Gorman teammates will be on opposite sideline for college rivalry game

By Ray Brewer (contact)

Friday, April 24, 2009 | 9:59 p.m.

Bishop Gorman High juniors Geoffrey Gibson and Alex Turner have played on the same football team since elementary school.

They have contributed to several victories together and won multiple championships in developing a lifelong friendship.

It’s a friendship that will be put on hold for one Saturday each fall.

Turner verbally committed to play college football at Stanford two weeks ago and Gibson picked California Thursday. The two schools annually play in the Big Game, one of college football’s biggest rivalry games.

Gorman junior linebacker Evan Palelei also committed to Stanford this month. All three have started since their sophomore year at Gorman in 2007 when the Gaels won the large-school state championship.

“Once you put that helmet on and get on the field, you compete against the person in front of you no matter who it is,” Gibson said. “We’ve always been friends and always will be. Just not during the game.”

Turner, a defensive end, will more than likely line up in front of Gibson, an offensive tackle.

“Me and Geoff go way back,” Turner said. “We played our first year of football together. I’m definitely fortunate to have a guy like Geoff to go against in practice all these years.”

Gibson added, “Sometimes we get mad at each other but it is all friendly competition.”

The 6-foot-4, 320-pound Gibson said he picked Cal over offers from Arizona and Arizona State. He went to a camp at Cal last summer and was impressed with the school.

“The academics are some of the best in the country and academics are first with me and my family,” Gibson said. “I love the atmosphere up there.”

The commitments are non-binding and don’t become official to signing day in February. Gorman tight end Xavier Grimble also committed to a Pac-10 school this week, picking Southern California.