Brimmer's charge leads Blazers past Gaels

The last time Durango junior Jamaal Brimmer saw the Bishop Gorman Gaels, he had just collapsed on the turf of Sam Boyd Stadium after a gut-wrenching 44-37 double-overtime loss to end his team's football season last fall.

Wednesday night, Brimmer finally got a measure of revenge.

With the Trailblazers' sixth man leading the charge, the hosts rallied down the stretch for a 66-62 victory over the rival Gaels.

"It's a good feeling," said Brimmer, the starting quarterback for the Durango football team. "(Losing the football game) was like a shock, a heartbreaker, to know we couldn't play any more."

Brimmer's contribution went far beyond the six points and three rebounds he posted on his club's stat sheet. The 6-1 swingman keyed a swarming Trailblazer defense that limited the visitors to 1-of-9 shooting over the final four minutes.

"I've figured out what (Durango coach Al LaRocque) wants from me," Brimmer said. "I don't have to be the big hero."

With the win, the Trailblazers (13-6, 6-1 Sunset Division) take over sole possession of the lead in the tough Sunset Division, one game ahead of Gorman (14-5, 5-2), Cheyenne and Cimarron-Memorial.

"It's nice to be playing them for first place because that's how it was in the old days," said LaRocque, referring to the great Durango-Gorman battles of the mid-1990s.

For much of the first half, it looked like LaRocque's team would have a surprisingly easy time, as the Trailblazers took a 26-17 lead behind inspired play from guards Rudy Charles (21 points) and Chey Christie (14 points, seven rebounds).

The Gaels fought back late in the second quarter, though, closing to within a point at halftime as 6-8 sophomore center Jason Carter (21 points, 10 rebounds) started to assert himself in the post.

"We had control of the game, and they took it from us," LaRocque said.

Despite 2-for-16 shooting from starting guards Dinard Taylor and Julio Jauregui, Gorman continued to stay close in the second half. And when Carter scored on a sweeping one-handed bank shot with six minutes to play, the visitors found themselves on top 55-51.

That's when the Trailblazers turned to senior leader Jason Burns. After returning from a college visit to Big East school Georgetown earlier in the day, the 6-5 forward was noticeably off his game for most of the contest.

But with the game on the line, Burns stepped up. Three times in the final quarter, he went to his familiar cross-over move, pulling up for long range jumpers and finding the mark on each occasion.

Gorman's loss means the Gaels likely won't have long to enjoy their No. 1 state ranking after moving into the top spot in today's Top 10 poll. The Gaels moved up from No. 2 after defeating then-No. 1 Cheyenne last week.

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