MitchMash: Bishop Gorman speeds toward the top

WHAT: Ninth Annual Sollenberger Classic
WHERE: Bishop Gorman HS (Las Vegas)
FRIDAY: Brophy Prep (Phoenix, Ariz.) vs. Bishop Gorman, 7 p.m.
SATURDAY: Mountain Pointe (Phoenix) vs. Reed (Sparks, Nev.), 7 p.m.
TO HONOR: The late Barry Sollenberger, a former AIA employee and sports historian.

LAS VEGAS — Remember that fast-talking FedEx advertising executive on commercials? John Moschitta Jr. is his name. And he's been credited in The Guinness Book of World Records as the World's Faster Talker.

But he can't beat Tony Sanchez. No way. My money is on the Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.) football coach.

I've been taking dictation for 30 years, the last 15 or so via the computer, and I can stay out in front of the best of them, Trent Dilfer included.

But my shorthand looks like hieroglyphics after an interview with the 40-year-old Sanchez who has gone 70-5 with five state championships in five seasons at Gorman. My computer notes looks like I had my fingers on the wrong keys.

When Sanchez gets really excited about a player, a team, a call, the weather, forget about it. I've learned to just tap my tape recorder and transpose later. ... At its slowest speed.

"I'm just an excitable, passionate guy, what can I say?" Sanchez said.

What Sanchez does say is almost always right on the mark. I never feel like he's selling goods or that he really doesn't know what he's talking about or that he's just talking to talk. Conversely, he delivers from the heart to lips. It's just at super sonic speed.

So, when he told me a couple weeks ago this very well might be his best team at Gorman, I bought it hook, line and sinker.

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Much of his enthusiasm and favor for this squad, appropriately enough, is based upon – you guessed it – speed.

"This is definitely the fastest team we've ever had and we've had some quick ones," he said. "These guys get to the ball quickly and once the have it in open space, they're gone."

In high school football, there is no greater asset. Prep teams putting together 10- and 12-play drives are few and far between, so squads that can break the big ones have a huge edge.

"At every level you want speed," Sanchez said while actually slowing down. "It's a huge commodity. This year we just have so many athletes, it's phenomenal."

The speediest might be Biaggio Walsh, a 5-11, 185-pound sophomore running back who we featured here last fall largely because he's the grandson of Muhammad Ali. Walsh is not just a celebrity offspring; he's a legitimate player despite this being his first year on varsity.

See Biaggio Walsh's Beyond the X feature

"By the time he leaves here, he has the potentially to be a top five back in the country," Sanchez said.

Despite all the raw talent and promise, he's only going to be splitting time with two other standouts, Russell Booze (5-10, 180) and 5-9, 190-pound junior Jonathan Shumaker.

"They're all uber-talented and all will get about the same amount of carries," Sanchez said. "Best part about it is that all of them are comfortable with sharing the load. All three cheer for one another."

Another celebrity offspring who has earned his own name and reputation is Cordell Broadus, a 6-3, 190-pound receiver ranked the No. 120th top recruit in the nation by 247Sports. He's a transfer from Diamond Bar who, oh by the way, is the son of rapper Snoop Dogg.

"He's just so big, long, tall and athletic," Sanchez said. "We'll split him on the opposite side and just get him the ball and let him go."

One of the team's other game-breakers is another transfer receiver in sophomore Tyjon Lindsey from Poway. He was a MaxPreps freshman All-American.

"Wow is this kid explosive," Sanchez said. "He has a whole other gear. He can score from anywhere on the field and we'll put him at punt returner too. I can't wait to see him play frankly."

That goes for all of them. There's upward of a dozen Division I players on the starting unit, including Alize Jones, the 6-4, 222-pound senior who is the consensus top tight end in the country. He's already committed to UCLA.

Add in guys like linemen Jackson Perry and Noah Tialavea, defensive backs Jabari Butler and Nicco Fertitta, linebacker Nela Otukolo and first-year quarterback Danny Hong, and it's no wonder Sanchez is barely able to breathe while ripping off superlatives.

"You know what I like best? They have great chemistry," Sanchez said. "These guys really like each other. It's very obvious."

Speed plus talent plus camaraderie equals No. 1 in the country, according to USA Today (MaxPreps has the Gaels at No. 13). That burden can be huge, but it's nothing Sanchez or Gorman has shied away from since he took over in 2009.

The Gaels have played all the best from California, Florida and New Jersey, among others, and definitely earned their toughness wings.

But Sanchez has really challenged his team this year with the toughest six-week schedule in school history.

Friday they open with perennial Arizona power Brophy College Prep (Phoenix, Ariz.) to start the Sollenberger Classic. On paper, the Gaels are the favorites, but the following five weeks they may be only favored once.

In order, they play at Servite (Anaheim, Calif.), then host Utah's best team Bingham. Then it's a trio of games against Southern California juggernauts Centennial (Corona), Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita) and defending Open Division champion St. John Bosco (Bellflower).

Servite is No. 10 and St. John Bosco No. 11 and the others are on the fringe.

"We've played some tough schedules and by far this is the toughest because there's simply no break for six weeks," Sanchez said. "It's going to be a week-in, week-out grind. "

As far as feeling the pressure of being No. 1, Sanchez said. "When the kids first heard they all thought it was fantastic. I told them not to get too full of themselves. It's really more of a statement about our tradition and how well we've performed over the years.

"At the end of the day, it's flattering but it won't mean much unless we can go out and prove it each week," Sanchez said. "We'll have plenty of opportunities to prove ourselves."

This week they go against a team with great coaching and tradition. Brophy Prep's Scooter Molander is one of the state's most respected coaches and besides a swarming defense, they have one of the state's mot exciting offensive players in Isaiah Oliver, a 6-1, 180-pound senior wide recever and defensive back.

"He's special," Sanchez said. "We'll have to know where he is on the field at all times."