LOYOLA 7 - EAGLES 0
GLENDALE, CA., November 2, 2002 – Bo Renaud rushed for 140 yards and scored the games only touchdown from one yard out as the Loyola Cubs avenged last years defeat of the Eagles with a 7-0 win before 3,500 at Glendale High School. The loss dropped the Eagles to 5-3 and 0-3 in league play while the Cubs moved to 6-2 and 1-2.
The game was a defensive battle with neither team able to generate much offense. Loyola's touchdown came with 0:44 left in the first quarter after driving 60 yards on eight plays. The Eagles, playing without the services of Ashton White, Bubba Jesperson, Jason Graban, Dustin Slinkard and Will Johnson played well enough defensively to keep the Eagles within one score, but the offense lacked any continuity and produced season lows of 132 yards and eight first downs. The first half saw the Eagles run only 16 plays and collect just four first downs as they managed to cross midfield only once. A promising drive that advanced as far as the Loyola 36 was done in by an illegal procedure penalty, a 13-yard sack then an interception on a Hail Mary pass as the half came to a close. The second half was more of the same as they ran 21 plays and managed to cross midfield twice as the longest gain was a 15-yard scramble by QB Case Colaw (11 of 15 for 74 yards).
The shutout was only the third in Santa Margarita history and the first since the 31-0 loss at AB Miller in the 1999 CIF Playoffs. The Eagles limited the Cubs to 259 total yards including six relatively short pass completions, but the offenses inability to capitalize on a fumble by Renaud with 10:10 left in the game typified the evening. Defensive standouts included linebackers Doug Reinhardt (14 tackles), Thomas Ramirez (13 tackles), Jack Meehan (nine tackles) and safety Ryan Nienhuis who continued his solid season with eight tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and two passes broken up.
| Loyola | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Santa Margarita | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
LOY – Renaud 1 run (kick good)
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
Rushing: LOY - Renaud 21-153; SM - McWhorter 13-29
Passing: –
Receiving: –
By Adrian Peters
Sports Information Director
LOYOLA SQUEAKS IT OUT
GLENDALE – Two of the most successful football programs in Southern California were left fighting just for the chance to make the playoffs Saturday night.
Loyola of Los Angeles and Santa Margarita - both nationally ranked two weeks ago - played like teams wondering what happened to the season in a 7-0 Loyola victory at Glendale High.
"We knew if we didn't win this one, there was going to be no tomorrow for us," said Loyola running back Bo Renaud, who scored the game's only touchdown in the first quarter. "This was pretty much lose and you're out of it."
Loyola (6-2, 2-1) finally won its first Serra League game. The Cubs and Bishop Amat of La Puente joined the league this season to form a super league with six of the top 10 teams in Southern Section Division I.
Santa Margarita (5-3, 0-3), the two-time defending league champion, is eliminated from winning the league title and will need to scramble to win its final two games and hope for an at-large playoff bid.
The game wasn't in hand until defensive lineman Patrick Rezzo deflected a Santa Margarita pass on fourth-and-2 at the Loyola 47 with 2:07 remaining.
Both teams were listless throughout with the only spark coming from Renaud, who rushed for 153 yards and the touchdown on 21 carries.
Renaud carried five times, including a 26-yard run to the 1-yard line, on Loyola's second possession of the game. That set up his own 1-yard score up the middle.
However, Renaud nearly handed Santa Margarita one final chance in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter. He seemed to fumble the ball away for the second time in the game but was bailed out by a facemask penalty that negated the turnover.
Santa Margarita was without its standout running back, Ashton White (805 yards in six games played), who missed his second consecutive game with a knee injury. Chase McWhorter started in his place and managed just 29 yards on 13 carries.
"I wish he would have played," Renaud said of White, who was questionable during the week. "That would have been a great running-back battle and a more exciting game. But I'll take the win."
Without White, Santa Margarita went three-and-out on four of its first five possessions. The Eagles finished with 121 yards, punting six times.
Loyola has two games remaining in the regular season, both must-wins.
"We still have some fighting to do," Renaud said. "We can't lose another game. But this is a good first step."
By Matthew Kredell
Saturday, November 3, 2002
Daily News of Los Angeles
