Del Sol seeks upset against powerhouse Gorman in state championship

By Ray Brewer (contact)

Friday, Dec. 4, 2009 | 2:22 a.m.

Minutes before the Del Sol High football team started its Monday afternoon practice, a maintenance worker was busy painting lines on the Dragons’ field.

Sure, Del Sol was preparing for its first appearance in the state championship game. But a new coat of paint for the lines, which were still fresh from Del Sol’s Sunrise Region title game with Basic two days prior, seemed a little overboard.

The worker, however, was transforming the football field into a soccer field in preparation for the upcoming girls soccer season.

In most years, the change would have been right on schedule.

But, then again, this isn’t like most years — especially for Del Sol’s Henderson-based Southeast Division.

Del Sol (12-1) is looking to become the first Henderson school to capture a state championship since Basic in 1960.

Rewriting the history books won’t be easy. Del Sol, in only its sixth year of existence, is facing the Goliath of local high school football teams, powerhouse Bishop Gorman.

Gorman (14-0) has barely been challenged this fall, receiving a boost from first-year coach Tony Sanchez and dominating opponents to the tune of an undefeated season.

Just don’t expect Del Sol players back down.

“They are high school kids just like us, so why be intimidated,” Del Sol senior lineman Sam Chandler said. “They put their pants on one leg at a time just like us. They aren’t Gods because they go to Bishop Gorman.”

Gorman, which is led by eight seniors with Division I scholarship offers, is the nation’s highest-scoring team with 737 points, according to maxpreps.com. It has been equally impressive on defensive in holding six opponents scoreless and another four to less than 10 points.

Duplicating the effort won’t be easy against Del Sol, Sanchez said.

“The thing that stands out to me on film is that they are an extremely tough and physical football team,” Sanchez said. “Their coach (Preston Goroff) has a swagger and toughness about him that bleeds over to those kids. We know they are fighters and we expect that from them.”

Del Sol rallied from a 12-point halftime deficit to edge Basic 20-19 to advance to the championship game, while Gorman scored 28 points in the initial six minutes of its semifinal game against Reed High of Sparks in a 62-21 victory.

Del Sol only gives up 16 points a game, but they haven’t faced a team of Gorman’s caliber.

Gorman is led by senior tight end Xavier Grimble, who is ranked as the nation’s top tight end by recruiting Web site Rivals.com and has verbally committed to Southern California. Grimble has 37 catches for 665 yards and eight touchdowns.

In addition, the two-back running game of senior Victor Belen (26 touchdowns) and sophomore Shaquille Powell (27 touchdowns) gives the Gaels a stable of dangerous offensive options.

“They have an all-star team,” Goroff said. “This is going to have to be a mistake-free game for us. We need to be better than them in the things we can control, like effort and limiting our mistakes.”

Del Sol also needs its star player, two-way standout Dezerick Reed, to be healthy. Reed, who was named the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year on Thursday, severely sprained his ankle two minutes into the Sunrise title game against Basic.

Reed has rushed for 1,885 yards and 22 touchdowns this year and is key in the Dragons’ power-running game.

Ultimately, both teams know what is on the line — the state’s biggest prize.

“They are 16-, 17- and 18-year-old kids who want it just as bad as we do,” Gorman senior defensive end Alex Turner said. “There have been bigger upsets than Del Sol beating Gorman.”