Gorman coach represents area in national all-star game; former Gael Starks picks UCLA

By Ray Brewer (contact)

Saturday, Jan. 4, 2014 | 7:56 p.m.

When Nate Starks left Las Vegas last summer before his senior year at Bishop Gorman High, the running back likely thought he’d never play again for Gaels’ coach Tony Sanchez.

But two were reunited this week at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio — Sanchez coaching the West in the NBC-televised national high school all-star game and Starks as one of the team’s running backs.

The West picked up a 24-6 victory today, with players dumping water on Sanchez after the game in celebration. And, a few hours after the game ended, Starks verbally committed to UCLA, announcing his decision on social media.

Starks played as a senior at Cherry Creek High in Denver, helping them reach the Colorado state championship game by rushing for 458 yards and nine touchdowns in six games. He missed half the season waiting to be eligible after moving from Las Vegas, where he rushed for 1,821 yards and 21 touchdowns in 2012 as a junior.

“Great win. Great experience. Great players,” Starks said on Twitter about the all-star game.

Starks is a four-star recruiting prospects by multiple evaluating services with multiple scholarship offers, including Oklahoma, Notre Dame and Florida State, according to Rivals.com.

Sanchez’s all-star appearance included meeting coaching legends Herman Boone and Bill Yoast, the coaching duo from T.C. Williams High in Virginia portrayed in the movie Remember the Titans.

Gorman’s Alize Jones a junior All-American

Friday, Gorman junior tight end Alize Jones was named to the MaxPreps 2013 Football Junior All-American.

Jones, who caught 35 passes for 571 yards and 10 touchdown in 2013 to help Gorman win its fifth straight state championship, is also verbally committed to UCLA.

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