LOYOLA ENDS SPRING PRACTICE WITH OPTIMISM, WINS MARANATHA 7-ON-7 TOURNAMENT
The Loyola varsity football team lost a large chunk of its offensive production from its 2021 Angelus League title squad as well as some standout players from its ‘Wolfpack’ defensive unit, but head coach Drew Casani points to the return of more than a few key starters, a group of talented returnees who were contributors to the Cubs’ success last fall and some newcomers with bright futures as reasons for optimism heading into the 2022 campaign following the conclusion of spring practice on Wednesday.

While the level of opposing talent was not particularly impressive, Loyola did not play down to a field comprised of less than high end teams when it competed in the Maranatha 7-on-7 Tournament on a cool, overcast Saturday on May 21 in Pasadena. The outstanding passing of rising senior XAVIER RICE (6-4, 190) propelled the Cubs to the tournament championship. RICE’s strong arm was the centerpiece of Loyola’s success in winning five games without a loss.

RICE’s favorite target was highly talented senior BAYLIN BROOKS (6-3, 195) who caught seven touchdown tosses, including three 40-yarders on the first play from scrimmage. Rising junior receiver KHALIL CUEVA also shined as a pass catcher.

The Cubs defeated their first four foes, Granada Hills, Maranatha, Poly (Sun Valley) and St. Genevieve, with relative ease before defeating Western of Anaheim, 18-17, scoring on the last play from scrimmage and successly executing a two-point conversion to capture the title in a taut tilt.

The smooth performance in the early 7-on-7 competition was another reason to feel good about the team’s prospects as Loyola prepares for its first non-league contest which is less than three months away.

LOYOLA’S RETURNING STARTERS
OFFENSE
Quarterback:
XAVIER RICE (6-4, 190), Sr.
Rice’s season ended early last fall as he suffered a knee injury which required surgery in the second game. Now fully recovered, Rice’s precision deep throws led to multiple touchdowns in the recent tournament. He had two FBS scholarship offers heading into the 2021 campaign. The offer list is sure to expand. Look for the left handed rocket launcher to rank among the state’s best before season’s end.

Wide Receiver:
BAYLIN BROOKS (6-3, 195)
The senior All-Angelus League first team returnee is fast, explosive, strong and sure-handed.  Brooks was the Cuba’s second leading receiver last fall in receptions, total yards, yards per carb and TD receptions. He has multiple FBS and Ivy League offers heading into what promises to be a great senior campaign. He will be one of the top wideouts in California. 

Right Tackle
JACK SUSNJAR (6-6, 313), Sr.
A three-year varsity starter with All-State honorable mention accolades and second-team All-Angelus League second team honors, Susnjar took one for the team last fall, playing through pain for 12 weeks with a shoulder injury which was surgically repaired immediately after the conclusion of the season. Expect him to earn an FBS scholarship as one of the best returning O-linemen in the state.

Right Guard
RYAN TURK (6-4, 284), Jr.
Turk started all 12 games as a sophomore in 2021. He has gained impressive strength and should begin to receive attention from college recruiters.

Center
MATT PAHL (6-3, 282), Sr.
A veteran pivot, Pahl is an intelligent competitor who makes the line calls. Expect him to raise the level of his game significantly this fall.

Left Guard
RASHAD “CHAMP” WESTBROOKS (6-4, 256), Jr.
Another lineman to start all 12 games as a sophomore, Westbrooks has already received FBS scholarship offers. He should have a banner junior campaign.

Tight End
HOLMES WORMALD (6-3, 201), Sr.
WORMALD started multiple games in 2021 in place of injured starter Joe Taylor. He missed much of spring practice as he was competing for Loyola’s nationally-ranked varsity volleyball team. Expect him to make a big step up this season.

DEFENSE
Defensive Line
KEENAN TARBET (6-3, 210), Sr.
The rangy Tarbet started all 12 games last season after moving from Oregon, where he was ranked among the top 10 players in the state. Tarbet possesses uncommon speed and quickness for a down lineman and can also play outside linebacker. 

Inside Linebacker
TYE “TJ” SMITH (6-1.5, 227), Jr.
TJ played a great deal on the varsity as a freshman, a rarity at Loyola. He is already fielding FBS scholarship offers. Smith is a physical linebacker who started every game last fall. He is expected to be force on the ‘Wolfpack’ defense. Smith earned first team All-Angelus honors for the league champion Cubs.

Outside Linebacker
ZACH BOWLES (5-11, 201) Sr.
Zach earned All-Angelus League second team notice in 2021. Strong, quick and fast, Bowles is a leader who should be an important member of the Cubs’ defensive unit. Bowles may also see action as a running back.

Corner
JORDAN HEWITT (5-10, 173), Sr.
Another three year starter, Hewitt possess very good coverage skills. He should be a key member of the secondary. Hewitt earned second team All-Angelus League honors last fall.

Corner
KYLE SOMERVILLE (5-10, 177), Sr.
The brother of former Loyola All-CIF star KODI WHITFIELD ‘12, who started at Stanford, Somerville hopes to raise his game this fall. He possesses the athletic ability to be a top flight member of the secondary.

Safety
JAKE ARELLANO (5-9, 163), Jr.
Arellano took over as the starter midway through the 2021 season. The brother of 2019 CIF Division 4 Defensive Player-of-the-Year, STEVE ARELLANO, Arellano is expected to elevate his play as a junior.

KEY RETURNEES
There are a number of key returnees who will vie for starting positions as Loyola seeks to defend its league title.

Among them (in alphabetical order) are the following:

Defensive Back
CHAZ AUSTIN (5-9,175), Jr.
Austin has demonstrated the skill set to be in the hunt for substantial playing time in a crowded, competitive secondary room.

Defensive Back
ELIJAH BRADLEY (6-1, 178), Jr.
As a sophomore last season, Bradley garnered a good amount of playing time in the secondary. He will vie for an increased role this fall.

Wide Receiver
KHALIL CUEVA (5-11, 163), Jr.
Cueva was a sprinter on Loyola’s Mission League championship team this spring. His speed will be tough for Cub opponents to contend with. He saw a lot of productive varsity playing time as a sophomore.

Defensive Back
DARON ELAM (5-11, 168), Sr.
Elam established himself as a junior. He has put himself in position to see considerable work in a secondary that has a lot of players competing.

Nose Guard
JOSH FLAMINIANO (5-1, 232), Sr.
A high motor, tough lineman, Flaminiano projects as an aggressive nose guard on the defensive front.

Kicker/Punter
MARK HYAN ( 6-4, 210), Jr.
After a solid season as a varsity kicker and punter last season, Hyan returns his strong kicking leg to the all-important special teams. An excellent athlete, Hyan is also an elite soccer player.

Inside Linebacker
NICHOLAS MORRIS (6-1, 205), Sr.
Lauded by his head coach as a tireless worker with a high motor, Morris is In the hunt for considerable playing time if not starting duty.

OFFENSIVE/DEFENSIVE LINE
JACK PARIS (6-3, 234), Sr.
Paris has the ability to play on both the offensive and defensive lines. He could end up starting on the offensive line, which returns four starters.

Defensive Line
JACK REED (6-3, 233), Sr.
An athletic defensive lineman, Reed logged quality time on the defensive front last season. He projects as a starter in the fall.

Outside Linebacker
JUSTIN WEBSTER (6-2, 192)
A player who has worked very hard in the weight room, Webster converted from receiver to outside linebacker for his senior campaign, and will be firmly in the mix for a starting job.

Wide Receiver
WILKE WILES (5-11, 180), Sr.
Wiles was a threat to score every time he touched the ball last season. He possess great speed and quickness and will be a key part of Loyola’s aerial attack this fall. Wiles has the academic prowess to be a player for many of the Ivy League schools he visited this spring. Do not be surprised if Wiles is one of the best receivers in all of the Southern Section this season.

DB/RB/ Multi Purpose
CLAY WINNEK (5-10, 179), Sr.
Head Coach DREW CASANI said Winnek is one of the 2022 squad’s most versatile players on defense and special teams. He very well could be the Cubs’ toughest player. Wherever he lines up, Winnek will make plays. He is the quintessential model of a Loyola football player.

PROMISING NEWCOMERS
Defensive Line/Outside Linebacker
ISAIAH SANDERS (6-3, 205), Jr.
Sanders had a stellar season last fall as a starter on the JV team. A long, athletic player, Sanders will make his presence felt on the Cub ‘Wolfpack’ defensive squad.

Outside Linebacker
SCOTT TAYLOR (6-2, 205), Soph.
Taylor is vying for a starting spot on the Cub defense. His impressive ability was very clear to see on the freshman squad last fall. He will have a standout career on Loyola’s varsity over the next three years. His father played football for Stanford.

There are more returning returning players who could make their marks this fall. They will be highlighted later in the summer.

LOYOLA WINS TENTH CIF SOUTHERN SECTION COMMISSIONER’S CUP
Annually, at the conclusion of the school year the CIF Southern Section awards its Commissioner’s Cup award to the school which amasses the most points in playoff competition in all varsity sports. 

For an unprecedented tenth time Loyola won the Commissioner Cup for the 2021-2022 school year. The winning school is awarded five points for a CIF championship, three points for a runner-up or a second place finish in sports such as track and field, and two points for a semifinal appearance or a third place finish. 

The Cubs were awarded 21 points as follows: cross country (2), water polo (5), golf (5), swim and dive (3), tennis (3), volleyball (3).

The Cup has been awarded 29 times, and no other school in the CIF Southern Section has won anywhere close to the ten Commissioner’s Cups awarded to Loyola.

That is a phenomenal accomplishment for an academic school. Loyola is ranked by Niche as the number one Catholic high school in California.

Three Class of 2022 Cubs will continue their academic and football careers at Ivy League universities, DL SHAWN LIN (Columbia), LB PATRICK SODL (Columbia) and TAHJ OWENS (Princeton).

All twelve of Loyola’s varsity athletic teams qualified for CIF playoff competition.

KEITH RAMSEY ‘98 SELECTED AS NEW LEADER OF CUB BASEBALL PROGRAM
KEITH RAMSEY ‘98, Loyola’s 1998 baseball MVP, was named as the new leader of the Cubs’ varsity baseball program on May 25. 

Ramsey served as the head baseball coach at Manhattan Beach Mira Costa for the last six years, during which time the Mustangs won five of six Bay League championships and made a successful transition to competitive Division I status.

Ramsey played in the professional baseball Minor Leagues for a number of years following his collegiate career at the University of Florida where he earned All-SEC honors. Ramsey is a well regarded baseball mind and developer of players. The return to his prep alma mater is expected to be a successful one for the Cub alumnus.

SPECIAL MOMENTS IN CUB ATHLETICS IN THE LAST SCHOOL YEAR
One of the most memorable moments in Cub athletics during the course of the last school year came in the first round of the CIF Division 4 baseball playoffs.

Loyola was down 3-0 in the top of the seventh and final inning at Santa Barbara San Marcos with two outs and two strikes on senior center fielder JACKSON SHEA ‘22. Shea, who was the Angelus League football Defensive Player-of-the-Year, singled, and the Cubs went on to score five runs in the remainder of the frame. San Marcos could only muster one run in the bottom half of the seventh, so Loyola had a pleasant ride back to The High with its dramatic against-all-odds 5-4 victory,

Another great sports moment came in the varsity volleyball team’s first round CIF Division I playoff match against Redondo Union. The Cubs had lost the first set and were down 23-18 in the second set. An incredible comeback was mounted with Loyola coming away with an improbable 25-23 triumph which kept the Cubs alive in a 3-2 set victory.

MANY GREAT CUB ATHLETES IN 2021-2022
Junior swimmer REX MAUER nearly broke a national record in a season where he broke school records for Loyola’s State Champion swim team. Look for Mauer to possibly be a future Olympian.

Princeton-bound, team MVP running back TAHJ OWENS ‘22 was another high achiever as he gained over 2,000 all-purpose yards for the Cubs’ league title football team. Owens is among the best ball carriers in Cub Football annals.
 
Uber athletic DILLON KLEIN ‘22 was named the CIF Division I volleyball Player-of-the-Year and is headed to USC, where his grandfather BOB KLEIN played football before embarking on a highly successful career as a tight end with the Los Angeles Rams. Dillon’s father, JIMMY KLEIN ‘89, was a two time All-CIF Southern Section safety for Loyola and was also an All-CIF volleyball star for the Cubs. He played both sports at Stanford, where he started at safety for the Cardinal as a true freshman.

Those three student-athletes were part of an elite group of outstanding young men who competed for Loyola in 12 varsity sports during the Cubs’ highly successful 2021-2022 sports campaigns.

So now it’s on to 2022-2023, with the first Loyola interscholastic competition beginning in August when the Cub Football team kicks off the 2022 grid season against Damien at Smith Field.