Early Contenders high school football team preview: No. 3 Bishop Gorman

When Kenny Sanchez, his brother Tony and an entire staff uprooted their families from Northern California in 2009 to move to Las Vegas, they couldn't have possibly imagined it all working so well. 

The brothers had a good thing going at California High School. They were 20 minutes from where they grew up in Livermore and turned a struggling program into one of Northern California's best.

But they knew Bishop Gorman had a higher ceiling. The cost of living was cheaper in Nevada. The pace and traffic was less hectic.

What the boys from Livermore probably didn't anticipate was transforming Gorman from a state power — a small state at that — into a legitimate perennial national power.

With a seven-season record of 100-5, seven state titles and two mythical national crowns, the Gaels are mentioned in the same breath with other proven national powers like St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.), De La Salle (Concord, Calif.), Carroll (Southlake, Texas) and Trinity (Euless, Texas).

Every season, the Gaels play among the most challenging schedules in the country and this year is no different. It includes a first-ever trip to Texas and a showdown with No. 1 St. Thomas Aquinas.

If they can somehow navigate through it all and go undefeated, a third national crown would be a given. With 15 starters back, including perhaps the best quarterback in the country, Gorman is certainly capable.

See the Bishop Gorman Early Contenders photo shoot

What impresses head coach Kenny Sanchez the most about his group is that they don't get caught up in all the possibilities or hyperbole. They enter the season winners of 39 straight games.

"It's pretty much just business as usual," Sanchez said. "We have a lot of veteran guys who have been around since they were sophomores. They've won a lot of big games and won championships. They jell well together. It's going to be fun and exciting and the atmosphere on game nights will be off the charts. But these guys know the work and sacrifice before those big games."

The Players
College recruits are showcased at every position, but third-year starting quarterback Tate Martell makes everything happen on offense. Martell is the No. 1 rated dual-threat quarterback and the No. 33 overall senior recruit in the nation, according to 247Sports Composite.

The swift and elusive 6-foot, 200-pound senior has completed 257 of 437 passes for 5,145 yards and 72 touchdowns (just eight interceptions) in two seasons. He's also rushed for 1,037 yards and 14 scores.

Martell flipped college choices this spring from Texas A&M to Ohio State, but Sanchez said the recruiting process didn't distract his star quarterback one bit.

"Tate has been phenomenal this spring," Sanchez said. "He's as good as it gets. He's done a great job being present and focused."

Even though his top receiver and adopted brother, five-star senior, Tyjon Lindsey transferred to Centennial (Corona, Calif.), Martell has a variety of weapons to feed, including senior running back Biaggio Ali Walsh.

The grandson of the late Muhammad Ali rushed 203 times last year for 2,451 yards and 33 touchdowns. He caught three TD passes. Probably the fastest player on the team (4.42 seconds in the 40-yard dash), the 5-foot-10, 190-pounder has nine college offers, including Cal, Arizona and Louisville.

"He's bigger, stronger and faster, so look for him to tie it all together this season," Sanchez said.

Senior Austin Arnold (5-11, 190) and juniors Jalen Nailor (5-10, 160) and Dorian Thompson-Robinson (6-2, 200) are prime targets at wide receiver. Tight end Brevin Jordan (6-2, 200) will also be a threat in the passing game.

Thompson-Robinson is also the team's backup quarterback — he'll likely start next year — and is one of the top junior recruits in the country.

The Gaels lost two starting offensive tackles, but Sanchez is happy with the progression of that group.

Defensively, Ohio State-bound tackle Haskell Garrett (6-2, 262) leads the way. The 247Sports Composite has him pegged as the nation's No. 56 overall senior recruit.

Gaels on Film: Tate Martell Ultimate Highlights

The entire secondary, anchored by USC-bound safety Bubba Bolden and four-star cornerback Alex Perry, is back from last season. Senior Farrell Hester (6-0, 235) and highly-ranked junior Palaie Gaoteote lead a strong group of linebackers.

Hester piled up a team-high 97 tackles last year, followed closely by Gaoteote (93).

"It's a good group," said Sanchez, the team's former defensive coordinator who took over as head coach from his brother Tony, now the head coach at UNLV. "They're aggressive, hit hard and play well together."
The Schedule

The Gaels have played teams throughout the country, but never one from Texas. Getting to play at No. 5 Cedar Hill on Aug. 27 is "a once in a lifetime opportunity," Sanchez said. "We're so excited. It should be so intense. The best from Texas against the best from Nevada."

That's just the beginning.

The Gaels follow that up with a home game against Florida power Cocoa before playing No. 9 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.). After a couple of home games, including No. 42 Kahuku, Gorman gets the granddaddy of them all, another home game against top-ranked St. Thomas Aquinas on Sept. 30.

"That game is a long ways away," Sanchez said of STA. "If we can take care of business up until then and they do the same, it will be a big one that's for sure. It's hard to look that far ahead."

It's hard for Sanchez to look behind either, to comprehend the move to Las Vegas. Like his team, he lives in the moment. 

"I haven't given (the move) much thought," he said. "I feel like it's been a great start but we are still pursuing our goals on a yearly basis with hard work and dedication. There is still a lot of work left to be done. And that's our challenge now.

"But all of it has been a fun ride so far."