LAS VEGAS — Bishop Gorman entered Friday night with an opportunity to make an early statement about who should sit atop the high school football world.
Message delivered. The No. 2 Gaels survived a furious second-half comeback from No. 1 St. John Bosco to secure a 38-28 victory in Las Vegas, turning the MaxPreps Game of the Week into an early contender for one of the season’s most memorable games. And Bishop Gorman junior quarterback Ace Amina delivered when the Gaels needed him most.
Playing in temperatures hovering around 103 degrees at kickoff, Gorman wasted no time establishing control. Amina led an 80-yard opening possession before finding Noah Cole for an eight-yard touchdown.
The junior quarterback struck again following an 11-play, 60-yard march, connecting with Zyren Menor for a 27-yard touchdown. Menor turned the play into a highlight by making three defenders miss on his way to the end zone.
Gorman’s defense joined the scoring. Bosco’s first offensive snap of the season sailed past quarterback Koa Malau’ulu, an ominous beginning to a disastrous first half for the Braves.
Shortly afterward, linebacker Jordan Lutu forced a fumble that J’Siah Leasau recovered for a touchdown. Suddenly, it was 21-0. Bosco entered the night as the nation’s No. 1 team but managed only 33 yards of first-half offense. Then everything changed.
Bosco Erases 21-Point Deficit
Whatever head coach Jason Negro told his team at halftime worked. Bosco emerged looking nothing like the offense Gorman had suffocated over the opening two quarters.
The Braves scored on their first three possessions of the second half. Malau’ulu threw touchdown passes to D.J. Tubbs and Kuika Moaalii, while Tubbs also delivered one of the game’s biggest special-teams plays with a 45-yard punt return. Tubbs finished with four receptions for 78 yards. With 9:52 remaining, Bosco had completely erased Gorman’s advantage. 28-28.
After dominating the first half, the Gaels suddenly found themselves in a fourth-quarter fight against the nation’s top-ranked team. That’s when Amina responded.
Ace Amina Delivers the Biggest Throw of the Night
Facing the type of moment that can define a young quarterback, Amina didn’t blink. He connected with Corey Hinton on a crossing route, and Hinton turned it into a 54-yard touchdown that immediately put Bishop Gorman back in front. The former Bosco Brave really hurt his former team Friday night.
It was Amina’s third touchdown pass of the night and unquestionably his biggest. Kicker Cason Clark then provided some breathing room by drilling a 49-yard field goal, pushing Gorman’s advantage to 10 and finally putting Bosco’s comeback to rest.
Amina finished 15-of-23 for 221 yards and three touchdowns in just his second varsity start. That’s quite an introduction to the national stage.
Bishop Gorman Makes History
Friday’s victory carried significance beyond opening night. It marked Bishop Gorman’s first victory in a No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup, after the Gaels previously lost two such meetings against Mater Dei.
Since 2000, the top two teams in the MaxPreps Top 25 have now met 16 times. The No. 2-ranked team has won seven of those matchups. There’s an intriguing historical footnote for Gorman: five previous winners of No. 1-vs.-No. 2 games eventually finished their seasons as national champions.
It’s August, so there’s an enormous amount of football still ahead. But the Gaels couldn’t have asked for a stronger opening argument.
From 21-0 to 28-28 — Then Gorman Answers
What made the victory particularly impressive wasn’t Bishop Gorman’s dominant opening half. It was what happened after that dominance disappeared. Bosco absorbed everything Gorman threw at it, climbed out of a three-touchdown hole and tied the game in the fourth quarter. Momentum had completely flipped.
Gorman could’ve folded. Instead, its young quarterback threw a 54-yard touchdown. Its kicker buried a 49-yarder. Its defense finished the job. No. 2 Bishop Gorman 38, No. 1 St. John Bosco 28. But after Friday night in Las Vegas, don’t be surprised if that No. 2 next to Bishop Gorman’s name disappears when the next rankings arrive.
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Robert LaMar is a Deputy Editor for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @RobertLaMar26
