
Ramblers get 2 historic performances in 1 night in War on the Shore victory
The annual War on the Shore always makes for a special night at Loyola Academy. To describe this year’s iteration, though, you can add “unforgettable.”
The host Ramblers bested fellow local power Niles North 68-63 on Saturday in Wilmette behind two all-time Loyola performances: senior Brendan Loftus’ 40 points and junior Trey Williams’ triple-double.
Loyola coach Tom Livatino said Loftus became one of three Ramblers (Colin Falls twice, 2022-’23) to record at least 40 points, and Williams’ showing (12 points, 14 rebounds, 10 assists) was the first Loyola triple-double in at least 20 years.
“These are all-time-type performances,” Livatino said.
Loftus did most of his work in the paint. He converted 15 of his 18 field-goal attempts while also grabbing 13 rebounds.
Loftus is also a Ramblers football player, who will compete as a tight end for Miami University (Ohio) starting next season. That means, his basketball season begins later than most, as he transitions sports and playing conditions.
Lately, the senior big man is proving that he’s all caught up. While his 40 and 13 night on Saturday is the highlight, Loftus’ other recent performances include: 17 points and 14 rebounds in a Jan. 30 win against St. Pat’s; 12 points and 14 rebounds in a win against Mount Carmel on Jan. 24; and 18 points and 16 rebounds in a win against Downers Grove South on Jan. 7.
“Brendan is playing so well,” Livatino said. “Basketball is clearly his second sport, so he doesn’t get the reps. Now he’s gotten a lot of reps, and he keeps getting better and better.
“It’s a testament to him. He’s the ultimate grinder. He just doesn’t know slow. … I’m really proud of him.”
The 40-point night was the most productive by far in Loftus’ high school career, he said, guessing that his previous high was around 22 points — though, in junior high he remembers racking up nearly 60 in a game.
But he took limited credit for the effort, passing it on to his teammates, such as Williams, for setting up his opportunities.
“I really like that Trey (Williams) was pushing the ball up the floor, and Niles North’s defense was keying on our shooters and that opened things up for me,” he said. “I went to the jump hook and it was really working for me so I stuck with it.”
Williams all-around production was in line with the skillset he’s displayed all season. The junior point guard regularly stuffs the stat sheet and has acted as Loyola’s floor general this year.
“Trey Williams is really starting to put it all together and is demonstrating how to be a point guard,” Livatino said. “He’s been more efficient with his assist-to-turnover ratio and is really playing well. And he is always rebounding.”
Williams and Loftus have been two keys to the Ramblers’ impressive stretch of play in January. Loyola (20-6, 6-3) went 7-2 in the month, including wins over top-25 teams (at the time, ranked by Chicago Sun-Times) Fenwick, Mount Carmel and Niles North. Their losses came to No. 4 DePaul Prep and No. 11 Evanston.
The Ramblers still have an outside shot at the Chicago Catholic League Blue title and are positioning themselves for a top-three seed in the New Trier Sectional.
Livatino said he “couldn’t be prouder where we are right now,” and Loftus added that the team is where it needs to be.
“We’ve been playing our best basketball the past couple of weeks,” he said. “Outside of that Evanston game … the whole month of January we’ve played well.
“If we keep playing fast and getting stops on defense, we’re going to be fine.”
More War on the Shore action
Saturday’s event was invented by Livatino 15 years ago to showcase North Shore-area basketball, and the shore teams showed out on Saturday.
New Trier, Evanston and Loyola all won their matchups.
The Trevians used a strong second-half effort to rout 20-win McHenry 70-43, while Evanston (20-4) continued its impressive campaign with a 59-55 victory against highly ranked Benet Academy (21-5).
The War on the Shore doubles as a fundraiser for the Danny Did Foundation, which supports research and education related to sudden unexpected death in epilepsy.
“The event is awesome; every year it is awesome,” Livatino said. “It’s a great way to promote and celebrate what the Danny Did Foundation is doing and give them a good platform. That’s always really important to us.”
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Joe Coughlin
Joe Coughlin is a co-founder and the editor in chief of The Record. He leads investigative reporting and reports on anything else needed. Joe has been recognized for his investigative reporting and sports reporting, feature writing and photojournalism. Follow Joe on Twitter @joec2319