No. 1 Bishop Gorman beats No. 3 St. John Bosco to win No. 42 in a row

Video: No. 1 Bishop Gorman vs. No. 3 St. John Bosco
View images by photographer Louis Lopez of this showdown at Long Beach City College (Calif.).

For all its glitter and panache, the nation's top-ranked team from the bright lights of Las Vegas shows a lot of grit.

Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) overcame a nightmarish start, 11 first-half penalties and a game-ending ankle injury to Cal-bound running back Biaggio Ali Walsh in the first quarter to run away with a tenacious 35-20 victory over third-ranked St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) at Long Beach City College Friday night.

Ohio State-bound quarterback Tate Martell was magnificent, throwing four 183 yards and three touchdowns, rushing for 113 more and another score, as the Gaels won their 42nd-consecutive game. It was the 31st-straight victory as starting quarterback for the shifty 5-foot-11, 200-pound dual-threat quarterback, who constantly scrambled out of trouble.

"We obviously struggled in the first half, but showed just how much we work every summer," Martell said in a postgame TV interview. "My line did great, our running backs and receivers did great. I have to manage the game but all the rest of the guys have to make plays, no matter who it is."

That includes Amod Cianelli, who filled in for Ali Walsh and rushed for 117 yards. He gave the Gaels their first lead of the game, 21-20 with 3:02 left in the third quarter, on a 3-yard scoring run. Martell finished off the 87-yard drive with a hand-off to the 5-foot-10 sophomore who powered it into the end zone. That seemed to take all the wind out of Bosco's sail.

On the first play of the fourth quarter, Martell completed his third picture-perfect touchdown bomb and his second to Dorian Thompson-Robinson, this one 45 yards, to make it 28-20. Martell then all but put it away with a pretty 18-yard touchdown keeper with 6:14 left.

St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) coach Jason Negro was hoping for a good start and he more than got it, taking a 14-0 lead in the first quarter.

The Braves, who trailed 27-3 in a 34-31 loss at Gorman in 2014, scored on their first two drives. The first was capped by a bullish 7-yard run by Demetrious Flowers up the middle. He broke five tackles before diving into the end zone.

Gorman appeared to tie it on a 37-yard pass from Martell to Austin Arnold, but the Gaels were called for a holding call, one of 11 penalties in the first half against the seven-time defending Nevada state champs.

After a fake punt lost 7 yards, it took just two plays for fleet junior quarterback Re-al Mitchell to show off his speed as he turned the left corner for a 38-yard touchdown run to make it 14-0 with 4:39 left in the first quarter.

Worse news for Gorman was Ali Walsh re-injured his ankle on the next drive and was lost for the game.

But despite that and the penalties, the Gaels kept battling behind Martell.

The Ohio State-bound quarterback fired an absolutely beautiful 49-yard touchdown bomb to Thompson-Robinson to cut the lead to 14-7 with 2:01 left in the first.

Field goals of 23 and 22 yards by Kalani Kukahiko extended Bosco's lead to 20-7 with 2:18 left in the half and the game appeared to be getting away from the Gaels.

The second field goal came three plays after Terrance Beasley looked en route to a sure touchdown on a 39-yard scamper up the middle. But Gorman four-star safety Bubba Bolden made a fully-extended tackle, tripping up Beasley at the 8. Gorman held on three plays forcing a field goal.

Bolden's tackle saved four points and proved huge, because Martell drove the Gaels right down the field, connecting on completions of 35 yards to Arnold and 30 to tight end Brevin Jordan, the latter for a touchdown, making it 20-14 with 1:36 left in the half. Both were perfectly placed touch passes and both were well covered.

"That's why he's one of the best quarterbacks in the country," Negro said at halftime. "We have to do a better job of containing him. ... But we're right where we want to be. We have to keep plugging away and be more efficient in red zone."

Gorman coach Kenny Sanchez obviously wasn't very happy at halftime: "We were sloppy and played undisciplined," he said. "We're lucky to be this close."

After an impressive second half, it wasn't all that close, but in Gorman's favor. Bolden added a key interception down the stretch in the end zone and the Gaels allowed less than 50 yards after intermission. Gorman had more than 200 yards in the second half and finished with 430.

Asked via text after the game what he was pleased most about his team's performance and Sanchez said: "The way our kids stayed calm and composed and persevered."