Loyola Rallies to Beat Los Alamitos, 37-34 : Division I: Vanis rushes for 228 yards and Walter makes key defensive play for Cubs.

In the end, all the big plays by Los Alamitos--and there were many--didn’t matter. Loyola’s Scott Walter made the last one.

The Cubs earned a 37-34 victory at Glendale High and a spot in the Southern Section Division I championship game. Loyola (11-2) will play the winner of today’s game between La Puente Bishop Amat and Long Beach Poly next Saturday at the Coliseum.

The Cubs survived a 355-yard passing game by the Griffins’ Kevin Feterik. They endured the ability of wide receiver Tony Hartley, who caught 11 passes for 208 yards.

The Griffins (11-2) and their passing offense put pressure on from the start. But when they needed it most, they could not make the big play.

Facing fourth and five at the Los Alamitos 45, Feterik tried to hit Hartley, as he had done so many times during the game. This time, though, defensive back Walter stuck to Hartley and deflected the ball away. The Cubs took over and ran out the final two minutes.

“I saw the quarterback throw and I saw the receiver in front of me,” Walter said. “I broke on the guy, but I never saw the ball.”

That preserved the victory. What made it possible was Mike Vanis.

Vanis had rushed for 1,438 yards entering the game. He gained 152 against Fountain Valley in the first round and 195 against Fontana last week.

Los Alamitos had success against power teams before. The Griffins held Mater Dei to 70 yards rushing in a 23-14 victory last week. But Vanis gained 228 yards in 34 carries and scored three touchdowns.

At one point, the Cubs went 17 plays without a pass. Vanis also played a part in a fake punt that kept the Cubs’ game-winning drive alive.

On fourth and nine at the Los Alamitos 36, Vanis took a short snap, then handed the ball between John Hilvert’s legs. Hilvert gained 16 yards for the first down. It set up a 34-yard field goal by Michael Giampaolo with 3:10 left.

“In the end, we had an answer to every challenge,” Loyola Coach Steve Grady said.

Los Alamitos finished with 438 yards. Running back Ryan Gragnano gained 76 yards and scored three touchdowns, but he gained only four yards in the second half, as the Griffins went almost entirely to the pass.

Feterik, who completed 21 of 27 passes, and Hartley did as they pleased throughout much of the game. Feterik had 170 yards and Hartley had caught seven passes for 108 yards by halftime. They were a big reason the Griffins took a 20-6 lead, but the Cubs didn’t fold.