Ready or not

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Loyola wasn’t quite ready to match up with Concord De La Salle, as evidenced by its 55-14 loss to the host Spartans on Saturday.

But Coach Jeff Kearin believes the Cubs benefited from the beating by MaxPreps.com’s No. 9-ranked team because it helped them to get prepared for what lies ahead: a monster schedule that, after this week’s game at Dana Hills, includes a meeting with Dominguez, the No. 13-ranked team in The Times’ poll; a game against visiting Hart, ranked No. 15 in the state; a league matchup with promising Chaminade, which has is on the bubble for my top 25 ballot, and late-season league meetings at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, the No. 25 team in Rivals.com’s Fab 50 national rankings, and Crespi, ranked eighth by The Times and sixth in the state by MaxPreps.com.

‘That’s where I think we came out a winner,’ Kearin said. ‘There’s no question we’re more prepared for the rest of our games. That was the whole point.’

For any pollsters out there who have been thinking about the Cubs (1-1), Kearin said they are not top 25 material yet, but the potential is there.

Sophomore running back Anthony Barr accounted for both of the Cubs’ scores, on runs of one and three yards, against De La Salle.

Another running back, senior Brian Rios, has rushed for just under 800 yards in seven games last season.

Junior quarterback Stephen Rokus runs the offense and the defense is keyed by linebacker Marcus Gaxiola and defensive lineman Jonathan Rossi, but the Cubs are an experienced team that has 19 players who started at least one game last season.

So, good news Cubs fans. Though your guys were manhandled by De La Salle, Kearin said, ‘We’re a better team than that. We’re not where we want to be yet, but we’ll get there.’

- Lauren Peterson