High school football: Los Angeles Loyola won’t stop until time runs out

It’s becoming pretty clear that no matter how bleak things look and no matter how much adversity must be overcome, the Los Angeles Loyola football team won’t quit until there’s no time left on the clock.

A week ago, down 18 points to unbeaten Cathedral, Loyola fought back and rallied, only to lose, 21-19, when a 47-yard field-goal attempt by Diego Cacho-Sousa with no time left fell well short.

Fast-forward to Friday night. The Cubs were playing La Puente Bishop Amat in their Mission League opener. They trailed, 23-14, with less than a minute left.

There was a fumble by Bishop Amat. Loyola recovered. Quarterback Sean O’Malley threw a three-yard touchdown pass to Jack Webster with 17 seconds left.

Then the Cubs recovered an onside kick. And Cacho-Sousa got his chance for redemption, making a 49-yard field goal as time expired to give Loyola a 24-23 victory.

“Last week I wasn’t nervous and this week I wasn’t nervous,” Cacho-Sousa said. “I had to trust myself.”

Trusting Loyola Coach Marvin Sanders is what the players have done. This was supposed to be a talented team. But Loyola lost All-CIF linebacker Jackson Sirmon when his father, Peter, became defensive coordinator at Mississippi State. Then All-CIF running back Drake Beasley left the team just as fall practice was beginning, transferring to La Canada.

There was no help coming, because Loyola rarely takes transfers. So the Cubs’ players were on their own, having to develop and improve with the help of their coaches. And they have. They’re 2-3 and getting better.

Sanders was an assistant coach at Nebraska, where more than 90,000 fans would show up. He was an assistant at USC, where the Coliseum would be packed. But Friday’s game will go down as one of his favorite coaching moments.

“It’s right up there with some of the best things I’ve experienced because of the resiliency of the kids,” he said.

Surprise teams

Saugus is 5-0 and the only unbeaten team in the Foothill League. Nathan Eldridge passed for 291 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-23 win over Agoura.

Rolling Hills Estates Peninsula is 4-0 under first-year Coach David Young after a 45-0 win over Beverly Hills. Peninsula had to end its season last year with three games to play for safety reasons when it ran out of healthy players.

Los Angeles Franklin is 5-0 after a 28-0 win in its Northern League opener over Marshall. Quarterback Mario Bobadilla passed for three touchdowns.

Panorama City St. Genevieve is 4-0 after a 24-6 win over Lynwood. Defensive back-receiver Jordan Blackman and running back Darrious Gaines have led the Valiants.

High-scoring

Murrieta Valley outlasted Westlake Village Oaks Christian, 70-62. Sophomore quarterback Hank Bachmeier passed for seven touchdowns. Sophomore Zach Charbonnet of Oaks Christian ran for six touchdowns.

eric.sondheimer@latimes.com

Twitter: @latsondheimer