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Bishop Gorman running back Shaquille Powell is pursued by the Armwood defense during their game Friday, August 26, 2011. Armwood won the game between the two nationally ranked teams 20-17
Thursday, Sept. 29, 2011 | 2:05 a.m.
Prep Sports Now
Gorman's national contest precedes Saturday slate
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Las Vegas Sun sports reporters Case Keefer and Ray Brewer go across the valley and break down the upcoming week of high school. They give their picks on every game and spend extra time debating Del Sol vs. Liberty and Servite (Calif.) vs. Bishop Gorman.
The Sun's Ray Brewer's weekly high school football round-up
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Las Vegas Sun sports editor Ray Brewer recaps last week's high school football games and looks ahead to what's on the schedule for this week for Sports Night on KSNV.
Related coverage
Even though the Bishop Gorman High football team lost this highly anticipated football game, one could easily argue the two-time defending Nevada state champion Gaels picked up a major victory in the court of public perception.
That was one of the benefits of the then-relatively unknown Gorman program introducing itself to a national audience during an ESPN game.
While Gorman lost at the end of August to Florida power Armwood High by three points, the feeling was the only place the Gaels were defeated was on the scoreboard. The program’s state-of-the-art facility, its spirited student cheering section and solid brand of football became more of the talk than a narrow defeat.
Gorman will get another crack at a national foe Friday, hosting Servite High of Anaheim, Calif., on ESPNU. Servite (4-0) is ranked No. 13 by ESPN Rise and is one of California’s perennial powers.
But, in a testament of the respect Gorman gained through its loss to Armwood, the Gaels are No. 10 by ESPN. In some rankings, they are slotted higher than before the Armwood game.
“Anybody that questioned whether or not if we could play with the top teams in the country, that question got answered,” Gorman coach Tony Sanchez said. “There is always going to be critics and skeptics who said you didn’t win the game. But the end of the day, it really doesn’t make a difference what those outside people think. There is a real small population of people that only have a voice because they have a laptop.”
Before the showing against Armwood, several outsiders felt Gorman’s success was the result of the weak competition it played locally. A team from Nevada wasn’t expected to hang with someone from mighty Florida or California. But Gorman did just that, indirectly becoming the face of Nevada football — after all, the two appearances this fall on ESPN are one more time than UNLV.
Bishop Gorman students cheer during their game against Florida's Armwood on Friday, August 26, 2011. Armwood won the game between the two nationally ranked teams, 20-17.
“You never know how things will turn out and (playing on ESPN) was one of those things where it actually turned out better than anyone expected as far as the quality of game that was played that night and the atmosphere,” Sanchez said. “Since I have been at Gorman I have never seen a crowd like that. We’ve had full crowds before, but we have never had that spirited of a crowd.”
Since the Armwood game, Gorman (5-1) has coasted through Southwest Division play, beating four opponents by a combined 244-13. Last week, they played their starters through the third quarter in a 74-6 win against Sierra Vista, playing the first string one quarter longer than most local games as a tune-up for Servite.
Returning to the level of play required to compete at a national level is easier said than done.
That’s why Gorman spends a good part of practice every Tuesday playing each other, with the first string offense trying to score against the first string defense. It’s arguably the best form of competition Gorman will receive locally until the second round of the playoffs in November.
“Every day we are coming out and competing against each other,” senior linebacker Ben Guida said. “Like coach says, it’s not the result of the game, it’s how we perform. We are making sure we win the game on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday with the way we prepare.”
This will be Gorman’s fifth game the last two years against a top-10 opponent. In each of the previous four games, senior running back Shaquille Powell has been the Gaels’ most productive player, including scoring six touchdowns in a 42-22 victory against Chaparral High of Scottsdale, Ariz., to open the season.
Shaquille Powell
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Bishop Gorman High running back Shaquille Powell talks about the upcoming high school football season.
Gorman has a 1-3 record in past national contests, but has had leads in all four games and could easily be undefeated.
“I think we will make less mental mistakes,” Powell said. “I think we will be more consistent on our drives and not have to catch back up like we had to do previously. I think overall we are just looking better.”
It’s just might be tougher to look better than their like appearance on ESPN.
“The thing is, when you go back and watch the film, we out-gained them, we had more yards rushing and, more yards passing and more first downs,” Sanchez said. “There was a couple plays in the first half where we could have got points on the board, and there was one breakdown on defense where we gave up a big play. Really, we played a real solid football game against a good team. The clock just ran out. We were right in the situation to win that football game.”
Scheduling the #2, #11 and #13 best high school teams in the country is chicken? I'd give you more.credit if you didn't constantly beat the same.dead horse. Promise me you'll complain about Palo at some point or Vegas and centennial girls basketball too. Then ill be happy
Sounds like BG is in a league of its own in Nevada
Too bad there's not more competition for such a great program in-state.
As a Servite alum I'd love to see them join us.
Maybe they should join a Calif private league like the Trinity league: Servite, Sta. Margarita, Mater Dei, St. John Bosco, Lutheran, JSerra or the Serra league; Bishop Amat, Loyola, Notre Dame, Crespi, Alemany and there are plenty of other good teams to play like St. Bonny, Westlake, Oaks Christian, Carson, Long Beach Poly, Centennial, Norco, Riverside North, San Clemente, Edison, Mission Viejo, Oceanside, Helix, Vista Murrietta, Chaminade, and in central ca, there's St Mary's and in Nor Cal there's Bellarmine, DLS, Pittsburgh, Palo Alto, Archbishop Mitty, St. Francis, Del Oro, Folsom, Grant, Rocklin, yada yada plenty of teams to give them a game.
I would love to see them in the Trinity league! Wow, that would be awesome.
But then how would they oompete for a state title?
P.S. a great football program can exist at a public or a private school; it takes an all-in attitude by the admin, the parents, the kids, the students, the community, but it can be done anywhere and there are plenty of good public programs in So Cal to prove it; Mission Viejo,Edison and La Habra come immediately to mind. So instead of whining about why great talent flocks to successful programs, build your own program and they will come, but most schools lack the commitment; and its not all about money either.
Credo
Or maybe the Fertittas' can bring in a Real NFL team with the $Billions$ they have, and then Las Vegas can have something to cheer for besides a Over recruited to many players high school football team, that you just have to pay your $15000 and your a State Champ or is it Chump.
CoachDD
Respectfully I disagree with you and commend you for choosing to be a coach.
Last I checked, Mission Viejo, Oceanside, La Habra, Edison, Centenntial, Westlake; Long beach Poly, don't charge $15,000 for tuition as they are public schools.
They do require $1500 to $2000 a year per player to support the footbal program and a total commitment from the players and parents and they get great support from their admin and the community.
These public schools have just as many D1 players as any private school. IN OC Ca, the schools with the most NFL players are Tustin, Western, Los Al, and Mission Viejo; all public schools.
Servite has only 2 D1 commits this yearand they are going to BYU, not exactly a top BCS power.
If you build it, they will come, you just need the commitment; maybe your people need to get committed, no pun intended. Credo
"This will be Gorman's fifth game the last two years against a top-10 opponent." and "Gorman has a 1-3 record in past national contests,..." That doesn't add up. Does ESPN pay the schools? Also, who pays the travel cost?
Credo, the only other schools that have actual "football programs" are Palo Verde and Las Vegas. Both public. They have developed solid programs and have dominated their divisions for a decade, while each has also contended for state or won at least once since 04.
Palo (Gorman biggest rival) shalacked my alma mater in 2008 with far fewer D1 players. It can and has been done. Barring the occasional anomaly of stars aligning for a good.team these programs will continue to dominate because they are programs not just teams. Just like Reed, McQueen, Truckee up north because they have player, parent, community and alumni support.
Liberty will join their ranks soon after a couple more consistent years..why? You guessed it, they have support and participation. Basic is the only school with same.support and.fan following that is not dominating, but Henderson has a lot of longtime residents that take.pride in their community. Those are the few schools that people with nothing to do with the school or any players show.up to games simply to support.
Credo the problem with Vegas is there is no pride in community and too many people come.and.go the roots don't stick.
AIAA paid for travel for Gorman and Moapa Valley to the sollenberger classic (invite)....ESPN paid for Armwood from Florida to travel to Vegas and I am unsure about Servite since they agreed to a home and home series with Gorman prior to any television schedule was in place.
As for going 1-3... no shame.
Loss by 3 points to #2 team in country, #1 or 2 in.Florida- Armwood
Loss by 14 to De la Salle in their house who (sorry Credo) slaughtered then #6 nationally Servite for CIF title and finished #2 in nation?
Loss by 10 in Arizona to #7 nationally (end of season) Hamilton after a horrendous penalty filled first quarter?
Truly not shabby. Gorman scheduled the absolute hardest games. Those 3 losses weren't against run of the mill mid.level oos competition. It wasn't like they lost to Dixie, UT or a .500 pac 5 team their 3 losses were close and against two number 2 nationally schools and a number 7.
I repeat, no shame.
For the record, Servite trips are paid for by alumni, parents, friends, and fund-raisers; Servite does not even receive money from the Diocese of Orange, they are a totally self-sufficient school.
And TuasDad, cetainly no shame in any of Gorman's losses, what shame is there in testing yourself against the best? Why would anyone deride that effort? win or lose? Everyone in Nevada shoud be proud.
PS take a look at the La Habra High Highlanders Football web-site coach; this is a paradigm for a great football program; a small school in a blue-collar, middle class town, but this is a grade A program people should emulate. Too bad they got blasted off the field tonight by St. John Bosco, but they schedule the toughest teams they can find every year and they win the CIF D2 title every year.
Let's have a great game tomorrow, Credo
Amen to that. I caught the Santa margarita vs Los Al game. SM has a great o line, they controlled that game at will. Probably gonna get good practice for their line against ours tomorrow.
Should be good game and great crowd tomorrow, albeit one night.
Tuasdad,
Yes, Sta Marg is scary this year. Their O-line looks Like USC's. Very similar to Gorman in that respect; and yes this will be good practice for Servite for the Trinity League (which I suggest Gorman join) where the Friars wil be undersized in every game. Play on and pray no injuries
Credo