On paper, this looks to be one of the best quarterfinal matchups. However, even after 11 weeks, I'm not sure we know what Marist has. They destroyed a good 6A team in Naz, but other than that, where are the signature wins? Rice was down this year, so that game does not provide clarity. They got a great 8A draw in the first two rounds in OPRF and Curie. Well, the nice draw ends this weekend. The Ramblers await. We shall see whether the Redhawks are true 8A contenders.
Marist vs. Loyola
- Thread starter pjjp
- Start date
I think this will be a very close game and probably determined in the last two minutes of the game.
This is the heavyweight fight some assumed would happen this weekend in Willmette. Great quarter match along with Oswego and LWE and NC MS. All of these games are heavyweight matches.
As an unabashed critic of Marist's conference & schedule, this is where I predicted it would end many weeks ago. Time to put up or shut up for the Redhawks. If they can get it done hats off to them but personally having seen both teams play firsthand I don't see this one ending well. Lay an egg and the critique of an 8A school playing in a 4A/5A/6A conference will continue until they accept the invite to the Blue. Good luck for a hard fought, injury-free game on both sides.
Ccl blue is defiantly better then the escc. But let's not act like Marist plays cupcakes. The last 2 years jca has been down but before that they were usually a top 25 team in the state regardless of class. Max has also been a top 25 team in the last 3 years. And Marist has played at least 1 ccl blue team every year. I think Marist has the talent edge and Loyola the coaching edge. Time will only tell which team wins should be a great game.
First, there are no 4a teams in the ESCC. The breakdown is 3 8A, 2 7A, 1 6A, 4 5A (Marian is not multiplied or would be 7A) Second, Loyola schedule consisted of 2 8A teams (I considered Amat 8A), 3 7A teams, 1 6A team, 2 5A teams and a 3A team. Marist played 3 8A teams, 2 7A teams, 1 6A team and 3 5A teams. If you are going to define a schedules toughness by enrollment, Marist played a tougher schedule, but that doesnt fit your narritive.
Loyola is the best team in the state. Barring some crucial turnovers, Loyola's 2nd team goes in by the start of the 4th quarter
I think you know what I mean in terms of tough scheduling. I’ll use your 8A teams for example. Do the names Niles Notre Dame, Carmel of Mundelein strike the fear traditionally of the CCL gauntlet of MC,SR, Provi, LA (all of whom are still alive)? No. I’ve said this all year, eventually they’d have to face a good team. The time has come. Let’s see what they are made of.
Gorice
Your jealousy of Marist is obvious. You act like Rice is some traditional world beater. They are not. As USD pointed out, your weak schedule argument also makes no sense. Let me point out another few to you.
-MHS is co-Ed and the blue has 1 coed school. Sounds like a scheduling nightmare to me.
- ESCC is a great conference in most sports.
- MC will not be in Blue next year
- Rita, provi, MC and Loyola have made the blue historically great and powerful. Not rice
- the 4 aforementioned teams have something rice does not. Historic football consistency and multiple state titles.
- rice has what, 2 years they placed in State?
Now, back to the thread subject. I think Dunne started focusing on putting great atheletes on D a couple years back. Now new coach has a great D. That makes this game a pick em in my mind. Loyola should not be able to run up the middle at will like they did against HC. Holocek is a great coach too. So his experience may pull it out for them.
Marist played and beat 3 quarterfinal schools (1 5A, 1 6A, 1 7A), Loyola played and beat 3 quarterfinal schools (1 6A, 2 7A). Loyola lost to the 5A quarterfinal team they played. Based on this, seems like they played a pretty comparible schedule.
Ramblers by at least 3 touchdowns. This one won't be close. Much like their state championship meeting a couple years ago.
Marist loses to Loyola. If fact they lose to PC, MC, and SR too.
But Congrats to the girls at Marist for beating McAuley in the volleyball semi-finals.
But Congrats to the girls at Marist for beating McAuley in the volleyball semi-finals.
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Actually, your statement is an opinion. In fact, they have not played PC,MC and SR. Does your tune change if they beat Loyola
What point? They have not played MC, PC or SR, so we dont know who would have won
So if Marist beats Loyola, you will say they would lose to MC, PC and SR?
Won’t happen. I’ll bet my screen name on it. They win, I’m “GoRedhawks”.
Ok..As long as you say it wont happen, I am convinced.
Wow some big time statements in this thread.
Regardless of who wins next week - I think it is a huge stretch to say Marist would finish 5th in the Blue. Yes Blue having a fantastic playoffs this year - but what did it look like just 12 months ago in the playoffs?
I need to see the game next weekend - but I would say (my opinion only) Marist would finish first or second in the Blue this year. Ironically depending on the outcome of the Loyola/Marist game to determine first and second.
Regardless of who wins next week - I think it is a huge stretch to say Marist would finish 5th in the Blue. Yes Blue having a fantastic playoffs this year - but what did it look like just 12 months ago in the playoffs?
I need to see the game next weekend - but I would say (my opinion only) Marist would finish first or second in the Blue this year. Ironically depending on the outcome of the Loyola/Marist game to determine first and second.
I think it will be a very good game. Have you seen Marist play since game 1 versus your beloved Crusaders. Because like I have said before Marist is totally different team then they were week 1. That was clearly there worst performance of the year.
I cannot speak about Loyola because I have not seen them play, but make no mistake about it that Marist team is a very good football team and well coached.
I have my doubts as to whether or not Marist's schedule prepared them to play an elite 8A team such as Loyola. However, I would favor Marist against PC, Rita and MC this year. Then again, that's just an opinion.
BTW....the ESCC has two 8A teams (Marist and ND). Pat's is no longer 8A. They are 7A with Benet and Carmel. Marist did not play ND this year, so they played zero 8A conference teams.
BTW....the ESCC has two 8A teams (Marist and ND). Pat's is no longer 8A. They are 7A with Benet and Carmel. Marist did not play ND this year, so they played zero 8A conference teams.
Here's the thing about the blue and the crossovers, you can't cherry pick whether a team can beat Team A, Team B, Team C. Like I put in another thread, Rita played 4 quarter finalists in a row after playing a state second rounder. Could Marist beat everyone say on a Rita schedule, sure, but just remember it's not in a vacuum, it's play Team A, wake up play team B, wake up play Team C and on and on. I have nothing but respect for the Marist program and they should give LA all they can handle if not win. I just cringe when people try to say some team could beat this team or finish somewhere in another's conference hypothetically, without taking in the full context of that hypothetical.
There is a lot to be said about dealing with the grind of playing good team after good team without any cupcakes to rest upon inbetween. Very very good point.
And St Francis and Leo aren't cupcakes? Both are on LA's schedule
Yes cupcakes
Yes for LA
But some of the other Blue teams didn’t have 2 cupcakes. Maybe only one and only in non con or crossover. (Unless folks decide Brother Rice is a cupcake this year)
In fairness I think there is a cupcake or two in the ESCC Conference as well. It’s tough to not have any cupcakes in a large Conference (DVC has at least one cupcake).
I think it’s more about the week to week grind of back to back to back tough games. That was the original point and I totally agree with it.
I think their is something to be said not just playing a blue team once but then playing them week after week is such a grind and is what really makes it difficult.
I'm a Montini fan and will soon feel the wrath of the blue next year. Personally I think Montini would have to increase their enrollment from 650 to 900 students to really compete. This is not going to happen.
As for Marist I like their team this year but I really don't know if they could get through the blue grind. They definitely have enough students and therefore should just join the blue and find out.
I'm a Montini fan and will soon feel the wrath of the blue next year. Personally I think Montini would have to increase their enrollment from 650 to 900 students to really compete. This is not going to happen.
As for Marist I like their team this year but I really don't know if they could get through the blue grind. They definitely have enough students and therefore should just join the blue and find out.
Actually Marist should be playing BR MC PC SR every year. But they were the catalyst to break up the Catholic Metro Conference were they not?
I get that. As I said in a later post, it's my opinion that Marist would be favored against those Blue teams, with the exception of Loyola. IMO, Marist has better talent than PC, Rita and MC. Your point also plays into my original post. The grind of a tough conference schedule prepares teams for the playoffs. Marist did not have such a grind, thus I question their preparedness for the 8A playoffs moving forward (not their first two games).
However, I will say Marist had only one psuedo bye week (Marian Catholic). The dirty little secret that no one in the Blue likes to mention are the weeks where the Blue teams play the likes of the CCL Red or some of the White. Those weeks allow the Blue teams to rest players with minor injuries and still handily win the games. Look at the DVC. There are no "bye" weeks there. Now that is a true meat grinder of a schedule, and it's also the primary reason why the conference is breaking up.
Good Luck to Marist!
Did not mean to be negative at all. Hopefully my relatives at Loyola are not reading this.
Did not mean to be negative at all. Hopefully my relatives at Loyola are not reading this.
Not to rehash the CMC but Carmel and Marian Catholic were the loudest mouths to dissolve the CMC