November 15, 2023

Cub Football - Thirteen Cub players earn All-Angelus League honors, two named Players-of-the-Year, seven underclassmen named All-League

LOYOLA HAS THIRTEEN PLAYERS NAMED ALL-ANGELUS LEAGUE, TWO AS PLAYERS-OF-THE-YEAR
Loyola's season came to an end last Friday in a disappointing 17-10 loss to Yorba Linda in the CIF Southern Section Division 4 quarterfinals, but the Cubs received good news this week, as it was announced that thirteen members of the 2023 Angelus League title squad received All-Angelus League honors. The list of Loyola honorees, with statistical highlights (in alphabetical order), follows:

MOST VALUABLE DEFENSIVE PLAYER
SCOTT TAYLOR (6-4, 230, Jr. outside linebacker) 
77 total tackles, 23 solo; 6 sacks; 13 tackles for loss; 33 hurries; 1 fumble caused. Offensive stats as tight end: 6 receptions, 112 yds., 18.7 avg., 2 TDs.

MOST VALUABLE LINEMAN RASHAD "CHAMP" WESTBROOKS (6-5, 275, Sr. offensive left guard/center and defensive lineman)
The three-year starter played both ways, started at left guard and also center for two games. On defense: 25 total tackles, 22 solo; 1 tackle for loss; 3 hurries; team captain.

FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
JAKE ARELLANO (5-10, 175, Sr. safety)
107 total tackles, 34 solo; 3 interceptions; 8 tackles for loss; 4 passes defended; 3 caused fumbles; 1 blocked field goal; one blocked punt.

BRANDON LOCKHART (6-3, 173, Soph. corner)
48 total tackles, 20 solo; 1 interception (90 yd. TD return); 2 tackles for loss; 5 passes defended.

ISAIAH "IKE" SANDERS (6-3, 220, Sr. edge)
71 total tackles; 16 solo; 10 sacks; 9 tackles for loss;  31 hurries.

DESI VALDES (5-9, 175, Jr. safety)
88 total tackles, 24 solo; 1 interception; 1 tackle for loss; 3 passes defended; 0.5 sack; 1 hurry; 1 blocked punt; 1 TD scored off blocked punt.

SECOND TEAM DEFENSE
HENRY CASANI (6-2, 205, Jr. inside linebacker)
127 total tackles, 26 solo; 3.5 sacks; 9 tackles for loss; 3 caused fumbles; 1 pass defensed; 4 hurries.

RONEN ZAMORANO (6-2, 215, Soph. inside linebacker)
134 total tackles, 34 solo; 12 tackles for loss; 3 hurries; 1 pass defended; 1 caused fumble.

FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
KHALIL CUEVA (5-11, 180, Sr. wide receiver)
54 receptions, 602 yds. 11.1 avg.; 7 TDs; team captain.

SEAN MORRIS (5-10, 185, Soph. running back)
213 carries, 1,119 yds., 5.3 avg.; 10 TDs; 16 pass receptions, 213 yds., 13.3 avg.

RYAN TURK (6-4, 285, Sr. offensive right tackle)
Three-year starter on offensive line, team captain.

SECOND TEAM OFFENSE
DUKE GIARRAPUTO (6-3, 200, Jr. wide receiver)
45 receptions, 558 yards, 12.4 avg.; 5 TDs.

LUKE HARRISON (6-4, 275, Sr. offensive left tackle)
Started all 12 games at left tackle.

While the league did not name all-conference special teams players, senior kicker MARK HYAN (6-4, 225) was a perfect 24 of 24 on PAT kicks and 5 for 5 on field goal attempts.

As Loyola moves up to the highly competitive Mission League in 2024, the fact that four juniors and three sophomores garnered all-conference accolades gives the Cubs a good base upon which to build in the off-season as they prepare for exponentially tougher league competition next season.

2023 LOYOLA RECORD (6-6 overall, 4-1 Angelus League)

August 25             @ Damien (L 35-14)
September 1        Culver City (W 24-6)
September 8         Leuzinger (L 35-14)
September 15      @ Chaminade (L 42-35)
September 22      Oaks Christian (L 31-14)
September 29      @ St. Francis* (L 26-21)
October 6              St. Paul* (W 25-11)
October 13           @ Crespi* (W 45-28)
October 20           Paraclete* (W 36-7)
October 29           @ Cathedral* (W 27-6)          
November 3            Norte Vista (First Round CIF) (W 35-7)
November 10          @ Yorba Linda (Quarterfinals CIF) (L 17-10)

(* denotes Angelus League contest)

CUBS IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Thirty-four Loyola grads are competing on college football teams this fall at schools from Storrs, Connecticut to Los Angeles; Northfield, Minnesota to New York City; Fort Worth, Texas to Princeton, New Jersey; Grinnel, Iowa to Berkeley; South Bend, Indiana to Starkville, Mississippi; and Austin, Texas to Chicago.

Here is the current list of Cubs on college football rosters (in alphabetical order):
NICK ANDERSON ‘20, OL (Denison)
SINJUN ASTANI ‘17, DL (USC)
CHAD BAILEY ‘20, DB (Tulane)
JP BAUTISTA (Pasadena College)
NICHOLAS BARR-MIRA ‘19, K (Mississippi State)
GEORGE CARATAN '18 , P (Connecticut)
JAC CASASANTE ‘18, LS (USC)
COLIN CRUCE ‘22, OL (Bowdoin)
ALEX JOHNSON '18, DB (UCLA)
JEFFREY JOHNSON '21, TE (Cal)
JACOBY KELLY ‘22, WR (Cerritos College)
ANDREW KOZHAYA ‘21, DL (Grinnel)
LEIGHTON LINE '23, DL (Cal Lutheran)
CARTER LINK ‘20, LB (SMU)
SHAWN LIN ‘22, DL (Columbia)
CONNOR McDOWELL ‘21, DB (Angelo State)
JUSTIN MURRAY '22, LB (Santa Monica College)
BLAKE NEITHART ‘20 DB (Carleton)
TAHJ OWENS ‘22, DB (Princeton)
JACK PARIS '23, OL (MIT)
RYAN QUINTANAR ‘20, LB (TCU)
XAVIER RICE '23, QB (Duquesne)
DAKOTA SMITH '18, LB (Minnesota State)
PATRICK SODL ‘22, LB (Columbia)
ZAKHARI SPEARS ‘21, DB (Connecticut)
HENRY STICKLER '21, WR (SMU)
JACK SUSNJAR '23, OL (USC)
JOE TATUM ‘22, QB (Texas)
EVAN THOMAS ‘20, DB (UCLA)
ALEX WHITMAN '22, WR (Notre Dame)
WILKE WILES '23, WR (University of Chicago) 
HOLMES WORMALD '23, TE (Merchant Marine Academy)
CEYAIR WRIGHT ‘21, DB ( USC)
SAM YOON ‘22, OL ( UCLA)