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Las Vegas Sun File Photo
Bishop Gorman High football coach Tony Sanchez and his team celebrate defeating McQueen 40-0 in the state championship football game Saturday, December 4, 2010 at Sam Boyd Stadium. When Gorman plays Liberty Saturday in the state title game, the Gaels will be playing for their fourth straight title. That hasn’t been done in Nevada since Reno High in the 1950s.
Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012 | 2:05 a.m.
Gorman, Liberty ready for state title game
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Las Vegas Sun sports editor Ray Brewer previews the NIAA Division I high school football state championship game between Bishop Gorman High School vs. Liberty High School on KSNV Sports.
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What's the line on Gorman vs. Liberty?
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It's the game everyone expected for the state championship — Bishop Gorman vs. Liberty. Las Vegas Sun sports reporters Ray Brewer and Case Keefer play oddsmaker and try to set the appropriate line on the game. They settle on Gorman -25, with opinions split on which team covers at Sam Boyd Stadium Saturday.
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- Gorman weathers valiant effort from Reed, advances to face Liberty in state title game
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- Gorman’s defense answers call, gives Gaels fourth straight Sunset crown
- High school football section
The Bishop Gorman High School football team could rewrite the record books Saturday in the state championship game.
The Gaels can become the first Nevada school since the 1950s to win four straight large-school titles when they take on Liberty High in the championship game at 12:15 p.m. Saturday at Sam Boyd Stadium.
The four straight crowns would equal Reno High’s mark from 1949-52 and Las Vegas High’s mark from 1931-34, according to the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association record book. Lower-classification the Meadows and Virgin Valley, and Reno in the 1920s, when there was no classification structure, hold the record with five straight championships.
Still, Gorman’s run is widely considered the state’s best dynasty. They haven’t lost to a local opponent since the 2008 playoffs and have won each game by at least double-digits or, on most Friday nights, with a running clock triggered by the mercy rule of a lead by 45 or more points.
During Gorman’s run, they compete against nearly 40 other large-school classification teams. When Reno and Las Vegas High were dominating, the state only featured a handful of schools.
Just don’t expect the Gorman (12-1) players to become overconfident because of their success. If anything, coach Tony Sanchez said his players are practicing like a team with much to prove.
“We tell the kids all the time: There will always be a time later in your life to look back on some of the things you have accomplished,” Sanchez said. “But when you are in the middle of them, it is definitely not the time to celebrate anything.”
Gorman is playing for its fifth state title in the past six years and 11th all-time title. Reno has 19 all-time, and Las Vegas High has 16. Gorman has won the past three title games by a combined 174-49, including last year’s 72-28 victory against Reed High of Reno, during which they scored eight first-half touchdown to lead by 48 points at halftime.
When the Gorman offense, which three seasons ago led the nation in scoring and this year has produced 714 points, takes the field at Sam Boyd, it will feature three players in the starting lineup with three state title game appearances: quarterback Anu Solomon and wide receivers Ryan Smith and Jamir Tillman, all seniors. Also, senior offensive linemen Lott Haia-Kahalewai and Tanner Britton and senior defensive back Justin Sweet will start in their third title game, and junior defensive lineman Zach Singer is playing regular snaps in his third game.
That experience alone gives Gorman the upper hand against a Liberty team playing in the school’s first title game.
“(The experience) just helps us for the better. We are experienced in it, so it’s a plus,” Tillman said.
Getting past Liberty won’t be easy.
The Patriots (12-1) have enjoyed similar successes in the Sunrise Region, winning three straight Sunrise championships and not losing a league game since 2009. And, during last year’s state semifinals against Gorman, Liberty twice had leads in the first half before running out of steam in a 56-34 defeat.
“(Liberty coach Rich) Muraco seems like he has done a pretty good job, and they have won a lot of close games,” Sanchez said. “I’m excited for their opportunity to be there.”
Ray Brewer can be reached at 990-2662 or ray.brewer@lasvegassun.com. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21.
Sanchez and Muraco should hold some off season camps for help the rest of these local coaches get better. The gap between these two guys and the rest of the valley is massive.
To help.
Gormanhomer,
You could say that about Sanchez, not muraco. Also these two coaches have superior talent. Muraco is a wrestling guy who took over when no one else would, not overly impressed with his x/o's. He does have testicular fortitude as he showed against Gorman last year.
They could give a clinic on how to get the best players to go to your school. This year alone, Liberty is playing transfers from Las Vegas, DP, Green Valley and Silverado to name a few.
eh fan you hit it right on the nose. Center attention was about the private school recruiting but everyone got it reversed. I know so many families who was called, approached, and taken to dinner in a form of recruiting them to muraco's program. They just call it zone variance.
Liberty's team only has transfers from silverado and green valley.
Fan, don't know where you got your false info from but I'll go ahead and break it down for the misinformed poster. Liberty has three transfers from a Silverado program that hasn't made much progress since their '08 season (The athletes themselves chose to go to Liberty), one transfer from Green Valley who's known the Liberty coaches since his younger years in the Island Warrior youth program (yet again another athlete who chose to go to Liberty), and one from Hawaii whom the city should already know about. Do you have any proof on these other transfers and the schools they came from?
hawaiiball, need not say much. They're not BG. Liberty isn't recruiting kids in any corrupt fashion. If so: Who are these families you speak of? Where did they go to dinner?LnL?McDonald's? Why would they call it zone variance when Liberty has open enrollment?
I have good ties with the folks at Liberty if you couldn't tell by now. What school has your allegiance if you two don't mind answering? It just sucks to see the honest reputation that the Liberty program has built badgered with such ignorant as well as invalid statements from the likes of your posts.
Patiently waiting for answers...
For sizzle my dizzle
Brah I don't think you want to open that up in here. I'll say many. Before we get into to it here ask your head if it's ok because it will bring a lot of heat. I was just 1 of those families taken to dinner at apple bee's. I can go on with this and that. Shall I? Like you said athletes choose where they want to go. One love
I know the article says "Large School", but one cannot take away from what Truckee has also accomplished in Nevada Football...
FOUR Straight State Championships, along with a 47-1 record during that four year period...
Coach Shaffer has won 9 State Championships in his 18 years as the Head Coach, which is truly remarkable...
Well Done Wolverines.
LTG