New FSM Preview - 702HSFB - 5A and 4A State Championships - 2022

New FSM Preview – 702 HSFB – 5A and 4A State Championships – 2022

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After 13 weeks of competition, we have offically arrived to the biggest week of the high school football season. Three teams from the 702 will take the field and put it all on the line in the 5A and 4A Nevada State Championship games! First up, Bishop Gorman (12-1) travels to Carson City to face Bishop Manogue (11-2) for the 5A State title.

 

 5-A State Championship 

 

Bishop Gorman vs. Bishop Manogue   

 

This year’s Bishop Gorman team has been dominant, as we’ve come to expect from Nevada’s high school powerhouse. But after watching this 2022 season and all of the success they’ve had leading up to this week’s title game, it’s not far-fetched to believe that the Gaels somewhat fell short of their potential.

Outside of their single loss in week 2, Gorman dominated all of their opponents, with the smallest margin of victory being 35 points. They out-scored their scheduled opponents, 738-72, and outscored their Nevada opponents, 504-17.

The Gaels had one of the most talented rosters in the country in 2022, with multiple high-ranked players, including the number one wide receiver recruit in 2022, senior Zachariah Branch. Gorman also had multiple players set records, with junior Micah Alejado breaking Nevada’s state record for touchdown passes in a single season (47) and senior Trech Kekahuna breaking Bishop Gorman’s school record for touchdowns in a single season (20). And despite their week 2 loss, their performance against the number one team in the country, Mater Dei (11-0), was arguably their biggest accomplishment of the season.

In their week 2 loss against the best high school team in the country, Gorman had plenty of moments where they looked like the better team.

 

The Gaels scored 14 points in the first quarter while holding Mater Dei to just 7 points through the entire first half. Gorman held the lead through the first three quarters as they went into the fourth with a score of 21-14.

It wasn’t until the final minutes of the game that Mater Dei made a late-game field goal, after Gorman missed a 20-yard 3-point attempt prior, to eventually claim the victory. Mater Dei’s 3-point win over Gorman was their smallest margin of victory and the closest the eventual national champions came to suffering a loss.

Had Gorman managed to make that fourth-quarter field goal, it’s possible that they would have prevented Mater Dei from sneaking away with the victory. Maybe if Gorman managed to score on that final two-minute drive, perhaps they would have claimed that number-one national ranking and would be the favorite to win the national championship. Currently sitting as the 5th ranked team in the country, it’s hard not to imagine what could have been had just a few plays gone the other way for one of the most talented Bishop Gorman teams Nevada has ever seen.

Though it’s entertaining to think about the possibilities, the results are what they are. Gorman has moved on and has their eyes set on Bishop Manogue. The two teams face off this week in Carson City, a rematch of the 2018 state title game in which Gorman defeated the Miners 69-26. And though the Gaels won’t be able to claim that mythical national title, a win on Saturday would still be historic as Gorman would secure their 19th state football title, tying the record with Reno for the most state championships in Nevada’s history, perhaps a good consolation prize for the exceptional season the 2022 Gaels have had.

 

4-A State Championship 

 

Silverado vs. Shadow Ridge

 

Silverado (11-0) and Shadow Ridge (11-1) will face off for the second-straight year in Allegiant Stadium for the Nevada 4A State Championship.

Standing as the undefeated reigning 4A champs, Silverado has been perfect for almost two-straight seasons. Going 12-0 and securing their first state title in 2021, Silverado has continued to dominate the 4A ranks by going undefeated and reaching the state title game again in 2022.

With the current state of recruiting restrictions at the high school level, the Skyhawks have shown how successful a public school team can be. With their core players being students zoned for Silverado high school, players like senior Donavyn Pellot and senior Caden Harris came to Silverado as unrecruited players and have emerged as two of the best athletes in Nevada.

Led by Coach Andy Ostolaza through these last two championship-level seasons, it’s likely the Skyhawks will be making a move up to the 5A division in 2023. Before joining the bigger division occupied by teams like Bishop Gorman and Liberty, Silverado will look to conclude their 4A reign with a dominant performance en route to their second-straight Nevada state title.

As for Shadow Ridge, the message is simple; It’s now or never. During Silverado’s first title run in 2021, the Mustangs went 9-3 and missed out on securing a league title.

 

Their first two regular season losses came from Coronado and Silverado, and their third came against the Skyhawks again in the state championship. Now in 2022, Shadow Ridge has shown a lot of improvement.

Going 11-1 during the season, the Mustangs‘ only loss came from 5A contender Arbor View in week 2. From there, Shadow Ridge went on an impressive 9-game winning streak, with a victory over Coronado in week 8, and pitched three-straight shutout games to win a league title.

As teams move up and down divisions this off-season, Shadow Ridge will have one final shot to redeem their 2021 title loss as they face Silverado again in this year’s championship game. Either the Mustangs show they have truly progressed since last year by upsetting the reigning champs, or Silverado ends their two-year reign with 23-straight victories and two Nevada 4A State Championships.

 

The Prep Rally State Championship Picks:

 

Bishop Gorman vs Bishop Manogue

Ant: Bishop Gorman 77-10

Joe: Bishop Gorman 84-0

 

Silverado vs Shadow Ridge

Ant: Silverado 35-24

Joe: Silverado 42-21

 

 

Franchise Sports Media has your 702 High School Football season covered. Please make sure you tune into The FSM Prep Rally with Joe and Big Antt all season for your Las Vegas High School Football coverage and interact with us on all our social media platforms and in the comments section. 

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– Griffin Kemp – Franchise Sports Media

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