CHATSWORTH — Emotions flew high pregame on the Chaminade High football field. Players and their families took the field pregame for senior night, embracing the four-year journey of hard work and dedication. It was an emotional time for players, as it may be the last time they step on the blue field of Chaminade High.
Then the Chaminade Eagles decimated the Loyola Cubs, 52-0.
“We started off fast,” Chaminade head coach David Machuca said postgame. “I told the players, we can’t get complacent. We were complacent last week coming out of the locker room. And I think we came out and played hard.”
The Eagles’ intensity was evident on the Cubs’ first play of offense, running back Kane Casani carried the ball, gaining 10 yards, but fumbled and Eagles defensive back Bryan Granger-Narcisse recovered.
Moments later, Eagles freshman running back Cameron Blackman set the tone for the night offensively. Blackman lowered his shoulder and ran through a Cubs defender for an 11-yard touchdown just after the Loyola fumble.
Blackman finished the game with 12 carries, 102 yards and two touchdowns.
Defensively, junior defensive tackle Kingston Williams shared the same mindset as Blackman in trying to secure a win for his seniors. Entering the game, the Cubs (4-5, 1-3 Mission League) had over 1,000 rushing yards as a team with 800 yards passing. The Cubs only attempted one pass in the first quarter, but couldn’t sustain anything on the ground. Loyola didn’t get over 100 yards rushing for the contest.
Williams disrupted multiple plays, getting multiple tackles for loss and one sack for Chaminade (5-4, 3-1 Mission League).
“It’s a testament to our coaches and our program,” Machuca said. “We’re trying to develop guys each and every day. And late in the season, we’re showing some of the guys that came in being younger guys making plays, and it’s awesome to see it.”
Senior running back Ronnell Hewitt had three carries for 76 yards with two touchdowns and senior wide receiver Beau Lindus had five catches for 113 yards with two touchdowns.
“We were fired up,” Lindus said postgame. “We were really fired up. I wanted to play well for my teammates. My teammates wanted to play well for me and the seniors. So the camaraderie and the energy between us was just something that we’d never seen before this season. So there was no question coming in this game. I knew we were going to dominate because our team was just so focused throughout the whole week.”
Emotions and celebration are behind the Eagles. They face Notre Dame next week, and Machuca made sure to make that clear to his team in the postgame huddle.
“I know already there are some mistakes that we made,” Machuca said. “We got to clean it up, and tomorrow, at 1 o’clock, it’s over, and it’s on to Notre Dame.”
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