RECRUITING NOTES: Gorman football still attracting attention
Southern Nevada high school football fans weren’t the only ones paying attention to Bishop Gorman’s undefeated run to the Class 4A state championship.
The Gaels (15-0), who routed Del Sol 62-21 on Saturday for their second title in three years, also have been eyed all season by college recruiters.
“The last few days of practice, we didn’t have one day where a major college wasn’t watching,” Gorman coach Tony Sanchez said.
While the Gaels’ run on the gridiron is over, the recruiting season is just heating up as the Feb. 3 signing day approaches.
Three seniors already have committed to Pacific-10 Conference programs: tight end Xavier Grimble (Southern California), defensive end Alex Turner (Stanford) and offensive lineman Geoffrey Gibson (California).
Senior linebacker Evan Palelei, who committed to Stanford in April but reopened his recruitment in September, hopes to make his decision this month.
Palelei said he is leaning toward Colorado, which he visited the weekend of Oct. 30. He also has drawn recent interest from Idaho.
“I’m pretty excited about it,” Palelei said of his renewed focus on recruiting. “I’ve started reading up on schools again.”
Senior defensive lineman Ian Bobak said he plans to visit Fresno State this weekend and UNR beginning Tuesday.
Sanchez said senior receiver/defensive back Taylor Spencer is leaning toward Utah.
But amid the recruiting, the Gaels will most remember their perfect season.
“Just to achieve it, it hasn’t really hit me yet,” Bobak said. “But when I put on that ring, it’s going to be like, 'Wow.’ ”
FINDLAY’S BIG WEEKEND — Findlay Prep senior point guard Cory Joseph’s fifth and final official visit will come this weekend to UNLV, Pilots coach Michael Peck said.
“I think it’s a small weight lifted off his shoulders because you don’t have teams vying for that fifth visit,” Peck said.
Joseph already has visited Texas, Connecticut, Villanova and Minnesota. He’ll lead the Pilots (10-0), ranked No. 2 in USA Today’s national poll, against defending 4A state champion Gorman (0-0) at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Orleans Arena.
RECENT DECISIONS — Recent signees include Gorman girls diver Ciera Cortney (Boise State) and Green Valley girls swimmer Allie Dodds (Brigham Young).
Green Valley senior baseball player Tariq Staton committed to Southern Utah, and junior girls soccer player Kayla Varner picked BYU. Other junior girls soccer players to commit include Sierra Vista’s Katrine Baker (Indiana State) and Centennial’s Bethanie Skelton (Washington State).
College of Southern Nevada’s baseball program landed commitments from Bonanza’s Mario Franzese, Gorman’s Cory Welch, Foothill’s Dylan Ellis and Jordan Stewart, Green Valley’s Cameron Harper and Bobby Shiroky and Silverado’s Bobby Johnson.
Also, former Shadow Ridge pitcher Dustin Hobbs, currently at Yavapai College (Ariz.), signed with Utah. The right-hander began his college career at Kansas State.
