Bishop Gorman takes tare of business in Southwest opener

After playing four out-of-state opponents to open the 2018 season, Bishop Gorman went back to something they have made a habit of doing: dominating teams from the state of Nevada.

The Gaels opened Southwest League play at Silverado on Friday and took care of business by piling up 443 yards of offense in a 48-7 victory.

It was the Gaels’ 99th straight win over a Nevada foe, dating back to 2009.

Gorman (2-3, 1-0 Southwest League) rolled up 276 yards in a 35-point first half, and cruised from there.

Six plays into the game, Silverado’s Jacob Mendez fumbled, and Lincoln Tuioti-Mariner recovered for the Gaels at the Silverado 23. Four plays later, quarterback Micah Bowens scored on a 10-yard run.

Thanks to a 9-yard punt, Gorman opened its next possession at the Silverado 44, and scored three plays later. Bowens found Rome Odunze for the first of two touchdown passes, a 25-yarder that upped the lead to 14-0.

On its next possession, Gorman had its best march of the night — 91 yards in six plays — capped by Amod Cianelli’s 1-yard run and the visitors’ lead was 21-0.

Odunze, who had four catches for 111 yards, set up the Gaels on their next possession with a 35-yard punt return. Ikaika Ragsdale finished the next drive with a 6-yard burst.

Cianelli, who later added a 52-yard touchdown run, led the Gaels with 143 yards on 10 carries, and Ragsdale added 131 on 20 carries. In all, Bishop Gorman had 295 yards on the ground.

“It was a lot of fun out there tonight,” said Ragsdale, whose team had only six plays in Gorman territory in the first half. “We still have a long way to go. We must continue to work hard every day or someone could take our biggest prize away from us, and that’s winning state again.”

Silverado (2-3, 0-2 Southwest) had just 104 total yards, but avoided the shutout with just more than eight minutes remaining on Mendez’s 3-yard run. Breven Palpallatoc’s 58-yard run set it up, the only double-digit gain for the Skyhawks on the night.

Bowen completed 8 of 9 passes for 145 yards, and none of his throws hit the ground. The lone incompletion came on a pass to Blaze Boudreau, but the senior was out of the back of the end zone.

Palpalatoc had 70 yards rushing for the Skyhawks on 10 carries.