STA National Showdown
St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders (ranked #5 in the USA) faced off against the #1 ranked Bishop Gorman Gaels in the top five matchup during Week one on ESPN.
In the first quarter, St.Thomas Aquinas struck first after a strong drive, spreading the ball around to playmakers such as Jerry Derozier, Branden Hoch, Julius Jones, and Ahmari Stevens. However, the drive ultimately ended in a Jerry Derozier two-yard rushing touchdown which put Aquinas up 7-0.
Later in the first quarter, Bishop Gorman struck back with a 41-yard touchdown pass to Derek Meadows, leaving the score tied at 7-7.
In the second quarter, Bishop Gorman drove down the field in hopes of scoring, but their drive was ended by a sack on 4th and 5 by Mark Matthews. On the second play of this drive, Andrew Indorf threw a slant to Julius Jones for 39-yards, which placed the Raiders on the 10-yard line. On the following play, Andrew Indorf threw a touchdown to Ahmari Stevens to put the Raiders up 14-7.
On the next drive, the Gaels had intentions to score, but their drive was short-lived after throwing an interception to Jaden Carey. The Raiders drove down to the 20-yard l
ine but were faced with a 4th and 10, which forced a field goal. The field goal was missed, leaving the score at 14-7. Bishop Gorman received the ball with 4:47 left in the half with intentions to get some points on the board going into the half. The Gaels drove down the field and kicked a field goal with 21 seconds left in the half, making the score 14-10 Raiders going into half time.
Second Half
To begin the second half, Bishop Gorman started with possession of the ball. The Gaels were driving down, but, with a few stops and a 4th and 16 tipped pass by Mark Matthews, the Raiders were back on offense.
Starting with great field position on their own 40, the Raiders were ready to put more points on the board. With 4:50 in the third quarter, Andrew Indorf threw a 53-yard touchdown to Julius Jones, bumping the score up to 21-10.
After the Raiders’ touchdowns, the Gaels’ backs were on the wall and they needed to score to stay in this game. As they drove down the field, Bishop Gorman’s QB, Melvin Spicer, threw a 30-yard pass to Kaina Watson, taking the score to 21-17, with the Raiders still in the lead. After the Raider drive stalled, Gorman was taking the field again, possibly getting their first lead of the game. The Raiders held their own by keeping Gorman to a field goal, taking the score to 21-20 Raiders.
After another defensive stop by the Gaels, the Nevada team drove down the field to score a touchdown but attempted an unsuccessful 2 point conversion, taking the score to 21-26 with the Gaels ahead.
Hoping to take back control in this game on the next drive for the Raiders, Andrew Indorf threw an interception, which put the Gaels in Raider territory with 3:57 left in the game. After the interception, Bishop Gorman barely moved the ball, but still ended up getting a field goal with 2:35 left in the game, resulting in a 29-21 score.
On the final drive of the game, Andrew Indorf came out hot with a couple of quick passes to Julius Jones and an 18-yard pass to Cameron Roberts to put the Raiders on the 32-yard line with 1:45 left. After another Raiders’ first down, the Gaels’ defense started to stand up, forcing a 3rd and 10 for the Raiders. On a crucial 3 & 10, the Gaels’ defense got a stop to force a 4th and 21. On 4th and 21 to keep the game alive, the Raiders needed a touchdown; Andrew Indorf rolled out and was intercepted. This was a devastating loss for the Raiders, but a well-played game, ending with a 29-21 Bishop Gorman Gaels win.
