MaxPreps Game of the Week: No. 8 Bishop Gorman hits the road seeking first win against No. 13 Mater Dei

Monarchs have won all five previous meetings with the Nevada powerhouse.

By
Sep 16, 2026, 11:30am
For the second Friday in a row, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) will host the MaxPreps Game of the Week. The No. 13 Monarchs take on No. 8 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.), continuing a series that always features top-end talent a nationally-ranked teams. 

Mater Dei (4-0) downed then-No. 13 Centennial (Corona, Calif.) last week, erasing a 9-0 first-quarter deficit to avenge two losses to the Huskies in 2025. Gorman (3-1) was idle last week after posting a 38-14 victory over Utah heavyweight Lone Peak (Highland) on Sept. 4.

Gorman entered the season ranked No. 2 and knocked off preseason No. 1 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) in its second outing to grab the top spot in the rankings. But the following week, then-unranked Columbus (Miami, Fla.) stunned the Gaels 33-28.

MaxPreps Game of the Week
No. 8 Bishop Gorman at No. 13 Mater Dei
Date: Friday, Sept. 18, 2026
Time: 7 p.m. PT
Streaming: NFHS Network
Location: Santa Ana Stadium
Bishop Gorman quarterback Ace Amina has completed passes to 13 different receivers in four games this season. (PHOTO: Jenni Webber)
Bishop Gorman quarterback Ace Amina has completed passes to 13 different receivers in four games this season. (PHOTO: Jenni Webber)
Gorman has yet to solve Mater Dei, going 0-5 against the Monarchs since 2017. 

The series includes two meetings where Mater Dei and Gorman were ranked Nos. 1 and 2 nationally, respectively. 

In 2017, Mater Dei snapped Gorman's 55-game win streak that spanned nearly four years. In 2024, the Southern California program's 31-15 win over the Gaels led to a 13-0 season and national championship.

Mater Dei is a three-time MaxPreps national champion and owns a perfect 5-0 record in state championship games. Gorman has 22 Nevada state titles, including five in a row. The Gaels were crowned national champions in 2016 and 2023.

Gorman features the top two players from the state of Nevada in the 2027, 2028 and 2029 classes, according to 247Sports. The senior duo of Oregon-bound Hayden Stepp and Cal commit Kamil Loud bolster the defensive backfield. Juniors Zyren Menor and Tayaun Lawrence are both four-star recruits with more than 30 FBS offers between them. Sophomores Brayley Manning and Jason Lawrence also hold four-star status for the Gaels.

For Mater Dei, senior receiver Gavin Honore leads the team with 16 receptions, 204 yards and two touchdowns. Sophomore running back Asir Nembhard is averaging 101 rushing yards per game with six scores, and junior quarterback Russell Sekona delivered the go-ahead touchdown run in last week's victory over Centennial.

Mater Dei's defense is led by four-star USC commit Danny Lang, three-star UCLA commit Montana Toilolo, three-star New Mexico commit Dailon Clanton and three-star Dartmouth commit Ezekiel Su'a, among others.

Related Content