Top-ranked Loyola and star QB Ryan Fitzgerald eye a state title three-peat

Loyola’s recent football dominance spans hundreds of players and two head coaches. More than any school in the Chicago area, the Ramblers aren’t reliant on stars or a particular coach.

Senior linebacker Charlie Daly has an interesting theory about how the program has maintained such a high level of success.

‘‘It’s because of how the older guys treat the younger guys,’’ Daly told the Sun-Times. ‘‘When you come as a freshman, you are welcomed. And then when you hit varsity, the seniors do the same.

‘‘Last year, the seniors treated me so well that it made me want to work harder. That’s what I’m trying to do right now, welcome these juniors. It gives you the will to grind and leads to accountability.’’

All that kindness has paid off on the field. Loyola has won back-to-back Class 8A state titles, is 45-2 in the last four seasons and has won 22 consecutive road games. The Ramblers’ last loss away from home was on Sept. 20, 2019, at Mount Carmel.

It comes as no surprise, then, that Loyola is the top-ranked team in the preseason Super 25.

‘‘We take pride in not losing,’’ quarterback Ryan Fitzgerald said. ‘‘We want to win every single game. Even on the sophomore team, we didn’t lose a game for five years or something. You don’t want to be the team that messes it up.’’

Fitzgerald, an Iowa recruit, led the Ramblers to a 14-0 record last season. It was his first season on varsity and Beau Desherow’s first as head coach.

‘‘This year, the communication is better with [Desherow],’’ Fitzgerald said. ‘‘Last year, we weren’t as talkative. But now we are finding out what is best for the team and a way to win.’’

Fitzgerald passed for 2,141 yards and 20 touchdowns and ran for 634 yards and 14 TDs last season. He threw only one interception and completed 64% of his passes.

Loyola’s offense has all kinds of firepower, with Iowa recruit Drew MacPherson and senior Luke Foster at running back. Tight end Brendan Loftus (Miami of Ohio) and wide receivers Will Carlson and Conlon Kane should be Fitzgerald’s top targets.

Desherow said he is expecting big things from the defensive line, led by Connor Sullivan (San Diego State), Thomas Ghislandi (Army) and junior Kai Calcutt, a nationally ranked wrestler.

‘‘We are really excited about the season [Calcutt] is going to have,’’ Desherow said. ‘‘He’s a big, explosive kid.’’

Former head coach John Holecek has returned to coach the linebackers, and there is another big addition to campus: lights on the football field.

For the first time in school history, the Ramblers will play home games under the lights Friday night.

‘‘We will always have one Saturday game,’’ Desherow said. ‘‘That is special here — when I played and when my kids played and going back a long time. But Friday night games will be great for our student body.’’

Overall, Loyola has significantly more future college players than it normally does. The timing for that worked out well. Right when Lincoln-Way East wound up with a load of future college players, the Ramblers did, too.

Loyola has beaten Lincoln-Way East in the last two Class 8A title games and has ended the Griffins’ season each of the last three years.

‘‘It’s an anomaly for us to have as many college recruits as we have this year,’’ Desherow said. ‘‘We always have a lot of good, smart, tough football players. But it doesn’t always translate to the next level.’’