Bishop Gorman readies for duel with Centennial (AZ), Tawee Walker
Bishop Gorman’s football players have heard what people have been saying about them.
That the Gaels, who won three national titles from 2014-16 and nine straight state titles, aren’t a national contender anymore. That this could be the year that the state title reign ends.
They’ve heard it. They just don’t seem to care.
Gorman heads south for a Friday game with defending Class 5A state champion Centennial (Arizona) and former Mojave star Tawee Walker, knowing what could be at stake. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:07 p.m.
“I hear it a lot, but it just motivates me more to just play hard and show them it’s not a run that we had, it’s a really good situation we have,” senior defensive back Kyu Kelly said. “The work doesn’t change no matter how good your team is or how bad your team is.”
Gorman (0-1) has not started the season with two losses since 2005, before it rose to prominence as a high school juggernaut. The Gaels had not been shut out since 2006, and the news that Gorman lost 42-0 at home to Mater Dei (California) last week sent shock waves through the Las Vegas valley.
“This game loves you one minute and hates you the next,” coach Kenny Sanchez said. “Adversity is a part of it. We’ve had a lot of success over the years, so I think everybody was kind of like ‘Oh my gosh, what just happened?’”
But as Sanchez said, it’s not as if the Gaels have time to dwell on their mistakes. Friday’s opponent could be just as tough.
Centennial (1-0) lost once last season in its run to the state championship, including knocking off powerhouses Pinnacle (Arizona) and St. Thomas Aquinas (Florida) along the way. Senior cornerback Kieran Clark is one of the top players in Arizona with offers from BYU and UNR, junior Jaydin Young has drawn interest from UCLA and Arizona, and center Carson Keltner has an Air Force offer.
Then of course there is the Las Vegas kid who undoubtedly relishes an opportunity to knock off the team he has heard so much about. Walker was named to the All-State first team last season for Mojave after rushing for 1,703 yards and 21 touchdowns. He ran for 77 yards and three touchdowns and had a 73-yard catch-and-run for a score in the Coyotes’ opening-night win two weeks ago.
“Tawee, he was an awesome running back at Mojave. A lot of people in Vegas know about him,” Gorman defensive back Lincoln Tuioti-Mariner said. “We’re getting ready for him. We have a defense ready for what he’s coming out with. It’ll be a good matchup.”
Sanchez said tackling is the biggest improvement Gorman can make from last week. In the first half, turnovers and strong play gave his offense the ball inside the 40-yard line four times, but the Gaels missed two sacks in the half when the quarterback scrambled out of it, and Sanchez identified a third-quarter play where a touchdown could have been held to an 8-yard play with better tackling.
A loss Friday would do nothing to quiet the social media critics. Liberty beat Arizona power Saguaro last week, and Arbor View has knocked off two California teams. Last Friday’s loss was seen as the door to beating Gorman as opening, and this Friday would be an opportunity for the Gaels to slam it shut.
“It’s not how you fall, it’s how you get back up,” Tuioti-Mariner said. “We have the same mission. Whether we would have beaten Mater Dei, we’re still trying to win the next week.”
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Contact Justin Emerson at jeme