Gorman knocks off Spring Valley, remains first in league

Two stingy defenses met Friday at Bishop Gorman.

Even though 10th-ranked Spring Valley outgained the No. 2 Gaels 225-188, three key turnovers by the Grizzlies helped Gorman take a 14-6 victory to remain in first place in the Southwest League.

“(The turnovers were) really a big impact for us. It allowed us a couple times to really get the ball moving and help the offense out,” said Gaels senior linebacker William Fitzgerald, who had three tackles for loss.

Fitzgerald’s fumble recovery in the second quarter gave the Gaels (5-1, 2-0 Southwest) the ball at the Spring Valley 29 to set up their first score.

Two plays later, Chase Cresto hit Charles Childers with a 30-yard touchdown pass, and Colin Ditsworth’s extra point made the score 7-0.

An interception set up Gorman’s second touchdown. Spring Valley (3-1, 1-1) was set to punt from its 29, but the snap went over the head of punter Alex Quintero. He recovered, scrambled for room, then threw a desperation pass that was picked off by Childers, who returned the ball to the 27.

That set up a 2-yard touchdown run by Raphel Finley, and Ditsworth’s kick made the score 14-0 with 7:47 to play.

A Gorman turnover set up Spring Valley’s score, as Travon Davis recovered a Sam Aigbe fumble at the Gorman 46 with 2:33 remaining. Backup quarterback Keenan Sanders orchestrated a five-play drive, all of them pass completions, including a 24-yard touchdown strike to Brandon Lopez with 1:10 to go.

Even though the conversion kick failed, leaving the Grizzlies behind by eight, they almost got a chance for heroics, wrestling the ball from a Gorman player on the onside kick.

But officials ruled the Gorman player was down before the strip, and the Gaels ran out the clock.

Spring Valley twice drove inside the Gorman 10 and another time inside the 20 but was held scoreless on all three drives.

The Grizzlies drove to the 5 on the first possession, but after two losses, they missed a 29-yard field-goal try.

Spring Valley reached the Gorman 17 on the next possession, but Gorman’s Evan Zeger picked off an Anton Stallworth pass to end that drive.

“We knew we could come together and we just had to buckle down,” Fitzgerald said. “We had some mental errors here and there, but you’ve just got to crush it and go onto the next play.”

The Grizzlies drove to the Gorman 3 on their first possession of the second half but missed a 21-yard field-goal attempt.

Gorman allowed 101 yards of offense in the first quarter but only 124 thereafter, with 46 coming on Spring Valley’s final drive.

“Our defense is playing superb ball,” Gorman coach Bob Altshuler said. “Spring Valley is a heck of a football team.”