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Jose Carlos Fajardo / Contra Costa Times
De La Salle’s Lucas Dunne (27) and Michael Barton (11) tackle Bishop Gorman’s Shaquille Powell (3) in the first quarter of Saturday’s game in Concord, Calif.
Saturday, Sept. 25, 2010 | 11 p.m.
Prep Sports Now
Gorman in national spotlight
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The Bishop Gorman High football team will be in the national spotlight Saturday when they travel to Northern California to face nationally respected De La Salle. The game will be televised by CBS College Sports, giving the Gaels a chance to make a splash — for themselves and the Las Vegas area.
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The Bishop Gorman High football team gave another nationally respected opponent a tough game.
The Nevada power led host De La Salle of Concord, Calif., at halftime Saturday night but failed to score in the second half of a 28-14 defeat.
Just as in its season-opening loss to Hamilton High of Arizona in August, Gorman showed flashes of great play but couldn’t sustain the effort the entire game.
Shaquille Powell led the Gaels with 117 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries. A would-be third touchdown in the fourth quarter, when the game was tied at 14, was called back because of a penalty. Two plays later, Colin Ditsworth misfired on a field goal that would have given the Gaels the lead.
Instead, ninth-ranked De La Salle showed why it is one of the nation’s elite teams in closing with a pair of touchdowns in the final six minutes.
“The bottom line is that our kids competed their tails off and did a fantastic job,” Gorman coach Tony Sanchez said. “We were inches away. It was down to the wire, a game we could have easily won.”
Anthony Williams’ 4-yard touchdown reception from Bart Houston with 6:17 remaining was the winning touchdown. De La Salle scored on a short run in the final two minutes, and Gorman’s Evan Zeger fumbled the ensuing kickoff to turn the ball over and essentially end the game.
De La Salle returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown, but Gorman responded by limiting the defending California state champions to 61 yards in the first half. Meanwhile, Gorman had 190 yards and Powell muscled his way to a pair of touchdowns for a 14-7 lead at the break.
"We were down 7-0 before you can blink an eye,” Sanchez said.
The second half, however, was a different story.
Powell fumbled midway through the third quarter and De La Salle’s Lucas Dunne rushed in from 19 yards out on the next play to even the game at 14.
Gorman's record fell to 3-2 overall, with both defeats coming to teams ranked in the top 25 by USA Today. Hamilton was ranked No. 16.
Gorman entered the De La Salle game ranked No. 18, but will likely not be included in the next rankings. The Gaels went 15-0 last year in Sanchez's first year. They have outscored local opponents 111-0 in two games this fall.
Tanner #75 and Lott #77
Great job guys!
You are both fantastic young men!
OUCH
They lost a very close game to the #9 team in the country out like 15,000 schools. As an alum i am ashamed of the way the team lost their composure in the 4th quarter. Had the 3rd TD not been called back due to a penalty who knows what would have happened but after that td was called back they fell apart.
I said it at the beggining of the game Gorman's biggest weakness is DISCIPLINE, which happens to be DLS strong point and it showed last night when it counted. Still a noble showing for a vegas team. I still think they run the tables and win state nobody in NEvada compares to Hamilton or De La Salle.
I hope Sanchez can instill some humility into some of his boys because the ejection of Zeger and other unsportsmanlike penalties and the stupid penalties have now cost Gorman two victories against top 10 national teams. i wish last years team had this schedule i think they would hve won both games.
Powell got some huge attention last night and his recruiting stock should rocket now.
Comment removed by moderator. Inappropriate description of a teenager athlete.
Knowing that Gorman starts 9 underclassmen on Offense and hung with a power like DLS, I think the future is extremely bright. Next year, if BG plays a similar schedule against national powers, I think the results will be more positive.
It was a GREAT Football Game! Both teams should be proud.