The two biggest heavyweights in Nevada high school football, featuring
18 of the top 30 senior recruits in the state, square off Friday in the first Class 5A tournament in state history when
Liberty (Henderson) travels to No. 17
Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas). The winner of the South Regional final plays the North Region title game between McQueen and Bishop Manogue on Nov. 18 for the state title.
A state crown in the state's largest classification was owned by Gorman for a decade until Liberty stunned the Gaels, 30-24, in the 2019 Class 4A Desert regional final on a 7-yard overtime run by
Zyrus Fiaseu to end the game. There were no 2020 championships due to the pandemic.
That Liberty victory ended a 10-year state championship streak by the Gaels, one of the longest in the history of high school football. It also ended Gorman's 115-game win streak against in-state opponents and a seven-game streak between the two schools, one of which included an 84-8 Gaels' victory in the 2016 state championship.
That made Liberty's win in 2019 all the sweeter.
How to watch
When: Friday, Nov. 12 at 6 p.m. PDT
Where: Bishop Gorman HS
Online streaming: NFHS Network
Of the 84-8 loss, Liberty coach Rich Maraco told the
Las Vegas Sun: "It almost started to feel like Gorman was never going to lose, like they had some stranglehold on football."
Fiaseu, who entered Liberty the year after that loss, wanted so badly to beat Gorman he begged to go back in the game. Maraco was all set to kick a chip shot game-winning field goal. Instead, Fiaseu burst through the line virtually untouched setting off a wild celebration. Fiaseu flung the ball in the air, went to his knees and immediately broke into tears.
Liberty, which started the season 0-5, went on to win its first state title.
"All the kids executed on that play,” Muraco said. “If you watch it
on film, the hole was gigantic. We could have driven a truck through
there.”
Tight end Moliki Matavao pancaked a defender and ended up on the grass in the end zone. "The whole town was on the field as I get up," he told the Sun. "I was like, 'Wow look at this.' The whole sideline was already on the field. It was packed, cameras in everyone's faces. It was surreal."
Zachariah Branch, Bishop Gorman
Photo by Jann Hendry
Beating Gorman was a big deal, but now the Gaels have a chance for redemption.
Gorman has seven straight since an absolutely stunning 25-24 loss on national television to No. 15 ranked Hamilton. Hamilton scored 1
8 points in the final 65 seconds to pull off the miraculous victory.
It hasn't deterred Gorman one bit. Some might go as far as say it teed the Gaels off. They rattled off six straight shutouts, scoring 52, 51, 62, 49, 59 and 51 in the process. Last week, they defeated Foothill (Henderson), 63-6.
Quarterback
Micah Alejado is one of the top sophomores in the state, having completed 104 of 146 for 2,176 yards and 25 touchdowns against one interceptions. He's also rushed for 182 yards and five more touchdowns. His favorite target is
Zachariah Branch, the top junior recruit in the state, with 38 catches for 875 yards and 12 touchdowns. A balanced offense features five players with 200 yards rushing or more, powered by 6-foot, 220-pound junior William Stallings Jr. (631 yards, 8 TDs).
Much of the Gaels' talent is on the defensive side with the state's top two senior recruits in Oregon-bound defensive end Cyrus Moss and Branch's older brother Zion Branch, at safety. Other top Gorman senior recruits are offensive tackle Jake Taylor (Oklahoma commit, 6-6, 290), cornerback Fabian Ross (USC) and linebacker Benjamin Hudson (Stanford).
Liberty has put up similar gaudy numbers, having outscored opponents 444-112, which includes a resounding 49-7 loss to the nation's No. 1 team Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.). Like Gorman's loss, it was Liberty's fourth game of the season, and likewise, the Patriots have responded emphatically, outscoring its next seven foes, 319-41.
Senior quarterback and UNLV commit Jayden Maiava has thrown for 1,854 yards and 23 touchdowns. Washington-bound receiver Germie Bernard, the state's No. 5 senior recruit, is his top target with 46 catches for 820 yards and 11 touchdowns. Like the Gaels, the Patriots run by committee with Bernard actually the team leader in rushing at 364. As a triple threat, Bernard has also completed 9-of-13 passes.
