No. 2 Gorman rallies past Florida school, eyes Mater Dei matchup

Bishop Gorman and the entire country can now turn their attention to what could be the de facto high school football national championship game in two weeks.

The Gaels, the defending national champs who are ranked No. 2 this season by MaxPreps, needed a true team effort from all three phases of the game, but they rallied in the second half to claim a 29-21 win over No. 11 St. Thomas Aquinas (Florida) on Saturday at Brian Piccolo Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.

Bishop Gorman (2-0) will go on the road to face No. 1 Mater Dei (1-0) in Santa Ana, California, on Sept. 6. Both teams have a bye next week.

“The kids played their hearts out,” Gorman coach Brent Browner said in a phone interview. “We still got a couple little bumps in the road. We started in that second half, we started to figure out who we were. They’ve just been in so many big games and played in so many tough moments that it was just par for the course.”

Gorman trailed 21-10 late in the third quarter but scored 19 unanswered points to extend its winning streak to 27 games and keep its hopes of repeating as national champion alive. Gorman was named the national champion by MaxPreps and USA Today for the fourth time in program history last season.

The Gaels’ last loss was on Aug. 26, 2022, at home against Mater Dei.

“The boys are excited,” Browner said. “We wanted to play the game. We called them to play. That’s why you come to Bishop Gorman to play in a game like (St. Thomas Aquinas) and play coming up in a couple weeks (against Mater Dei).”

On Saturday, Gorman leaned on its running game and racked up 239 rushing yards. Sophomore running back Terrance Grant rushed for 80 yards and a touchdown. His 3-yard score with 6:44 left in the fourth quarter gave the Gaels their first lead, 26-21.

The running game “is crazy important,” Browner said. “We’re trying to find our identity. We probably found a little bit more of it today. These next couple weeks we’re going to change some things, and you’re probably going to see a whole new offense and even a little bit different defense because we see what are strengths are.”

Quarterback Melvin Spicer IV played all but one drive for the Gaels. The senior right-hander completed 12 of 17 passes for 188 yards with two touchdown passes and an interception. He added 78 rushing yards.

“As a team, we’re still getting better and seeing what plays and what’s going to define our offense,” Browner said. “It was big to have a really, really tough out-of-state opponent to really test us in that way so we can be better.”

St. Thomas Aquinas (0-1) had a chance to tie the game. The Raiders got the ball back with 2:32 and drove to Gorman’s 13-yard line.

But the Gaels didn’t break. Prince Williams sacked quarterback Andrew Indorf on third down, and Brayton Correa intercepted him on fourth down to seal the win.

Alexander Perez had an interception earlier in the fourth quarter for Gorman. Kicker Hudson Borsari added field goals of 28, 27 and 35 yards. Borsari drilled the 35-yarder a few plays after Perez’s interception with over two minutes left in the fourth quarter to push the Gaels’ lead to eight.

“We knew we missed some opportunities, and that’s what gave them confidence,” Browner said. “We knew if we played good football, did the fundamental things right and cleaned up a couple of the mistakes that we’d be able to do a pretty good job. That’s what all of them saw and felt, and they did that on both sides of the ball.”

St. Thomas Aquinas went ahead 21-10 with 4:48 left in the third quarter when Indorf hit Julius Jones on a 53-yard touchdown pass.

Spicer connected with Kaina Watson on a 29-yard touchdown pass less than two minutes later, and Borsari made a 27-yard field goal in the fourth quarter as Gorman cut the deficit to 21-20 with 10:03 left.

The Gaels forced a three-and-out on the ensuing St. Thomas Aquinas possession, and their offense made quick work of a short field. Grant broke off a 25-yard run and two plays later bulldozed his way for his 3-yard score to give the Gaels the lead.

Jerry Derosier gave St. Thomas Aquinas an early lead with a 2-yard touchdown run midway through the first quarter. Spicer hit Derek Meadows on a 41-yard touchdown pass on the following possession to tie the game at 7.

Indorf found AhMari Stevens for a 10-yard touchdown pass early in the second quarter. Borsari knocked down a 28-yard field goal just before halftime, and Gorman trailed 14-10 at the break.

Meadows finished with three catches for 69 yards and the touchdown, and Watson had four catches for 70 yards and the touchdown.

For Gorman to defend its title, it will have to do something it hasn’t done: defeat Mater Dei. The Gaels are 0-3 all time against the Monarchs with losses in 2017 and 2018 before the 2022 defeat at home.

Mater Dei defeated No. 8 Centennial (Corona, California) 42-25 on Thursday.

“It’s going to be crazy big,” Browner said. “That’s why (the kids) are here. I’d say the kids scheduled the game. I didn’t schedule it. I just listened to what they want to do, and I make sure I get it done.”

Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.