Los Angeles Rams.
ANTHONY VALDEZ ‘16
A mammoth, earth moving guard for the 2015 team which finished 9-3 and ranked 17th in state; played football for two seasons for College of Idaho.
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN
KEVIN QUISUMBING ‘16
2015 All-Mission League second team mauler on the defensive front of the decade’s best team; earned Loyola Outstanding Lineman Award; National Football Foundation Scholar Athlete; came in first place in the CIF Southern Section Div. II shot put competition as a senior; attends Tufts University where he starts on the defensive line; earned New England Small College Athletic Conference second team honors.
CHRISTIAN RECTOR ‘15
2014 All-Mission League first team defensive end; selected as Loyola’s Most Valuable Defensive Player; accepted scholarship to USC; 2018 Associated Press All-Pac-12 second team defensive lineman, Pro Football Focus All-Pac-12 second team; 2017 All-Pac-12 second team, CollegeFootballNews.com All-Pac-12 first team; won the 2019 Dr. Arthur C. Bartner Commitment Award after an injury-plagued senior campaign; played in the post season NFLPA Bowl; hoping to play in NFL.
JOHN TURNER ‘14
2013 All-Serra League offensive lineman who also started on the defensive line; was Loyola’s Lineman of the Year after his junior season, second-team All-Serra League; as a senior, earned All-Serra League first team honors; National Football Foundation Scholar Athlete; accepted scholarship to the University of Washington; Huskies’ career unfortunately cut short by injury but he helped coach the offensive line after his playing days conc.
NOAH UTLEY ‘16
2015 All-Mission League two-way lineman on what was Loyola’s best squad of the decade; the fierce D-lineman earned All-Mission League second team accolades; National Football Foundation Scholar Athlete; accepted appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point; a member of Army West Point’s football team as an offen
OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS
JACOB McBRIDE ‘18
Pound-for-pound one of the toughest players ever to wear the Blue helmet; was second team All-Mission League in 2017; team captain; McBride defined the word toughness; won the Loyola Award for Most Passionate and Committed after his senior season; a quintessential hard nosed Cub football player; continued his academic career at Texas Christian University.
TOMMY VANIS ‘18
2017 Loyola MVP and All-Mission League stalwart; the outstanding athlete even played quarterback for several games as a senior; team captain; now an inside linebacker for the Cal Bears; one of a long line of Loyola players from the Vanis family who played big roles for the Cubs over the span of seven decades; grandfather RICH VANIS ‘64 was a All-Catholic League blocking back on Loyola’s 1962 and 1963 CIF AAAA championship teams, and his uncles MATT VANIS ‘92 and MIKE VANIS ‘96 were All-CIF Division I running backs in 1991 and 1992, respectively.
INSIDE LINEBACKERS
WINSTON ANAWALT ‘17
2016 All-Mission League linebacker, Loyola team MVP and captain; played with great passion; National Football Foundation Scholar Athlete; three year varsity starter, Loyola’s Rookie of the Year as a sophomore and was Loyola’s Defensive MVP as a junior; matriculated to UCLA where he a member of the Bruins’ squad for two seasons.
STEVEN ARELLANO ‘20
2019 All-CIF Southern Section Division 4 linebacker; All-Mission League; team captain; led team with an incredible 177 total tackles, including 16 for loss; one of the top linebackers in Loyola annals; National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Scholar Athlete; will attend and play football for the University of Chicago.
DEFENSIVE BACKS
KELLY BLAKE ‘16
All-CIF Southern Section PAC-5 safety on 2015 team which was ranked 17th in the state after a 9-3 campaign, and earned All-State Special Mention; California CIF State Scholar Athlete of the Year; Scholar-Athlete of the Year of the Los Angeles Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame; one of 20 Finalists for the U.S. Army-Pro Football Hall of Fame Award for Excellence; led 2015 squad with six interceptions, and saw double duty at receiver; team captain; continued academic studies at Stanford University.
MYLES BRYANT ‘16
Loyola’s 2015 Most Valuable Player, All-Serra League first team, All-State Special Mention; an all purpose star, the elite talent also was highly productive as a receiver and punt and kick returner; three-year varsity starter; team captain; earned place on All-State sophomore team in 2013 and made the All-State Underclass team and notched second team All-Mission League honors as a junior; was a scholarship standout for the Huskies of the University of Washington; as a defensive back for Washington Bryant earned Honorable Mention All-Pac-12 accolades in 2017 and 2018 and captured 2019 All-Pac-12 second team honors; was named Washington’s 2019 Defensive MVP and won the 2019 Tyee Sports Council Community Service Award; Bryant was acclaimed as the 18th best player in former Husky head coach Chris Petersen’s six-year tenure as the leader of Washington’s program; invited to and participated in this spring’s NFL Combine; looks forward to an NFL career.
LEE HIGHTOWER ‘11
Second team All-Serra League corner; the elite athlete won the first place medal in the long jump for Loyola’s CIF Division II Championship track & Field team in the spring of his senior year; National Football Foundation Scholar Athlete; accepted scholarship to Boise State, but later transferred to the University of Houston, where he was a starter in the secondary; Hightower did stints on the practice squads of the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts and Washington Redskins.
DAVID LONG ’16
2015 All-American defensive back, All-State first team, All-State All-Academic, first team All Mission League; also a standout receiver (515 yards); participated in the Army All-American Bowl, started at corner for the West squad; earned second team All-Mission League and All-State Underclass accolades as a junior; rated the top defensive back prospect in the Western United States; National Football Foundation Scholar Athlete; accepted scholarship to the University of Michigan; started at corner for the Wolverines before being drafted by the Los Angeles Rams; 2018 first team All-Big 10; selected in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams; plays corner and special team for the Rams.
EAMON McOSKER ‘12
Loyola’s 2011 Most Valuable Player on an 8-3 squad that was the second best Cub team of the decade; Serra League Defensive Player of the Year; also was a standout receiver and kick returner; team captain; brought a ferocious linebacker mentality to the safety position; was an All-Serra League linebacker as a junior; National Football Foundation Scholar Athlete; lcontinued his academic and football careers at the University of Notre Dame.
DAVID TOLBERT ‘16
Was a second team All-Mission League defensive back in a talent laden secondary on the 2015 squad; had five deflected passes, 32 tackles and two interceptions as a senior; he and his twin brother, DANIEL, continued their academic and football careers at the University of San Diego; was a Pioneer Football League as a junior and first team all-league selection as a senior when he had six interceptions for the Tereros, placing him third in the nation for pass thefts.
CAMERON WALKER ‘13
Three year starter for the Cubs at corner; also excelled as a running back; 2012 Loyola Most Valuable Player; was Loyola’s Defensive Player of the Year as a sophomore and earned first team All-Serra League honors; was CalHi Sports All-State Underclass as a junior; was Loyola’s MVP as a senior; team captain; earned a scholarship to Cal where he was a four-year starter as a corner and safety; two time All-Pac-12 All-Academic second team.
PUNTER
CONRAD UKROPINA ’11
Set Loyola’s single season punting record (43.6 average) as a senior in 2011; first team All-Serra League; doubled as Cubs’ kicker; National Football Foundation Scholar Athlete; matriculated to Stanford University where he served as the Cardinal’s kicker; earned All-Pac-12 second team honors as senior and also earned All-Pac-12 All-Academic honors as a senior.
KICKERS
STEFAN FLINTOFT ‘14
Had sterling kicking and punting career at Loyola; Flintoft was a scholarship punter at UCLA, where he finished his collegiate career as the third best punter in UCLA football aannals; Flintoft earned Honorable Mention All-Pac-12 and All-Pac-12 All Academic honors as a senior.
NICK BARR-MIRA ‘19
Barr-Mira was an All-Mission League kicker for the Cubs in 2017 and 2018; his strong kicking leg allowed him to continue his kicking career at UCLA, where his brother Anthony Barr ‘10 was an All-American linebacker.
This list of some of the all-decade players is probably far from complete, but there can be little argument that the Cub stalwarts listed above were among the very best of the last decade.
DIEGO CACHO-SOUSA ‘17
As a junior in 2015, Cacho-Sousa earned All-CIF PAC-5 accolades after 95 per cent of his kickoffs were touchbacks, was 10 of 16 on field goal attempts, including a team record 53-yarder.
TOP PLAYERS OF THE DECADE
MYLES BRYANT: All-everything star on the decade’s best team (2015) which finished the campaign 9-3 and ranked 17th in the state. Arguments can be made for KODI WHITFIELD and JARED BAKER, among others.
BEST TEAM OF THE DECADE
2015 (9-3), final ranking: number 17 in state according to CalHi Sports.
SOME OF THE BEST GAMES OF THE DECADE
2011 overtime 36-35 victory over Crespi
2013 31-20 upset of Alemany, which made it to PAC-5 playoff semifinals
2016 come from behind win over Bishop Amat
2017 defensive masterpiece in triumph over Cathedral
2019 CIF Div. 4 semifinal playoff rout (31-14) of number two seed Camarillo
UNDERRATED PLAYERS OF THE DECADE
Offensive lineman SAM DOMINGUEZ ‘20; the All-CIF offensive tackle did not miss a snap in 23 consecutive games.
CAMERON WALKER ‘13 was a three year do-it-all star.
BEST STORY OF THE DECADE
Under first year head coach DREW CASANI ‘91, the Cubs made it into the CIF Southern Section Division 4 playoffs as an at-large team, and advanced to the CIF finals, before falling to San Juan Hills in a heartbreaker. It was an incredible turnaround season.
All of the above, of course, is fodder for plenty of discussion for those who support Cub Football.
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