Video: (1) Bishop Gorman vs. Long Beach Poly - High school football previewLong Beach Poly (Calif.) at Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas)
Friday, 7 p.m. Pacific timeWhy it's big: After impressive wins over top teams from Arizona, Utah and Washington to start the year, Bishop Gorman now takes a crack at one of SoCal's perennial powers. The top-ranked Gaels have won their last nine games against California teams, a streak that started in 2010.
Friday's game will be the first in 15 days for Poly. The Jackrabbits clipped state-ranked Narbonne (Harbor City) their last time out ,with junior
Nolan McDonald the starting quarterback in a 20-17 win. But his playing time might be diminished now that transfer
Malik Henry has been cleared to play by the California Interscholastic Federation. Henry is a heralded four-star prospect who transferred to Poly this fall after a brief stopover at IMG Academy.
Names to watch: Quarterback
Tate Martell – a Texas A&M recruit – is Bishop Gorman's undisputed leader on offense, but fellow junior
Biaggio Walsh has been the Gaels' most productive player through four games. Walsh, whose grandfather is boxing icon Muhammad Ali, made a name for himself as a running back, totaling 415 yards and five touchdowns on 43 carries.
If Henry does see the field for Poly, it could provide a needed spark for a Poly offense that totaled only 33 total points in its first two games. Henry, a Florida State commit and the third-rated pro-style passer in the Class of 2016 by 247Sports, threw for over 2,000 yards and 15 touchdowns in 10 games last season at Westlake (Westlake Village, Calif.).
Photos by MaxPreps photographers / Graphic by Ryan Escobar
