Gorman takes another state championship with big victory over Reno’s McQueen

By Case Keefer (contact)

Published Saturday, Dec. 4, 2010 | 11:51 a.m.

Updated Saturday, Dec. 4, 2010 | 2:33 p.m.

Final: Gorman wins 40-0

All year, Bishop Gorman smothered opponents and dominated games from start to finish.

The state championship against McQueen at Sam Boyd Stadium Saturday afternoon was no different. The Gaels outclassed the Lancers in every way en route to a 40-0 victory.

Bishop Gorman players and coaches have invaded the field to celebrate their second straight state championship and third in four years. They will have plenty to remember from this one.

Sophomore quarterback Anu Solomon threw three touchdown passes, with two of them going to sophomore Ryan Smith. Junior running back Shaquille Powell scored a rushing touchdown, as did senior Jordan Welte.

Both Powell and Smith eclipsed 100 yards of offense. Defensively, a number of Gaels rose to the occasion.

Sophomore cornerback Jelani Walls is most responsible for the shutout as he had an interception and blocked field goal. Seniors Jaylon Jackson, Ron Lyles and Jalen Grimble all contributed a handful of tackles.

End of third quarter, Gorman leads 40-0

An already tough afternoon has taken a serious turn for the worse for McQueen.

Lancers center Blake Tout was just carted off of the field and loaded into an ambulance after a hit midway through the third quarter. He initially appeared to not be moving, but had lower-body movement as he was taken off of the field. Meanwhile, Bishop Gorman added another touchdown and leads 40-0.

Shaquille Powell was the latest Gael to find the end zone on a 10-yard rush. Gorman received a short field to work with after a long punt return Jamir Tillman.

Not much has gone right for McQueen in the last week. Although they beat Liberty to reach the state championships, they lost three leaders with season-ending injuries in that game. This injury looks to be another serious one.

It would be more than understandable if the Lancers mind is somewhere other than the football field right now.

7:30 remaining third quarter, Gorman up 33-0

Make it a five-score game.

Anu Solomon just threw his third touchdown pass of the game, an 11-yard slant to Jamir Tillman. The Gaels now lead the Lancers 33-0.

Despite one interception, Solomon has displayed pinpoint accuracy all afternoon for Gorman. The drive started out with a 25-yard pass from Solomon to senior Trey Perry. Shaq Powell added a couple first down runs in between Perry's catch and the touchdown.

Gorman is simply rolling. The only intrigue left is whether the Gaels can maintain their shutout. It appears likely, as McQueen has never advanced into Gorman territory. The only time they had the ball inside the 50-yard line was when the defense came away with an interception at the 17 in the second quarter.

Halftime, Gorman working on shutout

Same play, same result.

Bishop Gorman scored its second touchdown of the second quarter when sophomore quarterback Anu Solomon threw a 54-yard touchdown pass to sophomore receiver Ryan Smith to go up 23-0. Gorman leads 30-0 at halftime after a 39-yard field goal from Colin Ditsworth.

Smith made a great catch running the same fade route that he scored on a 33-yard touchdown earlier.

McQueen had its best chance to score yet and squandered the opportunity. McQueen junior Tyson Otuafi deflected one of Solomon's passes and caught it for an interception inside of Gorman's 20-yard line. The McQueen offense couldn't follow up with a first down and it sent out the field goal unit for a 35-yard attempt.

But Gorman's Jelani Walls got a hand on the kick for a block. And he wasn't done making plays. He ended McQueen's latest drive with an interception with one minute until halftime.

10:30 remaining second quarter, Gorman up 16

Anu Solomon's first pass was a memorable one.

Solomon, who served a one-quarter suspension to open the game, came in at the start of the second quarter and quickly made a difference. On the second play, he threw a perfect fade route to Ryan Smith for a 33-yard touchdown.

Bishop Gorman has increased its advantage to 16-0. At this rate, it's hard to imagine McQueen even getting on the board. The Lancers have gained one first down, on a 19-yard screen pass after Gorman scored and kicked off.

Jaylon Jackson and Ben Guida were among the Gorman leaders on defense on McQueen's latest drive, both recording tackles for a loss. The Gaels have also forced two fumbles, but McQueen has been able to recover both.

Gorman leads 9-0, end of the first quarter

Name any stat and it's heavily skewed in Gorman's favor after one quarter of play in the state championship.

Most importantly, the Gaels have put more points on the scoreboard. They lead 9-0 after 12 minutes of play.

Gorman controlled the ball for nearly the entire first quarter. The Gaels got into the end zone with 2:12 remaining when senior running back Jordan Welte bruised his way in from six yards out.

The defense has also dominated as usual. Led by standouts Jalen Grimble and Ron Lyles, Gorman has stuffed most McQueen plays before they even begin. The Lancers have less than 10 yards of total offense.

7:00 remaining, Gorman leads 2-0

Keep in mind this is the football state championship — not soccer.

You might be fooled by the score. After five minutes of play, Bishop Gorman leads 2-0. McQueen went three-and-out on its first offensive possession and attempted to punt. But the snap was low and the punter bobbled the ball before falling on it in the end zone to give Gorman a safety. The McQueen defense started the game admirably.

Gorman received the ball first and picked up a couple first downs before its drive stalled around midfield.

Gorman punted on 4th-and-7 and McQueen took over on its own 15-yard line. The Lancers offense didn't do much damage, with its longest play being a three-yard rush. They also picked up a holding penalty.

The Gaels offense is preparing to get back on the field. As expected, Shaq Powell was the focal point of the offense early. He had four carries during the first possession.

Pregame

Clad in blue jerseys and gray pants, Bishop Gorman is on the field and running through drills at Sam Boyd Stadium in preparation for the 2010 State Championship Game.

The Gaels will battle the McQueen Lancers in a little more than 30 minutes and try to win their second straight state championship. This is a venue that’s been kind to Gorman in the past.

Last year, Gorman destroyed Del Sol 62-21 in this stadium. Three years ago, Gorman beat McQueen here.

There’s little reason to believe this afternoon will be any different. Gorman has simply crushed any and all Nevada opponents this season.

The Gaels are 11-0 in-state and have won by a combined score of 583-86. They are 12-2 overall, with the only losses coming in close games to national powers De La Salle (Calif.) and Hamilton High (Ariz.).

McQueen —which won the 2008 state championship 13-12 against Palo Verde — has also been impressive this season, although not dominant. The Lancers are 12-1 and beat Liberty 7-6 last year.

The question for McQueen entering the game is who will emerge offensively. Two of the Lancers most reliable weapons, running back Nick Shephard and receiver Rollins Stallworth, will miss the game with injuries.

For Gorman, it’s no question who will stand out on the stat sheet. Junior running back Shaquille Powell — who is wearing jersey No. 10 instead of his usual No. 3 this week — will get plenty of carries.

Look for Powell to handle the offensive load early while sophomore quarterback Anu Solomon serves a one-quarter suspension for disciplinary reasons. By the time Solomon comes back, the Gaels will be ready to attack through the air.

His top targets include sophomores Ryan Smith and Jamir Tillman.

Case Keefer can be reached at 948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.