Loara’s Lance Neal enjoys coaching return and leads Saxons into CIF finals

Loara football coach Lance Neal with two of his standout players, Abraham Chavez (left) and Cesar Vazquez. (Photo Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone).

Loara’s first year head football coach Lance Neal has had quite a first season leading the Saxons, who will take on Rialto Friday night at 7 at Glover Stadium in the CIF Division 14 championship game.

Neal used to coach high school football, but more recently he was athletic director at Beckman, then Laguna Beach before taking the Loara job.

“I’m enjoying coaching again. I really loved being an athletic director and working with the adults,” Neal said Monday. “It’s been a lot of fun being more involved with the kids again.”

Neal has enjoyed the Saxons ride to the championship game. Loara (7-6 overall) defeated Neubridge View 30-8, Pomona 21-7 and then topped Alhambra 28-19 in the semifinals to advance to the finals.

“I’m excited, this is fun, it’s nothing you ever plan on,” Neal said at the CIF media football press conference. “I’ve got a coat on today because I may never be here again and I want to do it right the time I’m here.

“We fell into a great situation with Mitch Olson (former coach) having run the program previously and a great group of kids when I got here and Loara has a great athletic tradition. It’s just a really good opportunity to fall into.”

Loara has been led by linebacker/running backs Cesar Vazquez and Abraham Chavez and sophomore running back Ezra Tafilele.

But many players have stepped up this year, Neal said.

“All of our seniors have been really good all year,” he said. “I recognize all of them equally because it was hard on them with Coach Olson leaving late and me coming in late and we were 2-6 at a point in time and they really had to dig in and buy in and keep moving forward so all of our seniors deserve a great deal of praise.”

Neal said the Saxons face a tough challenge from Rialto, which defeated Artesia 40-28, Garey 50-35 and Indian Springs 56-38. Rialto is also 7-6 overall.

“They scored 100 points in the last two games and they’ve got some really good players,” Neal said. “I was talking to their head coach, Coach (Robert) Mitchell and they run something similar to what Myron Miller used to do at Tustin and they do it really, really well, maybe as good as anybody as Coach Miller. They’ve got some really good guys running the ball so they’re a really fine high school football team.”

Loara’s last appearance in the CIF finals was in 1979, according to Neal. Loara defeated Canyon 28-23 in the Southern Division finals at Anaheim Stadium.

—Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com