Bishop Gorman football survives Miami Central in epic back-and-forth battle

Elija Lofton scored a last-minute touchdown to give Bishop Gorman the 39-35 victory

LAS VEGAS - It was a dramatic prelude to a game with no shortage of drama.

At the scheduled 7 p.m. start time, it was raining in buckets on Fertitta Field, and more importantly, lightning had gone on for hours. It was a bizarre occurrence for summertime in Las Vegas, which saw temperatures approach 110 degrees just a day before.

But the storm passed just in time for a 7:45 p.m. decision to play at 8:30. And just in time for two of the top-ranked football teams in the nation to put on an instant classic.

In a battle filled with momentum shifts and late lead changes, Bishop Gorman survived a back-and-forth thriller against Miami Central and won 39-35 on a last-minute touchdown run from tight end Elija Lofton. The win moved the Gaels to 3-0 and keeps them in the running for their ultimate goal – a national championship.

MORE: PHOTO GALLERY

"I've always wanted to put up a national championship for my high school," said Lofton. 

"We're trying to add another one. It's been a minute since [Gorman won a national title] so I'm trying to leave a legacy at Bishop Gorman."

Lofton did his part and then some on Friday, totaling three rushing touchdowns and a touchdown catch as well. The 4-star recruit is a name that Miami sports fans can get used to hearing, as he'll play his college football for the Hurricanes – which meant he was playing against multiple future teammates in Gorman's victory.

MORE: INTERVIEW WITH MICAH ALEJADO | INTERVIEW WITH ELIJA LOFTON

For Miami Central, a cross-country flight, a 90-minute weather delay, a size disadvantage, and an early 14-point deficit were not enough to stop the Rockets from giving Bishop Gorman a great shot. The 8:30 p.m. start in local time meant the game started at 11:30 p.m. in Eastern time, but the Rockets came ready to battle with plenty of energy. They gave Bishop Gorman all it could handle, but came up just short of the victory.

Bishop Gorman held an early 21-7 lead and entered halftime with a 21-14 lead thanks to two Elija Lofton touchdown runs – one coming in highlight fashion from 17 yards out on a 4thdown – and a touchdown pass from Micah Alejado to Audric Harris.

Miami Central struggled to move the ball for most of the first half, but struck for two long touchdowns before halftime. The first was an 80-yard touchdown catch from Antonio Smith to Khaleal Sterling on 3rd-and-20, and the other a kickoff return TD of nearly 100 yards by Jayden Ford.

At times in the first half, it looked like Bishop Gorman was going to pull away. But Central's offense was just kicking into gear as the half ended, and really showed what it can do in the second half. Despite a size disadvantage up front, the Rockets' offense gained steam throughout the night and gave Bishop Gorman issues with some serious top-end speed. 

The Rockets opened the second half with a torrid touchdown drive led by second string quarterback JC Evans, Sterling, and Ford, capped off by a keeper from Evans to tie the game at 21-21. Brandon Gaea responded with a touchdown catch for Bishop Gorman, but the PAT was missed, and Miami Central took its first lead at 28-27 on a scrambling 17-yard touchdown pass from Evans with 1:54 left in the third quarter. After the Gaels struck back on a Lofton touchdown catch to go up 33-28, Central retook the lead when Ford caught a short pass from Smith and eluded defenders for 15 yards until he reached the end zone.

That put Central up 35-33 with 7:37 left in the game. Which left ample time for Bishop Gorman to respond. However, Alejado – who finished with well over 300 passing yards – made his lone mistake of the night with 3:50 left, a fumble that Miami Central recovered and nearly capitalized on. 

But Bishop Gorman got the key stop, and made the most of its chance to respond. Alejado led a furious drive finished off by a one-yard Lofton touchdown run with 24 seconds left. That put Bishop Gorman up 39-35 with 24 seconds left, and Devon Rice grabbed an interception on the final play of the game to preserve the Gaels' victory – and national championship hopes.

Next week, Bishop Gorman (3-0) has another home test against a nationally-ranked out-of-state opponent, Corona Centennial (CA). Central (0-1) returns to Miami where it also faces another opponent on national radars, Booker T. Washington.