6 more Loyola football players sign letters of intent, plus 7 other Ramblers — including one in two sports

High-level student-athletes were once again on display in the Loyola Academy gymnasium on Wednesday, Feb. 1.

But this celebration came without a scoreboard as 13 Ramblers were recognized for their college commitments on the penultimate National Letter of Intent signing day of the school year.

Six more Loyola football players found their collegiate homes, joining the five others who signed on the Dec. 21 date. That makes at least 11 players from the 2022 IHSA Class 8A champions who will compete at the next level.

The new signees included two offensive linemen — Will Emerson (Trinity College) and Brady Moffitt (Denison University) — as well as a defensive lineman (Michael Kostantonov, University of Missouri). Wide receiver Declan Forde is headed to Colorado School of Mines and long snapper Claude Strnad to Illinois State University, while safety Johnny McGuire — the team leader in tackles (79) will join classmate and teammate Jack Fitzgerald on the Northwestern football team.

“John is one of the best all-around players to have come through Loyola Academy,” assistant coach Pete Devine said. “John is a two-year starter at free safety and was also a punishing short yardage running back. When a big play needed to be made, we could count on John to answer the bell. 

“He was a team captain and the true leader of our defense. John’s qualities of being unselfish, extremely intelligent, and explosively athletic, made him a great teammate.”

Three Loyola Ramblers also participated in the ceremonies. Gus Berne will row for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Sofia D’Ascenzo and Emmy Panagakis will continue rowing with Kansas and Duke, respectively.

Lacrosse player Dottie Ghislandi (Middlebury College), hockey player Maddie Quinn (St. Michael’s College) and volleyball player Maria Stevens (DePauw University) were also among the student-athletes celebrating the continued pursuit of their sport.

But Emmy Christopher was not.

Christopher was celebrating the continued pursuit of two sports. The senior will compete on the soccer and track teams for Middlebury.

“It is no surprise to be celebrating Emmy’s commitment to continue her career as a student-athlete in both soccer and track,” soccer coach Shannon Hartinger said. “She is both driven and dedicated to all that she does which has led her to excel in the classroom, on the field and when sprinting around the track.”

Wrestler Massey Odiotti was also honored and will compete with Northwestern next season.

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