Looking back on Hart-Loyola

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Final assessments from Friday’s nonleague game between Loyola and Hart:

Loyola‘s offense, for sure, was put on its heels -- the Cubs look a lot like Long Beach Poly in that way right now -- but its defense showed it is progressing and finding its rhythm.

Hart (5-0), ranked seventh in the Southland by The Times and No. 10 in the state by MaxPreps.com, entered the game averaging slightly more than 40 points and coming off a 50-10 victory over Claremont, but unranked Loyola (2-3) limited the Indians to 11 first downs and their lowest scoring output of the season in a 21-13 victory at College of the Canyons.

Now, I, at least, wasn’t expecting Loyola to get blown out the way Claremont was by the Indians last week, but I was pleasantly surprised that the Cubs were able to keep the game close throughout. If they hadn’t shot themselves in the foot with two lost fumbles and two interceptions -- Hart scored two of its three touchdowns after turnovers -- Loyola might have come away with its most impressive victory of the season instead of its second consecutive defeat.

Junior quarterback Stephen Rokus completed a 34-yard pass to senior Dustin Rosenberg with 1:14 to play to pull the Cubs to within the final margin after they had trailed, 14-0, at halftime.

But it was just a little bit too little and too late after Hart seniors Delano Howell and B.R. Holbrook got done taking care of business. They weren’t spectacular, but they got the job done, and so did the Indians. See the Daily News account here.

‘It was just like last week,’ Loyola Coach Jeff Kearin said, referring to the Cubs’ 34-24 loss to Dominguez, ranked No. 18 by The Times. ‘It’s frustrating for everybody. We left so much football out on the field, but I liked the fact that we were within striking distance the whole time. I think the defense is really hitting its stride.’

Now, if only the offense could get in step...

‘It was by far not our best game, but Loyola had a lot to do with it,’ said Hart Coach Mike Herrington, who earned his 200th victory in 19 seasons at Hart. He has a record of 200-42 with the Indians and won eight games in one season at Bellflower, giving him a career record of 208-42 as a head coach. (Read more about Mike in The Signal).

- Lauren Peterson