Bishop Gorman stuns Sundevils in opener

Tim Graham

Tuesday, Nov. 3, 1998 | 10:33 a.m.

Some knelt on one knee and bowed their heads in solitude. Some huddled with their arms around each other. Many cried.

Whether they contemplated alone or in groups, the Eldorado football players just couldn't find it in their hearts to leave the field. The Sundevils couldn't believe it was all over.

Eldorado, playing on its home turf, was shocked by Bishop Gorman 17-6 in the first round of the southern zone playoffs Monday night.

"I know we're a lot better than we were tonight," dejected Eldorado coach Ken Trujillo said. "It's just very hard for the kids to end it like this. It's a real disappointment."

The Sundevils (7-3) entered the postseason as the Sunrise Division's best team.

The Gaels (6-4) squeaked into the playoffs for the first time in 10 years as the Sunset Division's last entry. They needed a double-overtime victory over Durango in their regular-season finale to qualify.

"You guys think it's an upset, but I don't," first-year Gorman head coach Roger Whalen told reporters after the game.

"We came in here with a single purpose, as a single mind, a single soul, a single team."

The Gaels enacted their philosophy immediately. They blew the Sundevils off the ball and used a carousel of running backs to roll up yardage.

Gorman completed only one of five passes, but three backs rushed for at least 50 yards. Xabian Causey ran 14 times for 112 yards. Dyante Perkins and Clifton Whitehurst added 65 and 52 yards, respectively.

"I have to give props to the offensive line," Perkins said. "They opened up holes and we just ran through them. It was an all-out team effort."

Gorman scored on its second possession when Causey ran in from 7 yards out at 4:23 of the first quarter. Thomas Mueller added the extra point.

The Gaels doubled their lead by converting on the first turnover of the game. Four plays after Perkins intercepted Eldorado quarterback Arlie Daniel, Gorman signal caller Nick Didier scored on a 4-yard run.

Mueller tacked on a 25-yard field goal with 19 seconds left in the first half to complete Gorman's scoring.

In need of a break to get back into the game, Eldorado got one early in the third quarter.

Gorman's defense dealt Eldorado a three-and-out series to open the half. Daniel's punt took a long bounce and got behind Gorman return man Mike Holmes, who tried to track the ball down deep in his own territory. Holmes touched the ball, but couldn't pick it up. Eldorado's Sid Lowery recovered the muff on the Gaels' 10-yard line.

But the Sundevils' ensuing series summed up their evening: Running back DeMareo Robinson was thrown for an 8-yard loss on first down; an illegal substitution penalty moved them back another 5 yards; on second down, Daniel was sacked by Yannick Boka for a loss of 7 yards; facing third-and-goal from the 30, Daniel completed a pass to Robinson -- for 4 yards; Daniel's fourth-down toss fell incomplete in the end zone.

"I guess they just didn't want it as bad as we did," Perkins said.

Eldorado finally scored at 9:13 of the fourth quarter on a 1-yard plunge by Robinson to cap a 15-play drive. But the extra point was easily blocked by Ethan Lewis because the Sundevils only had 10 players on the field.

Robinson ran for 108 yards on 19 carries.

"We had bigger kids, but they were a little quicker than us," Trujillo said. "Their kids beat us to the punch."

The victory advances the Gaels to the southern zone semifinals, where they will visit Cimarron-Memorial Saturday at 5 p.m.

"We could play the (New York) Yankees next," Whalen said. "We don't care."