Loyola Cubs enter 2025 with experienced core and demanding Mission schedule

Loyola High School of Los Angeles heads into the 2025 football season with a familiar challenge and a clear identity. The Cubs open with a nonleague slate before moving into Mission play, where games against Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks), Serra, Bishop Amat, Chaminade and Sierra Canyon will shape the season. With Joe Cardenas leading the program, Loyola enters the fall looking to lean on continuity in its roster while navigating one of the tougher stretches on its schedule. Drew Casani

The Cubs' returning group gives the team a foundation on both sides of the ball. Loyola brings back players including Matt Adams, Brandon Alexander, Beau Baker, Angel Barajas, Jacob Cappetta, Nathaniel Cappetta, Kane Casani, Evan Corbett and Casey Cornelio, along with Joey Curtis, Jayce Dawson and Tommy Derbyshire. That experience should help establish the team’s early-season rhythm as Loyola works through September matchups against Mount Miguel, Hamilton and St. Francis before league play begins in October.

Just as important, the roster appears to offer depth across the program. Players such as London Divens, Merrick Dotts, Jack Enson, Ryder Foreman, Sam Friend, Noah Garcia, Brody Gardner, Sean Gilhooly and Gavin Grabe are among the names on the varsity group, giving Loyola options as it builds out its rotation. In a season preview, that depth matters as much as star power, especially for a team preparing for a schedule that tightens considerably once Mission games arrive.

The most intriguing part of Loyola’s outlook may be the structure of its schedule. After the early home dates with Mount Miguel and St. Francis and a road trip to Hamilton, the Cubs turn to a run of league games that offers little margin for error. The Oct. 3 trip to Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) stands out as an early measuring stick in Mission competition, and home games against Junipero Serra on Oct. 9 and Bishop Amat on Oct. 17 should provide a clearer picture of where Loyola fits in the league race. A late road test at Chaminade on Oct. 24 and the regular-season finale against Sierra Canyon on Oct. 31 could prove just as significant.

For now, the preview centers on experience, depth and the demands ahead. Loyola does not need to reveal everything in September, but the Cubs will need to establish consistency before the heart of the schedule arrives. If that veteran group settles in quickly, Loyola should have a chance to make its biggest statements when Mission play begins.