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Sam Morris / Las Vegas Sun
Bishop Gorman linebacker Quinn Zeger reacts at the end of Saturday’s game against Hamilton High of Chandler, Ariz., at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff in the Sollenberger Classic. Hamilton won the game in the closing minutes 24-17.
Saturday, Aug. 21, 2010 | 11:58 p.m.
Coach Tony Sanchez
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Bishop Gorman High football coach Tony Sanchez talks about the 2010 high school football season.
Prep Sports Now
Previewing the new football season
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Las Vegas Sun reporters Case Keefer and Ray Brewer discuss the upcoming high school football season. They will let you know whether or not anyone can dethrone defending state champion Bishop Gorman, release their state title sleepers teams and give a quick breakdown of the area's 30-plus schools.
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Bishop Gorman cheer coach Donna White hangs a banner Saturday in the J. Lawrence Walkup Skydome at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff before Gorman's game against Hamilton High of Chandler, Ariz., in the Sollenberger Classic.
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — Bishop Gorman High’s Shaquille Powell sat in the back of the visitor’s locker room at Northern Arizona University’s J. Lawrence Walkup Skydome in silence.
Powell didn’t need to speak. The look of dejection on his face told the entire story.
Powell rushed for 197 yards and a touchdown on 29 carries Saturday night, but it wasn’t enough as the No. 11 Gorman football team dropped its season opener 24-17 to No. 16 Hamilton High of Chandler, Ariz., in the Sollenberger Classic.
Gorman, which led the nation in scoring with 799 points last year, didn’t score its first touchdown until there was less than four minutes to play.
That’s when Powell scored on a 7-yard run to cap a scoring drive that saw Gorman, which trailed 17-9, twice gain a first down on fourth-down conversions. Quarterback Anu Solomon ran in the 2-point conversion to even the game at 17.
For a team that scored with relative ease all last season, struggling to find the end zone came as a surprise — especially for Powell.
“It was definitely a shock with how many mistakes we made,” he said. “They definitely made us one dimensional. You can’t win if your defense is always out there.”
Hamilton wasted little time in taking the lead for good following the Powell scoring run.
Quarterback Kyren Poe connected with Tanner Clay on a 56-yard reception to bring the ball deep into Gorman territory.
Poe scored the game winner with roughly 1:30 to play on a 1-yard quarterback keeper. The game clock was broken for most of the fourth quarter, and time was kept on the field.
Gorman went four-and-out on its next possession and Hamilton kneeled out the clock. It was the Gaels’ first loss since 2008 — they went 15-0 and won the state title last year.
“Am I disappointed? Absolutely,” Gorman coach Tony Sanchez said. “But at the end of the day, you have to cowboy-up and get back at it.”
One of the things they’ll surely work on is offensive efficiency.
Gorman, which only starts two seniors on offense, struggled most of the night moving the ball and was limited to three Colin Ditsworth field goals — 23, 44 and 43 yards — to take a 9-7 lead at halftime.
The Gaels, however, made improvements as the game progressed.
They were flagged for three false starts and one delay of game on their initial series of the game, struggling to adjust to a vocal Hamilton cheering section that caused communication errors. They went three-and-out and were forced to punt.
“(The noise) hurt with audibles and snap count,” Powell said. “That is a big part of football.”
But they regrouped on the sideline after the series and didn’t commit any false start penalties the remainder of the game. It’s those type of improvements Sanchez is looking for.
The Gaels schedule includes games against three quality out-of-state opponents, giving them plenty of opportunities to improve and work out the rough spots before they begin their title defense.
Another area they need to work on is defending the long pass. Twice, the Gorman secondary got burned for long plays, and both times Hamilton was able to score a touchdown — including the game-winner.
“At the end of the day, we expect to do more than learning and growing,” Sanchez said. “We expect to win the game.”
Solomon couldn’t find his rhythm and finished 6-of-17 for 58 yards and an interception. But he showed his grit by out-racing a pair of Hamilton defenders to end zone on the 2-point conversion.
“I was proud of our guys for holding (Gorman) to one touchdown,” Hamilton coach Steve Belles said. “I know that hasn’t happened to those guys in some time. We beat a very good Bishop Gorman team. I’m sure they are going to be tough to beat for those Nevada teams.”
Powell obviously wasn’t the lone player dejected in the locker room. But Sanchez and the other coaches remained positive. After all, it is only the third week in August and there is plenty of football left to play.
“It’s only Aug. 21,” Sanchez said. “We only had two weeks to get ready.”
Gorman returns to action Aug. 28 against Del Oro High of Northern California in its home opener.
They'll get routed by De La Salle, too.
Aloha WadItUp,
I honestly know Gorman will learn from last nights mistake's and win every game this year.
"For the Record" and if you're so sure of yourself, I like to make a friendly wager (bet). Ok here it is: If Gorman loses ANY games from now to the end of season, I'll donate $200.00 dollars ($100.00 Boys & Girls Club & $100.00 Helping Kids with Drug Addicted Parents). If they win ALL of their games, you'll buy at Burger King (100 Buck Doubles, 50 Fries, 50 Milk shakes). This way when the boys are eating, their be thanking you at the same time.
Let me know if you can back up your words, so we can meet and arrange above statement. Meaning, I'm serious, ready, willing & able to move forward before the next game.
Have a Positive & Blessed day.
hey tony et al what goes around comes around!!! really enjoyed the game!!!! hope pancho and lefty did also!!!!!!!
WadItUp would be foolish not to take that bet. This is not the same Gorman team as last year and De La Salle is a top 5 team in the country.
Gorman's defense was the weakness last night, and De La Salle's offense is much better then Hamilton's. They will grind it out and use the clock. Don't look past Del Oro either, another good team on their upcoming schedule.
Gorman lost to a very good team but will rebound and have a good season
Gorman will have a good season because they have the pick of the crop but their picks still don't compare to some of the other high school powerhouses. They will not be De La Salle though but will have a good season against Southern Nevada teams
Hey Quinn Zeger you talked behind his back but on the field how did it feel to get owned by #70 John Archuleta? OWNED. Both Hamilton rushing td's came behind #70. Learn some class, character and humility. Don't talk if you can't back it up on the field. Same with you Jaylon Jackson.
De La Salle"s offense and defense is better then hamiltons. Dylan wynn from De La Salle will be in gormans back field allnight he's a beast check is highlights on youtube. De La Salle looks like palo verdes 2008 team but twice or 3 times better. I highly doubt Gorman can beat them. Also theres theres 3 teams that can give Gorman a run for there money this year and they are PALO,DEL SOL,LAS VEGAS. Del sols the beast in the southeast, Vegas is the beast in the Northeast, and palo is the beast in there area.
Now that this years Gorman team already has a loss, every team they will be paying will be studying that film like theyve never studied film before. I agree that Del Sol, Palo, and Vegas all have a real shot at beating Groman. Liberty's team could also match up well against Groman, but they lack the speed.
kcanyon is out of his mind... Hamilton is a powerhouse and this game could have gone either way in the end. Hamilton is better than about 14,000 other high schools in the country a very close loss to a team like that is a hell of a lot more than any other Nevada team could say... Teams can study the game film all they want, with the exception of De la Salle none of Gorman's opponents have anywhere near the talent that Hamilton had.
tuasdad-he is far from being out of his mind. A team like Palo, who runs the double wing and can control the clock, is a team that can beat Gorman. Same with Del Sol, same with Vegas who runs multiple sets just like Hamilton did last night. You have to understand that this is another year...after last night it's clear that this team is not closed to the 2009 Gorman team.
I will be the first to say that Gorman's offensive line is one of the best I've ever seen in high school football, but there defense is something to be desired. Defense was the backbone of there team last year, and it's nothing close to what it was last year. Evan Zeger either had a terrible game or he is the most overrated D1 athlete I've ever seen. D1 athletes don't drop 2 touchdown passes or get beat deep like he did.
Palo and Del Sol, hell any double wing team, will be able to 3 yards and a cloud of dust Gorman this year. No doubt about it. I'm not as convinced as I once was that Gorman will run away with state this year. Now I know this is only after 1 game, but they are not as athletic as a whole as they were last year. I don't think it's even close.
Sanchez's coaching ability was at it's finest last night when it was 4th and 10 in the final minute and he had 10 guys on the field. They had to run an 11th man onto the field just before the playclock ran out. He had shut it down along with the players when there was still a minute left to drive the field and score - I don't know what you all think, but in a situation like that when there is still time to score, that is not good coaching.
It was a great game from start to finish, congrats to the kicker who put the first 9 pts on the board.... Hope the team learns from their mistakes and grow from it, I believe they'll have an awesome year. For all you BGHS haters, get a life, go rag on someone else....
To the coaches at BGHS, ya'll rock.....
BGHS fans...best prepare yourself for the Black and Gold...You might find yourself wondering what to do after back to back losses! The Del Oro Golden Eagles are on the way!
this was a great game and i know the boys will learn from this loss
they will have a great season ahead of them
too all the haters: i go to Gorman and the fact that you guys only have negative things to say about these boys is immature to say the least. to have pure negativity to say about these teenagers only makes you look ignorant & stupid.
if you have nothing positive or constructive to say, don't say it at all.
have some class and humility.
it's sad that at 16 i have more maturity than you supposed "adults"
gorman 2012, and all BG supporters,
I am a parent who has had the opportunity to watch Gorman FB since 2004 since my two boys are in the same division as them. I have also had the pleasure of watching some high caliber California teams as well. And this is what I have noticed of BG FB, and this is just a piece of why I dislike the program/school. BG players are very arrogant in such a way as doing the old "cut-throat" gesture, late hitting and, other actions that produce many unsportsmanlike penalties.
I felt the 2 players who were the worst at this was DJ Ingram & Tim Wilkinson. If your wanting to be an elite school and show some class, look at other schools when they play. Sure your gonna say every player does it. I have taught my sons that when you make great plays you act like you've done it before and don't disrespect the game.
I'll mention one other situation that bothers me with the parents and kids that go there. I drive my daughter to Fertitta MS and driving down Hualapai every day, I see both the parents as well as the students driving up to 50mph in a 35mph street. And then laugh when Metro is there pulling them over. And its EVERYDAY!! And you know its BG parents and students and they think that they have the right to drive that speed.
So, if you guys want to be an elite school, show some class on and off the field.
I am a former player from BGHS, and i can say that the most shocking thing I ever experienced is how parents from other schools can take all there anger out on me and my teammates for things we cannot control. You all get caught up in whatever rumor you here and set it in stone as proof that Gorman is based on money and evil. I'm not going to lie, there were some arrogant people there, but none of them were in the football program. And the ones that were remotely close to arrogance were removed when Coach Sanchez was put in charge. We practiced hard and played harder. We took our character from the field to the classroom and made a lot of people proud. NOONE was on a scholarship outside of financial aid based on hardship, and noone was promised material rewards for playing for BGHS. The reason Nevada football cannot excel enough to dominate Gorman is because you spend more time condemning what you THINK we're doing and making excuses of why we win than preparing to beat us.
Gorman just lost a game. In there defense, they haven't had any competition to be ready for such a big game. But in there fault, some of the key players spent more time in the offseason talking crap than preparing to defend there title. They lost sight of what they played for, and frankly, I'm glad they got shot off there high and mighty horse. Some of these players weren't even a part of the team last year, so they had no right to claim the title we had worked so hard for. Now they can realize that there is always someone better than them, and always someone ready to knock them off the top. When my class practiced, we practiced for blood sweat and tears. We practiced for each other. You've lost sight of that Gaels. And you don't have much time to get it back. Forget what the city thinks of you. There gunna hate you with everything they've got because they feel like your taking their glory and theres nothing they can do about it. Fight for each other. Fight every day. And be humble off the field. Get back to GATA
Financial aid? Psh. If Gorman was so concerned about the education of those students, they'd educate them for free and have them play sports for their home schools.
Community is the spirit of high school sports, and cherrypicking athletes from all over the city to win defies that spirit.
hey real talk get off your soap box with you diatribe save it for religion 101 in the chapel. the best team won and i'm sure the brain trust pancho,lefty,tony et al are trying to figure out que paso??????
Gorman-2012, listen to P8. Trust me. BGHS isn't hated arbitrarily. Sure, you can point to the fact that it's a private school with the ability of offer scollies to athletes. But the REAL reason they're disliked around the valley is the manner in which the athletes, parents and some of the coaches act. I love it when people cry "haters, keep on hatin" as if there isn't any validity in it. Keep thinking you're humble and mature, kiddo.
Polynesian, get that check ready. Can you donate the check directly to the Drake Street unit in Henderson? If so, let's do business!
Plus, I wouldn't put any value into a coach who drops excuses: "It's only Aug. 21," Sanchez said. "We only had two weeks to get ready." I understand the media isn't flawless at conveying context, but in reality, they had the entire summer to get ready.
If these kids are really the valley football gods everyone makes them out to be, those upperclassmen would have had that team conditioned and ready to go so when camp opened. You can have unorganized team conditioning. It's what the big college programs do.
Instead of conditioning for 4-5 days, they could start installing offensive and defensive gameplans. If they DID do that, then the coach is at fault, for having 2 weeks to set him kids up for success. Either way, it wasn't that bad of a loss. But if they lost to Hamilton by 7, they'll get crushed by DeLaSalle. Simple as that.
Also, it's pretty apparant where Gorman's focus is as a school. Their athletic programs are top-notch, but their alumni often aren't taught the difference between they're-there-their, hear-here, where-we're-were.
Just playfully stirrin'...
Educate them for free....at a school that isn't funded by Clark County so they have to pay tuition. Your right you've solved the problem. But wait....that would be recruiting. Strange...
And yes thats exactly what they do. They go to the best athletes house to get them come to Gorman. Lets go through that convorsation...
Hey come to Gorman!! We win a lot. It cost a lot for tuition though, but we can help you out with financial aid!! Of course, you'd still be paying about $8000 a year and the classes harder than some college courses, but hey we win!
Yay! I'll go register now...
Sorry to tell you, but Gorman recruits itself. You have a better chance at earning a college scholarship and its a higher education. We apologize for having generous sponsors, a beautiful campus, and a better chance at college, we really do. But really, nothing you say or do will change that.
And, evidently, you have spectacular grammar instructors.
Anyone who thinks Gorman recruits is wrong. They have a beautiful campus, an elite sports program, and a high-end education. Who wouldn't want to go to that school? Everyone needs to stop spreading lies and rumors. Get over it! I'm sorry you don't go there but don't cry to the media about it.
Gotta tell you that I am loving it that John Archuleta (formerly of Green Valley) starts for Hamilton and led the way on the first TD. Good Lucl Del Oro and hammer those guys.
@CUBUFFNAZ how many times you want to gloat a bout it? Gorman will definately rebound from the Hamilton game. Del Oro don't get your ahead of yourself. Still have to win the game first against the state champs.