Football: Loyola is in the Serra League title hunt
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Every win is precious in the Serra League, considering it’s so hard just to make the Pac-5 playoffs, but Loyola’s 27-14 victory over Sherman Oaks Notre Dame also puts the Cubs (6-1, 1-0) squarely in the competition for a league title.
To beat the Cubs, teams had better not rely on passing the ball against Loyola’s very good secondary. St. John Bosco’s only loss happened when the Braves tested Loyola’s secondary. On Friday night, the Cubs had three interceptions against the Knights, including a 70-yard return for a touchdown by Kodi Whitfield.
Quarterback Nicolas Cotton continued his steady development, completing 12 of 14 passes for 125 yards. Cotton is not asked to deliver victory. He’s asked to limit his mistakes and get the ball to the playmakers.
Wyatt Bradford, healthy again after an ankle injury, rushed for 129 yards.
Loyola is only going to get better as Cotton and Bradford improve. And with Whitfield, Chaz Anderson and Cameron Walker roaming on defense, the Cubs are a dangerous team. They have road games the next two weeks against Bishop Amat and Alemany.
Both are winnable. But in the Serra League, with the blink of an eye, a team can go from competing for the league title to not making the playoffs. That’s how evenly matched the five teams are.
-- Eric Sondheimer