Those who don’t get ESPNU at home, fear not. You can sit in the comfort of your own home and follow the action live here on the East Bay Prep Sports Blog. I’ll be crammed in the De La Salle press box alongside my colleagues Mike Bouve and Kevin Shallat from De La Salle radio and I’ll be bringing you the sights and sounds from the corner of Winton Drive and Treat Blvd.

Also, keep in mind, you can do what I did last week and follow the blog while listening to the game. You can tune in to 1550-AM on the radio or KBCSports.com and listen to Mike and Kevin call the action. Be sure to tune in to the pre-game show to hear everyone’s favorite Geek, Chace Bryson, give his take on Don Bosco and De La Salle.

And in print, we’ll have a feature on Don Bosco Prep on Friday and a comprehensive game preview on Saturday. Also on Saturday, Chace and I will post a matchup breakdown here on the blog. So be sure to get here early to check that out.

There’s lots to do round these parts today so let’s go with some of our patented Geeks Speed Analysis.

Read the rest of this entry »

FINAL: De La Salle 27, Loyola 21. There is stunned silence in Moyse Stadium as the teams shake hands. DLS came from behind to win for the second week in a row. We’ll be back with postgame stats and highlights. 

4th quarter/DLS ball: Wayne takes a knee. Loyola uses its last time out. There’s 1:20 to play.

The Cubs stands are starting to thin as Wayne takes a knee again on second down.

There are 37 seconds to go. Flag against DLS for illegal motion (their 10th penalty of the contest). It’s third-and-12 from the Loyola 48-yard line. Wayne goes straight up the middle for a gain of one.

It’s over. DLS hangs in for the win, 27-21.

4th quarter/Loyola ball: Barr runs for 8-yards and gets out of bounds to stop the clock. It’s second-and-three from the Cubs 34-yard line. Rokus finds Barr on the right sideline for a first down.  

Loyola is on their own 47-yard line. Barr is stuffed for a loss of 2 yards. The Spartans Will Marre sacks Rokus on the 45-yard line. It’s third-and-12. Rokus pass is incomplete. It’s fourth-and-12.

Rokus is chased out of the pocket, he has no where to throw. Incomplete pass. DLS will take over on downs at the Cubs 45-yard line.

The fans are on their feet and the band has started up again with 1:32 to play. It’s DLS 27, Loyola 21. Timeout.

4th quarter/DLS ball: Wayne fumbles, but Butler recovers on the first down. Wayne scrambles, somehow breaks through a giant pack of players and stretches it out to the 1-yard line with 2:53 to play.

Wayne scores on the keeper to put DLS on top for the first time in the game. DLS time out. DLS 25, Loyola 21.

The chanting has started. Loyola fans are trying to pump up the Cubs defense on this point-after attempt. DLS is going for two. Wayne goes back to pass, tucks it and runs it up the middle for two. DLS 27, Loyola 21.

4th quarter/Loyola ball:  A 4-yard gain by Barr is followed by another Barr run for 7 yards and the first down at the 43-yard line with 9:08 to play.

Barr appeared to fumble, DLS recovers and there are screams everywhere. But, the referee says Barr was down at the 44-yard line. Another 9 yards for Barr. Loyola holds on. Rokus hits Ackermann it’s second-and-1 on the DLS 35-yard line.

It’s first-and-10 on the 31-yard line after Barr gains another couple yards. Barr jukes and spins out of trouble for a 13-yard gain, which puts him at 199-yards rushing on the night.

The Cubs sideline is screaming, someone’s yelling “everyone up” and the stomping has begun. It’s third-and-8 on the Spartans 16-yard line. Rokus pass is incomplete across the middle.

Alfonso flubs a 31-yard field goal the ball is short! Perio catches the short kick and runs for his life. He returns it to the Loyola 25-yard line.

QUICK STAT UPDATE: DLS Butler has 95 yards on 21 carries while the Cubs Barr has rushed for 154 yards thus far.

4th quarter/DLS: The Spartans are second-and-5 from the Loyola 15. Wayne finds the endzone for a 15-yard touchdown run capping a 80-yard drive down the field in 14 plays. The Spartans fans are on their feet. The Spartans go for two, but Wayne’s pass is knocked down in the endzone. Loyola 21, DLS 19.

3rd quarter/DLS: Butler runs for 4-yards on the first down.  Wayne goes for the long ball, but overthrows Jackson Bouza. It’s third-and-six. Wayne connects with Bulter for a gain of 1. DLS is just 1-for-6 on third down conversions. The Spartans will punt. Flag on the play. 

Penalty on Loyola. It’s first down Spartans. There are shouts and heads shaking in the Cubs sideline.

(PS - penalty was offsides.) Butler runs it up to the 42-yard line for a first down. Wayne pitches to Bulter, who scrambles back to the line of scrimmage and beyond for a gain of 4. Butler has 49 yards.

Wayne hits Bouza for a 12-yard pass and the first down. Joseph Durant runs for 4 on his first carry of the game — and the season. Butler adds a couple more runs and another first down. First-and-10 from the Loyola 31.

Tyler Anderson runs for seven followed by Wayne who picked up two more yards. It’s third and one again for DLS with 42 seconds to go. First down. Wayne runs the option and pitches it to Butler who gets up to the Cubs 15-yard line as the clock winds down.

3rd quarter/Loyola ball: The Cubs quarterback Rokus connects with Brett Ackerman for his first pass of the night. A gain of five. Barr rushes for the first down. Ackerman catches a 19-yard pass and it’s first down at the DLS 43-yard line. Barr runs for 16-yards and Loyola’s third consecutive first down. The Cubs are at the Spartans 27-yard line.

Loyola gets its fourth penalty, putting them back on the 32-yard line. Barr runs for 23-yards and the first down, putting the Cubs in striking distance with just under eight minutes in the third quarter.

DLS Zachary Griffiths stops Barr in the backfield, but there’s a flag on the play. Face mask against DLS (their 7th penalty) puts the Cubs on the Spartans 1-yard line. The Loyola coaches are yelling about something in the booth next door. Time out Cubs.

We’re back. It’s second and goal. Barr runs it in for his eighth touchdown of the year and third of this game. Alfonso’s kick is good. Loyola 20, DLS 13 with 7:10 to go in the third quarter.

HALFTIME STATS AND FUN FACTS: Loyola’s Anthony Barr rushed for 102 yards on 14 carries in the first half. He has all, but 1-yard of the Cub offense in the game. Cubs quarterback Rokus has yet to throw a pass.

DLS running back Kylan Butler leads the Spartans in rushing with 14 carries for 54 yards and quarteback Blake Wayne has 47 yards on six carries. DLS has rushed for an average of 5.66 yards per carry.

An interesting note: Loyola did not get a first down in the second quarter.

The Spartan defense, led by lineman Charles Wynn (who had five tackles in the second quarter) started to make the right moves plugging holes and holding Barr to just 27-yards in the second quarter, compared to 74 in the first.

HALFTIME SCORE: Loyola 14, DLS 13.

2nd quarter/Loyola ball: Loyola starts at their own 10-yard line after a penalty on the kick return. Another flag. The Cubs are pushed back again with a false start. It’s first-and-15 on their own 5-yard line. Barr is brought down at the 11-yard line. Barr doesn’t have enough for the first down…and the clock winds down.

2nd quarter/DLS ball: Butler breaks a couple tackles and runs for 22-yards for a Spartan first down. After an 8-yard gain, Butler rushes for a couple more yards and another first down. An incomplete pass and we’re at second and 10 from the Loyola 11-yard line. Wayne connects with Perio for about 8-yards,  it’s fourth and two. There is just over a minute to play in the half.

Score is still 14-7 Loyola with 1:12 to go.

Wayne fakes the handoff and scores. Bad snap. Perio recovers and pitches into the endzone and it’s caught by ???? We couldn’t see from the booth. Flag on the field. Illegal man downfield. DLS will kick the PAT again. Another bad snap. Perio tries to throw it into the endzone, but it’s batted down. Loyola 14, DLS 13 with 1:07 in the second quarter.

2nd quarter/Loyola ball: Barr is stopped at the 1-yard line on his first run, but gets about six on the second down. False start on the Cubs. (Their first penalty.) Third-and-four. Barr is short of the first down and it’s another three-and-out with 5:16 left in the second quarter.

2nd quarter/DLS ball: Wayne hands off to Bulter. It’s third down and maybe a yard with 8:30 to play in the half. Butler is stopped inches from the goal line on third down. It’s fourth and inches. Wayne pitches to Butler, but he can’t get in. The Cubs take over.

2nd quarter/Loyola ball: The Spartan defense is here. Cub quarterback Rokus is hit at the line of scrimmage. It’s 3-and-out for Loyola. DLS’s Noah Perio blocks the punt and it rolls out at the Loyola 4-yard line.

STAT UPDATE: The Cubs running back Anthony Barr rushed for 74 yards in the first quarter on 7 carries. DLS Wayne ran for 35-yards on 3 carries and Ward has 33-yards on 3 carries.

2nd quarter/DLS ball: Wayne connects with Dosen on a 19-yard pass for a touchdown. PAT is good. Loyola 14, DLS 7 with 11:54 in the second quarter. 

1st quarter/DLS ball: Butler takes the kick to the Spartans 21-yard line. Wayne on the keeper for 11-yards and DLS’s second first down of the game. Butler fumbles, but recovers for a gain of 1. Wayne had a man open down the right sideline, but wide receiver Noah Perio can’t hold on. It’s third and long.

The Spartans convert on third down with a 35-yard run by Terron Wiliams-Ward. Another penalty by DLS pushed the Spartans to Loyola’s 45-yard line. Wayne scrambles for 15 yards and a first down. Wayne rushes for another first down on a quarterback draw.

It’s 1st-and-10 from the Cubs 20-yard line. Another Spartan penalty pushes them back five yards. (That’s five.) An incompleted pass and a short run and the quarter is over.

1st quarter/Loyola ball: Cubs quarterback Stephen Rokus is blasted by Blair Wishom for no gain on the first down. Barr gets the first down with a 13-yard run and the Spartans tack on an additional 15 yard with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. DLS is offsides, their third penalty of the game. Barr rushes for another first down, the Cubs are threatening again on the 10-yard line.

Loyola’s Anthony Barr scores again on a 6-yard touchdown run. Alfonso’s PAT is good. Loyola 14, DLS 0 with 4:10 in the first quarter.

The Cubs fans are going crazy in Moyse Staduim.

1st quarter/DLS ball: The Spartans have three wide receivers in. Wayne throws an incomplete pass intended for Michael Doeen. Penalty against DLS puts the Spartans at 1-and-15 yards to go. Terrin Ward find some open space down the right sideline and gets to the 43-yard line for a first down. Butler run on the third down is about a yard short of the first down and the Spartans are going for it. Butler is stuffed on fourthdown and the Cubs will take over on their own 48-yard line.

1st quarter Loyola ball: Loyola’s Anthony Barr took the first two carries of the Cubs possession and scores on a 35-yard touchdown run. Mauricio Alfonso with the PAT. Loyola 7, DLS 0 with 8:47 to play in the first quarter.

1st quarter DLS ball: The Spartans start on their own 20. Ward opens with a 4-yard run followed by a 3-yard run by Kylan Butler. DLS quarterback Blake Wayne laterals to Butler, but he’s brought down with a 1-yard loss. The Spartans go three-and-out with 10:07 to go.

COIN TOSS: DLS won the coin toss and will receive. The Cubs are in a pregame chant in their endzone while the Spartans huddle up on their sideline.

The teams have taken the field.

PREGAME: We’re just under 15 minutes to game time here at Glendale High School’s Moyse Stadium where the De La Salle Spartans will take on host Loyola.

Both teams have taken their warm-ups on the field and retreated to the locker rooms. And I’m told the National Anthem is just minutes away.

The Spartans traveled well into SoCal, as usual, with a sea of dark green filling the opposing bleachers.

For those who are interested, the DLS junior varsity squad defeated the Cubs 35-20 about an hour ago.

I’ll be back for the coin toss in about 15.

Yes, I know, everyone is waiting for the De La Salle and Cal games to start tonight. Well, I took a drive down to 23rd Street in Richmond to watch Richmond High play host to Kennedy-Richmond. Here are a few impressions.

Read the rest of this entry »

Live blogs seem to be our thing these days and tonight we’ll have a quality doubleheader going. Here on the East Bay Prep Sports blog, Kelli Phillips will be live around 7 from Glendale High with the De La Salle-Loyola game. On our sister blog, Prep Corner, Kyle Bonagura will take his seat on press row around 7:30 for the California-Bellevue game from Qwest Field in Seattle. So, be sure to get here tonight for all the action.

Also, while you’re waiting for all that to start, check out our photo slideshow from last night’s action.