August 22 came and passed without a Loyola Academy Football game.

The Ramblers were fresh off a second place finish in the Catholic blue division and 8-4 record. The promising Rambler squad was going to be headlined by an experienced offense and the always stout defense. Unfortunately, COVID-19 postponed the season to a later date. These unfortunate circumstances have put the breaks on the 8A title hopes. 

That’s not to say that good news hasn’t come from the team. The recruiting and commitments have been active all summer. Most notably, is offensive lineman Josh Kreutz. 

On July 9, Kreutz announced his commitment to the University of Illinois. He will join former Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith. Smith is as accomplished as it gets, being the first African American coach to reach the Super Bowl in 2006 and NFL Coach of the Year in 2005. Kruetz will join the team fresh off a program changing win in October of 2019 vs #6 Wisconsin. 

Another exciting commitment was Brandon Svets’ decision to attend Harvard University. Svets joins a long line of Loyola football players to attend Ivy League schools. In recent years the Ramblers have sent Jake Gonzalez to Penn and Cal Falkenhayn to Columbia, just to name a few. 

Harvard’s 2021 class looks very promising, as it sits at number 2 in the Ivy League according to 247.com. The ability to attend one of the world’s most prestigious universities, while also playing the sport he loves is certainly something to celebrate for Brandon Svets even in the midst of a postponed season. 

The commitments don’t stop there. Cooper Tamisiea just recently announced his commitment to Colby College in Maine. Tamisiea’s commitment now makes four out of the five starting offensive linemen from the 2019 team to play college football. Cooper’s combination size and strength should really help him at the next level. 

I also caught up with Nationally ranked kicker, Nate Van Zelst. He explains the complexity of the recruiting process, but sees a light at the end of the tunnel. “It’s all delayed and camps are being cancelled.” Kickers normally showcase their talents in a variety of camps in the month of June, but the pandemic limited that. 

Nate also described the impact that the postponed season has, “Kicking wise I’m at a disadvantage because I can’t prove myself in the games.” 

Luckily for Nate, he has kept in touch with coaches on phone calls. “I’m talking to Miami, Northwestern, Wisconsin, and Nebraska.” Nate already holds offers from Miami of Ohio, Dayton, Colgate and Yale.

It’s great to see that there is light at the end of the tunnel for Nate, as he is excited to announce his commitment at some point this year.