Beyond Loyola

LOYOLA FOOTBALL: THE TURNAROUND SEASON

BY PATRICK JACOBS ‘69

A LIGHT RAIN WAS FALLING as at once the most improbable and uplifting season in the storied annals of Cub Football came to a heartbreaking end on November 30 at Smith Field in the first CIF Southern Section championship game ever played on campus. The talented San Juan Hills Stallions, the fourth-seeded team in Division 4, intercepted a pass in their own end zone with 26 seconds remaining in the contest to stave off a gallant comeback bid by the Big Blue.

The tears being shed on the Loyola sideline were heavier than the rain drops, but through the inclement weather and in spite of the heavy hearts, the glorious roar of the Lion Cubs was heard loudly and clearly once again.

Under the leadership of first-year Head Coach Drew Casani ’91, himself an iconic competitor in Loyola’s illustrious championship gridiron history, a remarkable new chapter was written as the Cubs came within a whisker of capturing the school’s seventh CIF Southern Section championship.

Facing one of the toughest non-league and conference schedules in the Southern Section, Casani’s troops ended the regular season with a 3-6 record. From the start of off-season training, Casani and his excellent staff of assistants imbued in their troops supreme confidence and a no-quit attitude, longtime hallmarks of Loyola Football.

Among the big wins were ones against non-league foe Valencia and league rival Serra, two teams that were at one point in the season ranked among the best squads in California. Close league losses to Notre Dame and Chaminade offered further evidence of the Big Blue’s talent and grit. The Cubs’ strength of schedule and impressive Mission League victory over Serra were decisive in securing them an invitation to the 16-team playoff field.

The battle-tested Big Blue made a run for the ages, taking out number three seed, Bay League champion Palos Verdes, 7-0, in a defensive masterpiece; defeating Villa Park, 45-28, in the quarterfinals; and beating one-loss, two seed Camarillo, 31-14, in the semifinals at Moorpark College.

The championship game was played against number four seed, Sea View League champion San Juan Hills, at Smith Field before a highly energetic, standingroom only capacity crowd.

In a taut battle, Loyola played with fire in its eyes. Following a fourth quarter field goal that drew the Cubs to within six points (21-15) of the Stallions, Loyola recovered a perfectly executed onside kick at the San Juan Hills 47-yard line with just under five minutes to play. Big Blue fans erupted in jubilation.

Alas, the tipped-pass interception cost Loyola a historic triumph. But securing the program’s seventh CIF runner-up plaque spoke volumes about not only a special group of competitors, but also the new direction of Cub football.

The 2019 CIF Division 4 finalists have notched an indelible place in Loyola’s rich football lore. Seven Cub players earned All-Mission League honors.

Indeed, a new day has dawned for Loyola Football. The Big Blue will point to this incredible turnaround season as the springboard for future success.