No. 11 St. Thomas can’t hold on, falls to national No. 2 Bishop Gorman in opener

FORT LAUDREDALE — Bishop Gorman, ranked No. 2 in the nation by Maxpreps, rallied from an 11-point third-quarter deficit and then held on to defeat host St. Thomas Aquinas 29-21 on Saturday.

Senior quarterback Melvin Spicer led the Gaels to three straight scores in the second half as Bishop Gorman (Nevada) scored 19 unanswered points to rally from a 21-10 third-quarter deficit past the No. 11 ranked Raiders at Brian Piccolo Stadium. The game was part of the third annual Broward County National High School Football Showcase.

Spicer was 7 for 9 for 96 yards and a 29-yard TD throw to Kaina Watson in the second half to spark the Gaels (2-0). Sophomore running back Terrance Grant went 10 carries for 70 yards in the second half, including a 3-yard run off right tackle with 6:44 remaining in the game to give Bishop Gorman its first lead of the game at 26-21. Spicer finished the game 13-18-1, for 189 yards and 2 TDs. He also ran for 74 yards. Grant wound up with 89 rushing yards.

St. Thomas Aquinas (0-1) had two chances after that to either take the lead or force overtime, however, both drives ended in interceptions by senior quarterback Andrew Indorf. The last one came on a fourth-and-21 play from the Gaels’ 24-yard line following an 11-yard sack by 38-33 with 54 seconds remaining in the game. Indorf’s desperation heave was picked off by Brayton Correa with 45 seconds left at the 5-yard line to ice the contest.

“It was a battle in the first half of the game,” St. Thomas coach Roger Harriott said. “We made some adjustments at the half and felt good about our defense and then our offense in the first part of the second half. Things didn’t really go as planned and they capitalized on a few mistakes. The ball bounced their way.”

St. Thomas Aquinas capitalized on a short field to take a 7-0 lead with 5:24 remaining in the first quarter. The Raiders got the ball on the Bishop Gorman 31-yard line following a 17-yard punt by Aksel Ferry. Indorf then led a six-play drive capped by a 2-yard plunge by junior Jerry Derosier.

The Gaels wasted little time in answering as they took just 1 minute, 53 seconds to move 83 yards and knot the game at 7-7. Spicer found LSU commit Derek Meadows on a 41-yard scoring toss with 3:36 left in the first quarter.

St. Thomas Aquinas seized a 14-7 lead, marching 63 yards in just four plays. Indorf and sophomore Julius Jones teamed up for a 37-yard gain to the 10, and one play later, Indorf found Richard Compton for a 10-yard scoring play with 8:37 to go in the first half.

The Raiders got the ball right back when sophomore DB Jaden Carey picked off Spicer at the Bishop Gorman 30. St. Thomas Aquinas failed to score, and Bishop Gorman was able to tack on a 28-yard field goal by junior kicker Hudson Borsari to pull within 14-10 with 17 seconds remaining before the intermission.

Jones, who finished the game with 11 catches for 175 yards, helped the Raiders stretch the lead to 21-10 on a 53-yard TD on the first possession of the second half. Indorf completed 22 of 38 for 260 yards with two scores and two INTs.

Bishop Gorman closed to within 21-17 as Spicer went 4 for 4 for 71 and finished the drive on a 29-yard TD pass to Watson with 2:52 left in the third quarter.

Borsari connected on his second field goal of the game — a 27-yarder — to pull the Gaels within 21-20 with 10:05 left in the game.

Bishop Gorman took its first lead of the game with 6:44 left in the contest on a 3-yard scoring run by Grant. They attempted a 2-point conversion, however, Spicer’s pass intended for Brandon Gaea slipped through his hands in the end zone. Borsari added a 35-yard field goal with 2:32 left in the game to close out the scoring.

“We have to pull ourselves together and get ready for the next game,” Harriott added. “I am proud of the whole team and their effort. I was proud of the fight they gave. It is part of their development in life, beyond the football field.”

The game was televised by ESPN, which ranked Bishop Gorman No. 1 and St. Thomas No. 5 nationally.

The start of the game was delayed nearly an hour due to lightning and inclement weather.

Bishop Gorman has won 13 of the past 14 Nevada state football championships, including three straight, while St. Thomas Aquinas has won 15 overall and a state record five in a row.