Bishop Gorman football plays Arbor View for the Nevada high school state title

Bishop Gorman’s offense has featured a variety of players with varying skill sets this season.

But there is one constant about the Gaels that no opponent can match: their offensive line, which is one of the best in the country.

“Usually a quarterback has two, three seconds and he has to fight,” Gorman quarterback Maika Eugenio said. “I can sit there all day and wait, and it shows how great they are.”

The Gaels’ offensive line was the anchor for an offense that featured several new faces this year. It helped the team dominate their opponents and reach another state championship game.

The Gaels (10-1) will face Arbor View (10-1) for the Class 5A Division I state title at Allegiant Stadium on Tuesday at 7 p.m. It is the finale of a four-game series of state title contests at the venue. It starts at 9 a.m. with the 1A championship game. Six of the eight participating teams are from Southern Nevada.

Even though Gorman doesn’t have a dominant player at the position level, he was still productive on offense. The Gaels are averaging 45.8 points and 411.8 yards per game.

Fifteen players have scored touchdowns for the Gaels this season and four different players have thrown a touchdown pass.

“The hardest part is when I would prepare against us because you don’t know what we’re going to do,” Gorman coach Brent Browner said. “They put in a lot of work. You can run, pass or do both.” It starts at the front with the O-line. They anchored the offense and brought it to the defense.”

“Will do anything”

All five of Gorman’s offensive players are committed to Division I schools. Leading the outstanding group of seniors are four-star recruits SJ Alofaituli, Doug Utu and Alai Kalaniuvalu. Alofaituli is committed to Miami (Florida), Utu to Oregon and Kalaniuvalu to BYU.

“The connections we have made with the entire team, we will do anything for our brothers,” Alofaituli said. “Those are the people you want on the field at the end of the day.”

The group’s selfless mentality helped running backs Terrance Grant Jr., Myles Norman and Jonathan Coar establish Gorman’s ground attack. The Gaels have rushed for at least 150 yards in nine games.

It also helped Eugenio feel comfortable in the middle. The junior took over the starting role in Gorman’s 55-28 win over Orange Lutheran (Calif.) on Sept. 13 after Melvin Spicer IV was sidelined with an injury. Eugenio has completed 68.7 percent of his passes for 26 touchdowns and just two interceptions.

“I have to be a leader. I’m like another coach out there,” Eugenio said. “If someone doesn’t know the plays, I have to make sure they know before the ball breaks so we can make the play. I just learned that you have to make the right decisions.”

Browner praised Eugenio for persevering and staying ready.

“It was impressive to see him blossom and step out of his comfort zone,” Browner said.

Outstanding defense

Gorman’s defense was equally impressive. The Gaels have held their opponents to fewer than 10 points in seven games and posted five shutouts.

“Last year it was just (offensive) returners. “This year is all about defense,” Browner said. “With such a long group, the most important thing is how much they have developed in over a year and how prepared they are.”

Several juniors have taken the lead on Gorman’s defense. Defensive lineman Prince Williams leads the team with 24 tackles for loss and nine sacks. Jett Washington and Isaiah Nickels anchored the secondary. Washington has four interceptions.

“When they were freshmen, they were really quiet and were just a bunch of sponges around the older guys,” defensive lineman and Utah player Sione Motuapuaka said. “Now that they’re juniors, I can see them taking on that leadership role.”

The state title game will be Gorman’s second look at Arbor View. The Gaels earned a 49-14 road win over the Aggies on October 10th. Arbor View’s 14 points were the most points Gorman allowed to a local team this season.

The Gaels are seeking their fourth straight state title and their 15th since 2007. Tuesday’s game will be the last for a group of seniors that helped Gorman win its mythical fourth national title in 2023.

“It’s just a blessing to be back on the field with the boys for the last time,” said Alofaituli. “The mission we had planned was to just finish the season. We don’t take chances. We want to be on the field and have the final battle with everyone and pass the torch to the younger generation and show them what the standard is.”

Contact Alex Wright at [email protected]. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.

High school football state championship schedule

Tuesday at Allegiant Stadium

Class 1A: Tonopah vs. Pahranagat Valley, 9 a.m

Class 3A: SLAM Academy vs. Truckee, 12:20 p.m

Class 4A: Mojave vs. Canyon Springs, 3:40 p.m

Class 5A, Division I: Arbor View vs. Bishop Gorman, 7 p.m

Streaming: NFHS Network (subscription required)

Tickets: niaa.com/tickets