Bishop Gorman sophomore cornerback makes name for himself in season-opening win
His teammates might not know his name yet, but it only took Bishop Gorman sophomore cornerback Greg Oliver one start to prove himself on the field.
Oliver had six tackles and an interception in a 44-14 opening-week win over Cedar Hill (Texas) on Saturday, and his play solidified what already was an outstanding secondary for the Gaels. That secondary will be on display at 7 p.m. Friday when Gorman (1-0), ranked No. 1 in the nation by USA Today, hosts 1-0 Cocoa (Florida).
“We’ve just got so much chemistry back there,” senior cornerback Alex Perry said of the secondary. “We’ve got that new guy, Greg. What’s Greg’s last name? Greg Oliver, yeah. We’ve got him back there, and when he came with us, we were just like, ‘If you just stick with us and follow the pack, you’re going to be good.’ And he proved himself that first game, so I see a lot of offers coming his way.”
Oliver was the only question mark in the secondary entering the season. Perry and free safety Bubba Bolden returned after earning first-team all-state honors as juniors. Strong safety Greg Francis also was back for a third varsity season, but the other cornerback spot was somewhat of a question after Malik Hausman suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in late July. Hausman earned honorable mention all-state honors as a junior and has committed to play at Arizona.
“It was tough losing Malik for the year, who’s a Division I player and a three-year varsity starter,” Gorman coach Kenny Sanchez said. “But Greg had big shoes to fill, and he did a great job, and he’s going to do a great job the rest of the year.”
Having the three experienced seniors around him will definitely help but also might make Oliver a target. Teams aren’t likely to throw Perry’s way often. Perry, who had three interceptions last season, recently decomitted from Arizona State. More than a dozen schools have offered scholarships, including Oklahoma, Michigan and Oklahoma State.
Bolden originally committed to Southern California, but also reopened his recruitment. He has scholarship offers from 20 schools, including Tennessee, Florida and Oklahoma State.
“I don’t think anyone knew who he was, and I think they kind of wanted to exploit him a little bit,” Sanchez said of Oliver. “But he’s about as good as they get. He had a pick, and he was challenged a couple times in the end zone and he didn’t give anything up.”
That’s bad news for opposing teams who hoped to throw the ball against the Gaels this season. Cedar Hill quarterback Avery Davis, who has orally committed to Notre Dame, was 19-for-33 for 169 yards and two interceptions against Gorman.
“Greg Oliver, a sophomore, he came in and made a big-time play in this game,” said Bolden, who had three tackles, a sack and an interception against Cedar Hill. “Alex Perry is a big-time cornerback, Greg’s a big-time safety. Our DB corps this year might go down as one of the best DB corps to ever play at Gorman and in the country.”
Contact prep sports editor Damon Seiters at 702-380-4587 or dseiters@reviewjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter: @DamonSeiters
