Blog: Gorman glides to 44-0 season-opening victory over Phoenix’s Brophy Prep

By Ray Brewer (contact)

Published Friday, Aug. 22, 2014 | 6:30 p.m.

Updated Friday, Aug. 22, 2014 | 9:30 p.m.

The Bishop Gorman High football team made this one look easy.

Russell Booze and Jonathan Shumaker each had two rushing touchdowns to lead the Gaels to a 44-0 season-opening victory against Phoenix's Brophy Prep in the Sollenberger Classic.

Alize Jones had an 80-yard touchdown reception for Gorman on the first play of the second half.

Next week, the competition gets tougher for Gorman when it plays nationally ranked Servite of California on the road.

Check back later for more.

Shumaker helps Gorman to 30-0 halftime lead

The Bishop Gorman High football team is passing this early-season test.

Jonathan Shumaker has a pair of first-half touchdown runs and Gorman has forced two turnovers in leading Phoenix's Brophy Prep 30-0 at halftime.

Shumaker has touchdown runs of 35 and 6 yards, and Russell Booze and Biaggio Walsh have scored on short runs.

Gage Wilson booted a 37-yard field goal at the halftime buzzer.

Cordell Broadus has three catches for about 25 yards to lead all receivers, Ikem Obeke had an interception and Tyjon Lindsey returned a punt 65 yards to setup the field goal.

Talk with everyone at the end of the third quarter.

Pair of rushing touchdowns give Gorman 14-0 lead after first quarter

Biaggio Walsh's short touchdown run put Bishop Gorman ahead of Brophy Prep, 7-0, with 4:15 to play in the first quarter of the Sollenberger Classic.

Gorman running back Jonathan Shumaker scored a rushing TD on the last play of the first quarter to extend the lead, 14-0.

Both teams had turnovers on their first offensive plays, including Gorman's Nicco Fertitta recovering a Brophy fumble on the game's first play.

After Gorman quarterback Danny Hong was intercepted on his first pass, Gorman got the ball back when it stopped Brophy on a fourth down and 1 at the Gorman 34.

Hong connected with Cordell Broadus, the son of rapper Snoop Dogg, for completions of 11 and 9 yards. Snoop Dogg is at the game wearing a "Gorman Dad" shirt.

Walsh, a sophomore, had the big play of the drive in rushing for 25 yards to take the ball to the Brophy 15.

Check back later for more results.

Pregame

The high school football season today starts where it left off last December. All eyes, again, will be on five-time defending state champion Bishop Gorman.

Gorman will be the first Nevada team to take the field in 2014, hosting Phoenix’s Brophy Prep today in the Sollenberger Classic. Saturday, Northern Nevada’s Reed High, which lost to Gorman last December for the state title, plays Arizona’s Mountain Pointe in the second game of the Sollengberger, the annual Nevada vs. Arizona kickoff to the season.

The stakes are raised a little higher this year for Gorman.

The Gaels are the nation’s No. 1 ranked team by USA Today, meaning if they can navigate through their schedule undefeated, they would be national champions. Going undefeated, though, will be no easy task.

Three of Gorman’s six national opponents in consecutive weeks to open the season are ranked. The others are regional powers with proven players.

The challenge starts tonight in the Sollenberger, an event they have a 1-3 record in since 2008 and last year lost at home to Mountain Pointe, the eventual Arizona large-school champion.

I’ll keep everyone posted throughout the game. Join the conversation by using the hashtag #sunstandout or #702hsfb on Twitter, or by commenting on this story. And, if you are at Fertitta Field, use the hashtags to send us your fan photos.

We are looking forward to a season of great games and better memories.

Ray Brewer can be reached at 990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21