Bishop Gorman not afraid of competition
Five wins and two losses is not an incredibly attractive record for Las Vegas (Nev.) Bishop Gorman but a closer examination of its schedule reveals something entirely different: Coach Tony Sanchez and his team aren't afraid to play anybody, anywhere, anytime.
Bishop Gorman's two losses came to Chandler (Ariz.) Hamilton, 24-17, and to Concord (Calif.) De La Salle, 28-14. Hamilton and De La Salle are two of the strongest programs on the West Coast and Sanchez hopes to keep scheduling that way in the future.
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Beating up on teams isn't Bishop Gorman's aim. The Gaels want to find the fiercest competition and line up on the other side. It's a scheduling philosophy that Sanchez says is valuable not only for building a program but for having his players compete against some of the nation's best - win or lose.
"We're getting better," Sanchez said after the De La Salle loss. "We have to continue lifting weights, continue doing all the little things, continue to prepare the way great teams prepare and we'll be fine.
"It's one of those things where we live in a society nowadays where you won or you lost and we lost, we'll take that on the chin, but when you look at us and what we've done … and where we're going you can say we can play with anybody.
"The whole thing is about competition. It's not about going undefeated. It's not about going out and scoring a lot of points. It's about going out, finding quality opponents and seeing who you are. At the end of the day that makes the whole experience that much more memorable."
Gorman has dominated in its five victories, outscoring its opponents 216-19 with three shutouts. USC defensive end commit Jalen Grimble and Washington defensive back pledge Evan Zeger lead the defense.
The offense is young with six sophomores and four juniors starting against De La Salle but it is talented.
Junior Shaquille Powell is one of the best running backs on the West Coast. Offensive lineman Ronnie Stanley, another junior, already lists offers from Arizona, Arkansas, Cal, Nebraska, UCLA, USC and Utah. Many others contribute as well.
Sanchez said he would definitely prefer playing the toughest competition and possibly lose than just beat up on local teams every week.
Bishop Gorman will schedule the same way next year if possible, he said. It's not all about wins and losses for him and the program but getting the exposure - and playing the best of the best.
"I hope De La Salle comes up next year and plays us," Sanchez said. "We want to play those types of team every chance we get."