Battle-tested Bishop Gorman set for No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown at Mater Dei

Midway through the fourth quarter of Bishop Gorman’s game at St. Thomas Aquinas on Aug. 24 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., the Gaels found themselves in an unfamiliar position: trailing, with time running out.

All of their dreams of repeating as national champions were on the verge of being dashed just two weeks into the season, but Bishop Gorman offensive lineman Douglas Utu wasn’t sweating it.

“We already knew we were going to win,” Utu said. “Even if we were down in the fourth quarter, we still had a full quarter to pull through. That’s what I know about this team — we’re always going to pull through, no matter what situation we’re in.”

Utu was right. Bishop Gorman went ahead on a Terrance Grant 3-yard touchdown run with six minutes to play, and the Gaels held on to win, 29-21.

And now, by virtue of that victory, Bishop Gorman has set up the game of the year, as coach Brent Browner will take his squad to Los Angeles on Friday to face undefeated Mater Dei. It’s a classic No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup between two storied high school programs, with the winner gaining a serious inside track on the mythical national championship.

Just don’t ask Browner if it’s a big game.

Speaking after a practice on campus Tuesday, he made the point that games like this are the standard for Bishop Gorman.

“We prepare for everybody the same, like every game is the national championship,” Browner said. “I’m sure for (Mater Dei), too, every game is a national championship game. They’ve been No. 1 for how many years in a row?”

Mater Dei enters the game at No. 1 in the MaxPreps rankings, while No. 2 Bishop Gorman rides in on a 27-game winning streak. The last time the two teams met, in 2022 in Las Vegas, Mater Dei won via fourth-quarter comeback.

Friday's contest will be televised on Bally Sports West (Cox channel 49).

Like Gorman, the Mater Dei roster is dotted with Division I prospects, including running back Jordon Davison, an Oregon commit who ran for 122 yards and a touchdown in the Monarchs’ Week 1 victory.

“Best team in the country,” Browner said. “They’ve got every kid you can want. They’ve got everything, up and down the roster. That’s why we play them.”

Bishop Gorman’s stars have been on display in their two wins. Quarterback Melvin Spicer has passed for 390 yards and four touchdowns, while Louisiana State-commit Derek Meadows has five catches for 104 yards and a touchdown. On defense, junior Jett Washington has nine tackles and two interceptions.

With that much firepower on both sides, Utu believes Bishop Gorman will be best suited by setting an early tone.

“We’re going to come out swinging,” Utu said. “We already know it’s going to be a fistfight, so we might as well throw first.”

Senior offensive lineman Alai Kalaniuvalu said discipline would ultimately be the deciding factor.

“Mater Dei is definitely a great team,” Kalaniuvalu said. “Props to them. All we can do is keep our heads down, keep working hard and showcase that on Friday night.”

Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.