On Friday, October 31, the Loyola Cubs were scheduled to play the Sierra Canyon Trailblazers.
With a 4-5 record (1-3 in league play), Sierra Canyon came into the game undefeated at 9-0, scoring 43.7 points per game on average, and giving up just 4.
Although the cited sources do not have the final official score for the October 31 game, historical data indicates that Sierra Canyon outscored Loyola in their most recent meeting on October 25, 2024.
A similar result was anticipated given their season profiles: a strong, high-scoring Sierra Canyon attack vs a Loyola squad that struggled on both offense and defense.
The game was Loyola’s home finale to the regular season; it was an opportunity to rally against a formidable foe.
Takeaway: Because of Sierra Canyon’s season-long domination and Loyola’s difficulties, the game was heavily skewed in their favor. This was Loyola’s final home game to gain momentum, but it was probably going to be a difficult one.
On October 25, 2025, the Tide defeated the South Carolina Gamecocks 29–22.
After that win, their 2025 record is 7-1 (5-0 in the SEC).
They had resumed a potent passing game earlier in the season, as evidenced by their 38-14 victory over the Wisconsin Badgers, in which quarterback Ty Simpson threw for 382 yards and four touchdowns.
However, there were some weaknesses in the South Carolina game; although Alabama won, the 7-point margin was smaller than many anticipated considering their hopes of winning the championship.
The Tide are ranked 16th offensively in passing yards per game (~291.6 yards), but they are far less effective on the ground (~118.9 yards).
Maintaining momentum and enhancing balance (run + pass) will be essential in the following conference games, such as the one against the LSU Tigers.
Conclusion: Despite displaying weaknesses that need to be fixed, Alabama is still very much in the running for the playoffs. Their close victory over South Carolina demonstrates their tenacity as well as the reality that they are not impervious to criticism.
Sierra Canyon dominates Loyola in the high school game, which is essentially a script-follower. Instead, the attention of fans and commentators may turn to how Sierra Canyon continues this run or how Loyola reacts the following season.
Alabama’s performance on the collegiate level is more significant; they are a championship powerhouse that still has a lot of potential, but they also showed where they need to improve, particularly in the run game, if they want to win a national championship again.
