Western, Gorman to battle for title

Spencer Patterson

Thursday, Oct. 26, 2000 | 10:56 a.m.

Things haven't exactly gone according to plan for Bishop Gorman and Western this football season.

Expected to battle, along with Durango, for the Southwest Division title, the Gaels and Warriors were slowed by more than their share of roadblocks this fall, with both teams struggling to keep their head above water at times.

For Gorman, this season's travails have been well documented, most notably the recent loss of 16 players due to a combination of injuries, ineligibility and a suspension stemming from a team drug test.

"It's been hard holding things together," Gaels coach Roger Whalen said. "It got to the point where I'd come in first thing in the morning not knowing what to expect. It was such a disruptive force."

Western's 2000 campaign began on an ominous note even before the team's first game, when running back Rossi Poole -- expected to be among the top rushers in town -- was ruled ineligible for the season. That set the tone for a year that saw several key performers, including two-way star Chris Lightford, go down with season-ending injuries.

"It's been a tough season," Warriors coach Rich Stevens said. "At one point we lost two games in a row, and these kids could have easily given up when things weren't going their way."

Yet somehow, despite all their trials and tribulations, Gorman and Western will end the regular season tonight exactly where everyone figured they would -- playing with the division title hanging in the balance.

For Gorman (5-3, 3-0) a win at Western tonight will clinch the division and the home field advantage that goes along with it for the upcoming 4A Sunset Region Tournament -- something that hardly seemed possible just two weeks ago, when the Gaels fell 17-7 at Centennial.

"When we had 16 kids out, I looked over and said we could take those kids sitting down and beat the team we had on the field," Whalen said. "But I've got to hand it to the kids. They kept the ship upright and kept rolling. Maybe we're ready to go to the promised land after wandering around in the wilderness for a couple of weeks."

A win by Western (4-4, 2-1) tonight could give the Warriors the division title, although a Durango victory over winless Bonanza would force a three-way tie between the Gaels, Warriors and Trailblazers. Under that scenario, the margin of victory in tonight's Gorman-Western game would then be a tiebreaking factor.

"We could still win the division, but we're 4-4 right now and we've never had a losing season over here, so this is also a matter of pride," Stevens said. "I asked my players, 'Do you want to be 5-4 or 4-5? Who wants to be the first losing team here in 10 years or so?' I don't want any part of it."

For the first time in three weeks, the No. 10 Gaels will take the field with both of their senior stars -- quarterback Dyante Perkins and tailback Jason Rogers, a duo that has accounted for nearly 2,000 rushing yards and combined for 35 touchdowns this season.

"I see they're going to have all the guys back that they missed, including their stud running back and stud quarterback," Stevens said. "They're going to do what they always do -- run all over everybody. They pretty much do what they want at will offensively."

To pull off the upset, the Warriors will likely need to run effectively, in order to eat up clock and keep the Gaels' potent offense off the field. Speedy junior Aaron Denson -- once fourth on the depth chart behind Poole, Lightford and Rodney Martin (since moved to defense) -- has emerged as the primary ballcarrier, scoring his first two touchdowns last week.

"We've got to have some defensive stops against the run," Whalen said. "Those guys are capable of putting together a 13- or 14-play drive and taking six or seven minutes off the clock. If they do that, it will be a long night."