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Bishop Gorman tackle Zach Singer stands over Reed High School running back Ty Shepard after stopping him for a loss during the 4A championship football game Saturday, Dec. 3, 2011 at Damonte Ranch High School in Reno. Gorman won their third consecutive title 72-28.
Saturday, Dec. 3, 2011 | 9:54 p.m.
Bishop Gorman wins state title again
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KSNV coverage of Bishop Gorman's third consecutive state championship in football, Dec. 3, 2011.
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Will Gorman be tested by Reed in state title?
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Las Vegas Sun sports reporters Ray Brewer and Case Keefer sign off on the high school football season by dissecting the final game of the season, a state championship showdown between Gorman and Reed in Reno. They also praise for Liberty for its effort against Gorman in the semifinals.
There wasn’t much suspense Saturday at Damonte Ranch High in Reno for the 4A classification state championship football game.
After all, virtually every contest Bishop Gorman High has played the past three years has been decided before halftime.
Saturday was no exception.
Anu Solomon passed for five of Gorman’s eight first-half touchdowns against Reed High of Sparks, helping the Gaels lead by 48 points by halftime in a 72-28 victory for the program’s third consecutive state title.
Yes, the powerhouse Gaels exploded for 72 points.
The three crowns are a first for a large-school classification team from Nevada since Northern Nevada’s Wooster High in the mid-1980s, giving Gorman a 43-3 record since head coach Tony Sanchez was hired in 2009 with no defeats against an instate opponent.
“I never in a million years when I got here thought we would win three in a row,” Sanchez said. “To be the first Gorman team to ever do that and be the first (Nevada) team in 20-odd years is very special.”
Against what was supposed to be a quality opponent in Reed, Gorman’s offensive display speaks volumes to its dynasty. At one point in the first half, senior tailback Shaquille Powell had three touchdown runs in a span of four carries, finishing with 86 career touchdowns.
Solomon showed why he is one of the state’s all-time great passers, dissecting the Reed defense for touchdown pass of 20, 58, 78, 26 and 57 yards. That was all in the first half, too.
Solomon has thrown a touchdown in three consecutive state title games — another stat in the endless line of impressive numbers Gorman has produced the past three years.
“Words can’t even explain how I’m feeling right now,” Solomon said. “It’s pretty special to me to be involved in this three years in a row.”
Bishop Gorman's Ryan Smith, left, and Terrence Chambers celebrate Chambers' touchdown against Reed High School of Sparks during the 4A championship football game Saturday, Dec. 3, 2011 at Damonte Ranch High School in Reno. Gorman won their third consecutive title 72-28.
Ryan Smith, who is also a junior, has long been Solomon’s favorite target. The two hooked up six times for 193 yards, with Smith hauling in long touchdowns of 58 and 78 yards. In last year’s title game, Smith had touchdowns of 33 and 57 yards from Solomon.
Solomon’s final touchdown of 57 yards was to Terrance Chambers with 51.9 seconds left in the half, a play where Chambers made a few nifty moves and outraced the Reed defense to the end zone.
That made the score 55-7.
The domination felt similar to a typical Friday night in Las Vegas, where Gorman is so head and shoulders better than local competition that the second half is a mere formality, with reserves running a limited version of the playbook.
It was the same drill in the state finals.
Reed, which entered with just one loss and had scored nearly 700 points in 13 games, certainly didn’t play like the state’s second-best team. Gorman has that ability to take teams out of their game.
“You have to play mistake-free football. We didn’t do that. And that is because of them being such a good football team,” Reed coach Ernie Howren said. “If you really want to be successful and compete against them, you can’t make the mistakes we made.”
Most of Reed’s success came after the Gorman starters were out. Reed quarterback A.J. Silva, who had passed for 40 touchdowns and 2,700 yards, only had 180 yards passing and three touchdowns.
Reed scored consecutive touchdowns in the fourth quarter against the Gorman reserves, but Sanchez put Powell back into the game for a game-sealing 3-yard touchdown run with less than four minutes to play. Arguably Gorman’s top offensive player the past three years, it seemed only fitting he score the final touchdown to go along with 156 yards rushing on 16 carries.
“I tell you what. It never gets old winning them. It never gets old winning these things,” Sanchez said. “The kids come out and they work so darn hard. At the end of the day, to have it pay off like this, it is amazing.”
Gorman closes the season with a 16-1 record and consensus top-10 national ranking. In the three championship game wins, Gorman has outscored Del Sol (2009), McQueen (2010) and Reed by a combined 174-49.
Congratulations to Bishop Gorman. The football teams in Southern Nevada have consistently been better than the North. Liberty and Palo Verde were probably the 2nd and 3rd best teams in the state.
Way to finish strong Gaels!! Can't believe the season is over. Great job and congrats fellas. Great season Reed. Can't wait wait for next season and the pursuit of #4.
To the victor goes the spoils. Congratulations to all the young men of the bishop Gorman Gaels. The game is played on the field and there you won by a decided margin. Special congrats to the Sr class. Enjoy the moment.
What I'm most disappointed about is that the season is officially over. There is no better time than football season. Can't wait til next year. Will gorman dominate again or will someone rise to take their spot as top dog? Everyone has 8 months to prepare.
Oh, and by the way, Tahoueguy and others, don't get me confused with our new poster boy nvfootballfan. Our names are similar, but no way the same or of same opinions.
Congrats Gaels! You deserve this win!
Can't wait for the 2012 season. I'm sure Coach Sanchez will put together another awesome squad and Top 10 schedule. Onward to 4 in a row!
Why did Gorman put their starters back in? Reed left theirs in and scored 2 touchdowns on the second string. Gorman put the big boys back in and Reed scored on them too. 2 TD's for both groups. So why didn't Sanchez just call off the dogs and let all the guys on that huge roster get some playing time in the final game? It is very difficult to be proud of such a beatdown like that. I love Bishop Gorman any everything it has done in my life as well as my family. I just hope this high school version of the BCS and computer rankings don't become more important than being civil and good sportsmanship.
Ray and Case, thank you so much for your efforts with the high school scene. You 2 have done a great job all year. Reno can't get a blog session right and you guys time and time again get the job done with professionalism. The real beatdown yesterday was the media coverage between the north and south. Thank you....
Congratulatoins to Gorman. They are without a doubt not only the best program in the state, but they are also a national power. Both the city of Las Vegas and the state of Nevada should be proud of what this team/school has accomplished the past 3 seasons. Congratulations to the players, coaches, students and fans. You have a great program.
Gang: Rob (my boss) posted the reminder because of some of the out-of-line comments on my blog from the game. We love reading the opinions of our readers and agree that is what makes our site great for high school football. But there is a difference between voicing your displeasure toward the state of high school sports in Nevada (Gorman's dynasty) and being negative toward a player on one of the teams. While Gorman is definitely in the public eye, we are (and always will be) dedicated to making sure the players are celebrated, not unfairly commented about. That's my duty to the community and I do that for Gorman, Palo Verde or any school in the valley. Thanks for keeping everything in good fun. More importantly, thanks for following our coverage. Case Keefer, photographer Sam Morris and the rest of our crew cherish Friday nights in the fall.
FAQ section of the CCSD
Kid gets full eligibility when they sign up for open enrollment!
35. Are students allowed to participate in sports and/or other school activities at Open Enrollment schools? Yes, students who are selected to participate in Open Enrollment are eligible to participate in extracurricular activities/athletics. Any subsequent change in school enrollment will be subject to NIAA/CCSD regulations.
Stack is right. Open enrollment kids are eligible for sports. Palo Verde has over 200 open seats somehow and Liberty has plenty too. They may yet compete with Gorman football. And when they do, it will be as tainted as Gorman's success because recruiting has no place in High School sports.
Everyone wants to give the public schools that cheat a pass because it's more fun to hate Gorman. What the publics do is even worse, because they actually ignore and break WRITTEN rules. Gorman just plays by their own rules.
And my previous post about Powell should have read Gorman's LAST touchdown. Really? Too bad with all those players on the bench, none of them knows how to play tailback. Stay Classy, Gorman.
Just read the RJ's comments being promoted by SG! They are full of racist commentary and Gorman hate. Not surprised SG would include the link in his post. Way to promote racism in a cowardly passive way. Those comments should be deleted and the Sun should delete the link on this page. True colors show SG.
Everyone needs to relax about Gorman. They had a great year. They've won 4 of last 5 years in football. Before that they hadn't won in about 25 yrs. The new school and facilities have made them more attractive. What made the difference is that they brought in top youth coaches that had dominant teams and got them to bring their kids. I believe they have 3 or 4 coaches that brought in the talent. Remember Sanchez was new to the area. But, those kids are filtering through. Their JV was not as strong this year and their freshmen team did not have near the talent it's had in the past. Even Sat their 2nd and 3rd stringers were not very good. I was there Sat and you could see major drop off when the starters went out. So yes, they are enjoying a great run, but there are other programs that are building and next year should be more competitive. Don't get me wrong, Gorman will be good again, but so will others. And give credit to Gorman they've raised the bar, which is better for the area. But let's quit making excuses and blaming Gorman. Support your school and help them build their program like Liberty is.
So once again, congratulations gorman. You've had a great run. But it's going to get tougher next year. You have a big target on your back (which is a compliment to your success) and there are a few teams that will be coming after you next year thats talent level is closing the gap quicker than you think.
lvfootballfun - interesting observation about youth coached. I remember Sanchez brought his guys from Cali (who knew no one in town) and added a handful of Gorman coaches already on football staff. Curious, who were the "top youth coached" added to the staff who brought players? What leagues did they come from?
Also, you're comment about #2 not looking good Sat. Gorman started #2 O and they marched and scored on Reed #1 D. I thought that was impressive.
Sorry I was too busy enjoying all the many wonderful and beautiful things northern Nevada has to offer and just now got the chance to look at this thing.
Folks have been complaining about Gorman even when they went 14 years without making state playoffs and could not even win the southwest division. Before they even had a home field and used to play at Valley and their soccer team practice at Freemont MS. They complained of Gorman when their freshmen team lost 112-6 to Cheyenne (1999). People will love to hate, specially when it's easy to just say "they're a private, they recruit..even when not remotely successful".
I didn't hear any similar rants when Palo Verde football won the Northwest division 7 years running. By the way high and mighty Gorman was humbled by Palo 50-14 just three years ago.
Las Vegas football has beaten Rancho 15 years in a row now, should Rancho forfeit too? They finally lost the northeast for the first time in how long?
People ranted when Gorman girls won state basketball 3 years in a row, but nobody cries foul when Centennial girls won 4 in a row and 6 of the last 10. The NIAA passed a mercy running clock rule for basketball primarily because of Centennial's dominance winning most league and local games by an average margin of almost 60 points. Seriously Centennials girls basketball won by more than 70 points over a local opponent over 20 times last two seasons
Cimmaron Memorial (5) and Las Vegas (4) have won all but one wrestling state championship in the last decade.
What do all these schools have in common? They have successful programs not "teams" they have very devoted coaches who have the support of their administration and community and have build great programs that talented student athletes flock to. All of them, including Gorman, should be commended for what they've been able to accomplish.
Reed beat Bishop Manogue twice this season, no comments about how they don't have a zone and how they have "non catholic-colored kids" on their team, that's probably because they didn't have much success. I have no problem people saying Gorman has an advantage, like i said before i went to gorman for incredibly low tuition and play no varsity sports. Plenty of kids do. What I hate it acting like Gorman is the only successful school that kids flock to. All of the above have kids who find a way to enroll there and everyone knows it.
As usual, well said Tuasdad. However, people like SG and his ilk will never really address your statements because it differs from their world view. They need to HATE Gorman or else focus their hatred on their own bitter faults. I've followed your posts all season and anytime you or anyone else presents a logical point of view, it is ignored by people like SG.
Thanks for supporting your alma mater and the kids who go there in a positive way. I personally know current parents and STUDENTS who appreciate it. I tip my hat to you!
My friends' son starts for Gorman, and yes SG1, his son also played for Farmer. He apparently brought in Tillman, singer, Starks, Lott, Nacua, Hunkin, and a few others. But apparently he left the program this year so I don't know who is going to bring in talent. I know Fertitas help but my friend said they don't really know the talent out there. The younger son and his buddy, Hong kid played for our Liberty youth team. But they were average at best. We finished 5th or 6th in middle school league. Big shoes to fill on o line. 3 best lineman all leaving. Replacing one they can do, but three is going to be tougher. Plus I believe several 2s were seniors also. Also, they lose all their linebackers and half their secondary. Will they be good? Definitely. But they have some big holes to fill as do we at Liberty. Nice thing for us is open enrollment. Several kids already interested in coming to Liberty.
This goes to Tuasdad comment about programs. There is going to always be several bad programs out there. That's because of poor coaches, poor school support, and poor community support. Liberty is building a program that kids want to be a part of. Same with Palo, AV, Foothill, Canyon springs, I think Cent is getting there, Basic will usually stay competitive because of community support, Las Vegas, which has dropped a little. Maybe a few more. Cent girls bb is dominant because of coach. She won't have anything less than a top team. This city goes back and forth. And will again. Gorman should be congratulated for what they have done the same as other schools who have won state championship.
One area SG1 that makes it harder for BG to makeup for a couple of bad incoming classes is that if kids transfer during high school, they have to sit out 1year. Cunninghams' kid
Sorry cut myself off. Cunning hams' kid transferred but had to sit out this year. Most kids don't want to do that. If they are willing to sit a year it's only after freshmen yr. No one is willing to sit out there Jr or Sr year. So yes Gorman has several advantages, But they don't get Jr and Sr transfers who can immediately play. Public schools do have an advantage in this area. Just look at Palo. They have anywhere from 4 to 8 transfers a year. Now with open enrollment even more kids will be transferring. And this is not just in football, but every sport. Just look at Clark HS. Two Washington brothers from Western (one is a Jr, other Sr) are now playing basketball at Clark, as is areas top Soph (6'5" kid I believe from AV) transferred to Clark and all are playing immediately. This couldn't happen to gorman because they are private. I'm not trying to defend Gorman but who's complaining on Western's behalf?
Look, some things are not completely fair for everyone. But that's life. Some things work in gormans favor some things don't. But we all should give credit to those kids because it's a great accomplishment. They did nothing but go out there and play hard and earned their championship. Next year it maybe somebody else celebrating, or maybe Gorman again. Either way, let's not try and take this moment these kids have earn, and try and taint it. They deserve it, they won it.
Best thing to say is, "wait til next year". But for this year, congratulations BG you earned it.
Ray Brewer and tuasdad, Nice to meet you both in person at the game. To the other Gorman parents and fans I spoke with, nice to meet you all as well.
Congratulations to BG on an outstanding season.
@lvfootballfun, don't worry, no way your posts could be confused with "nvfootball...."
thanks Calbear, i'm glad they noted. Keith it was nice meeting you too. You've got some beautiful country up there in your backyard, i imagine most transient las vegans who rag on northern nevada have never seen the many wonderful things there are to do up there.
It's been a fun season, i'll see you guys again in August of next year when Gorman presumably starts the season against Desert Vista in Arizona.
happy holidays everyone.
Until next football season. Happy holidays everyone...you too SG1.
Before we all sadly go our separate ways, does anyone know about this all-star game on 17th? I got flyer on car at liberty vs Gorman game. Now I read where NIAA is trying to block it from happening. ( this NIAA w Bonine is such a joke) They threaten any kid who participates to b suspended for rest of year from any other sport. What are promoters going to do? Are any kids going to play? It may have been a good chance for some kids to get one last chance to show their talents. But NIAA once again steps in. If anyone has latest please let me know.
Otherwise, thanks OneCalBear, and Happy Holidays to you as well,as well as everyone else.