Defense Helps Bishop Amat Stop Loyola, 25-14

Behind two touchdown runs by Scott Fields and a dominating defense, Bishop Amat overcame a two-touchdown deficit to defeat Loyola, 25-14, Friday night before a crowd of 7,000 at Bishop Amat High.

Bishop Amat earned its sixth consecutive Southern Section Angelus League title. The Lancers finished 4-0 in league play and 8-1 overall.

Loyola, which is in its first year in the Angelus League, finished 2-2 and 8-2.

After spotting Loyola a 14-0 first-quarter lead, Amat’s defense took control in forcing Loyola into five turnovers.

Loyola was held to two first downs and 151 yards in total offense in the game. Quarterback Corby Smith completed only one of 10 passes and was sacked four times.

“Give all the credit in the world to their defense,” said Smith, the son of USC Coach Larry Smith. “They just started to overpower us.”

In the first half, Loyola capitalized on a turnover and the run-conscious Lancer secondary to take a 14-6 lead at haltime.

After Miregi Huma fumbled a punt deep inside Lancer territory, Loyola needed only one play to score when Alex Yeboah ran 18 yards untouched on an inside trap to put the Cubs ahead, 7-0, with 8:33 left in the first quarter.

Loyola scored again on its next possession after a punt by Bishop Amat when Smith caught the Lancers’ secondary by surprise with a 56-yard play-action pass play to fullback Matt Vanis. Bishop Amat scored early in the second quarter when Fields went outside left end for a 24-yard run.

Bishop Amat quarterback Zach Zertuche, who had problems passing against Loyola’s secondary throughout the game, completed only six of 20 attempts for 95 yards with one interception in the first half.

Bishop Amat scored again to open the second half on a 56-yard punt return by Huma and took its first lead, 18-14, on a 35-yard pass play from Zertuche to J. D. Delgado late in the third quarter.

Fields finally put the game away with a four-yard run with 1:33 left in the fourth quarter. The Lancers, however, thought their defense had done so two quarters earlier.

“Our defense really brought us back,” said Fields, who along with Jason Patterson keyed the pass rush. “We made the plays when we had to and that was the key.”