Canyon’s Loucks keeps head in game

For someone who suffered a concussion and had to leave the Southern Section Northern Division championship game against Moorpark last week, Mike Loucks of Canyon Country Canyon sure made a quick recovery.

He was all over the field Saturday night in the Division I CIF state football championship bowl game against Concord De La Salle at the Home Depot Center in Carson.

He contributed to the Cowboys’ 27-13 upset of the nation’s top-ranked team with a 42-yard reception, several tackles from his safety position, a kickoff return of 35 yards and a tackle of Ryan Nastor for a four-yard loss on fourth down from the Canyon six-yard line with 1:04 left in the third quarter.

Loucks wasn’t the only member of Canyon’s walking wounded to come through. Offensive lineman Nick Madia, who was supposedly lost for the season more than a month ago after suffering a broken leg, was also on the field, blocking for quarterback Ben Longshore.

Longshore was brilliant in the first half, completing eight of 13 passes for 151 yards and one touchdown as Canyon opened a 20-7 halftime lead.

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Sidelined all of his junior season because of an injury to his kneecap, Orange Lutheran’s Austin Pettis concluded an MVP-like season Saturday with four touchdown receptions in the Lancers’ 42-28 victory over Palo Alto in the Division II game.

“That’s incredible, especially in a championship game,” Lancers quarterback Aaron Corp said of the 6-foot-3 receiver who has committed to Boise State.

Pettis, who caught touchdown passes of 20, six, 24 and 15 yards, had eight receptions for 108 yards.

He began the year as a largely unknown talent because of his inactivity last season. But he finished with 72 receptions for 1,088 yards and 12 touchdowns while stamping himself as perhaps the No. 1 receiver in the Southland.

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There had been much speculation that veteran Oaks Christian Coach Bill Redell would retire after Saturday’s game, but he has changed his mind. Redell said he has agreed to a five-year contract extension.

The Lions will lose nine NCAA Division I-A-bound players, but there’s plenty of talent to keep their 46-game winning streak intact, including freshman Malcolm Jones, who returned an interception 64 yards for a touchdown in the Lions’ 27-20 overtime victory over Santa Rosa Cardinal Newman in the Division III game.

“Oh, no, the cupboard isn’t bare,” Redell said. “We’ll be a good team.”

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Attendance for Saturday’s tripleheader was 13,683. The attendance for last week’s three Southern Section championship games at the Home Depot Center was more than 17,000.

eric.sondheimer@latimes.com