Bishop Gorman overpowers Kahuku in battle of reigning football state champions: 5 takeaways

The Gaels' defense steals the show in a 33-7 season-opening victory

Lance Smith | Aug 17, 2024

Photo by Lance Smith

LAS VEGAS — High school football is back. And as usual, that means Bishop Gorman has resumed its perennial national championship quest.

Despite some hiccups on offense, the Nevada high school football power impressed in its first test of 2024, defeating reigning Hawaiian state champion Kahuku 33-7 — living up to its billing as the No. 2 team in the SBLive/SI Power 25 preseason high school football rankings.

Bishop Gorman led 19-0 at halftime and faced little adversity in an impressive win that bordered on a blowout.

Here are five takeaways:

HS FOOTBALL SCOREBOARD | RECRUITING UPDATES

BISHOP GORMAN'S DEFENSE DOMINATES

Bishop Gorman players Alai Kalaniuvalu (55) and Doug Utu (56) warm up before their game vs. Kahuku on Friday, Aug. 16. / Photo by Lance Smith, SBLive

While the Gaels' offense did a good job against a formidable defense, it was Bishop Gorman's defense that stole the show, reversing a trend from 2023.

The defense was simply dominating from the opening minutes of the season. The Red Raiders mustered their only score on a tremendous run from quarterback Christian Sanford-Tupuola in the third quarter after their defense set them up with good field position. Other than that, Gorman's defense was unmovable.

Four-star 2026 athlete Jett Washington led Bishop Gorman with two interceptions, and Isaiah Nickels and Brayton Correa each had one pick. The playmaking from the secondary was aided by a dominant pass rush that forced some tough throws.

Washington said it's plausible that the Gaels will prove markedly better on defense from a year ago, when multiple media outlets named them national champions. The Gaels finished No. 4 in the country in the final SBLive/SI Power 25 rankings of the 2023 season.

"We have a lot of returners, a lot of dudes coming back," Washington said. "And we added a lot of big pieces. So I think we're way more developed than last year, and we're ready to play."

GAELS' IDENTITY: AS GOOD AS IT GETS UP FRONT

5-star junior James Carrington (No. 58) is one of several impact players on Bishop Gorman's impressive defensive line. / Photo by Lance Smith, SBLive

Bishop Gorman is simply elite in the trenches. On both sides. No matter how much talent the Gaels also have in other areas, their identity remains their dominance up front.

Defensively, their success started up front, and it's easy to see why. Junior 3-star defensive end Prince Williams picked up immediately from a huge sophomore season, when he piled up 96 tackles, 24 tackles for loss, including 10 sacks and 26 QB-hurries. Now he's joined by 5-star junior James Carrington, a transfer from Rabun Gap (Ga.) with 30 Division I offers who brought tremendous energy in his Bishop Gorman debut. With 3-star Utah commit Sione Motuapuaka joining them on the line and sophomore Tamatoa Gaoteote back at inside linebacker, offensive lines will be more than tested.

And on offense, Bishop Gorman's line rotation has understandably been hyped up as one of the better groups you'll see at the high school level, with three 4-star recruits and three 3-star recruits in the senior class alone. While the Gaels' offensive linemen had a bit of rust to shake off themselves, they were dominant despite the absence of 4-star Miami commit SJ Alofaituli. And the group gives plenty of reason to believe the team can reload on offense from last year quickly.

MORE: INTERVIEW WITH DOUG UTU

SPICER-EUGENIO QB TANDEM SHOWS PROMISE

Last year, Bishop Gorman had experienced star seniors at every skill position, and the offense looked the part of the nation's best right away. The offense is in different terrain in 2024 with those seniors gone, and it was evident immediately on Friday. The Gaels put up 33 points on a vaunted Kahuku defense, but it wasn't the smooth or dominant effort the offense likely would've produced a year ago. In fact, Bishop Gorman scored at least 39 points in every game last season, and hung more than 50 points on a handful of elite programs.

But that doesn't mean the Gaels' offense isn't on track. The offensive line is as good as it gets, and there are some tremendously talented pieces at the skill spots that just need time to put the pieces together.

3-star QB recruits Melvin Spicer IV and Makai Eugenio provided a nice yin-yang combination under center, with Eugenio running in two short touchdowns and Spicer throwing touchdown passes to Greg Toler and Myles Norman. Spicer, a senior, got a few key reps last season backing up Micah Alejado and excels at making quick reads and getting the ball out quickly in a system that demands it. Spicer finished 10-of-13 for 180 yards, 2 TDs and an interception.

Eugenio, another smaller, quicker signal caller, can thrive in a similar role but was at his best dropping back and launching deeper balls on Friday. If Bishop Gorman is considering the tandem look for the long haul, it's a tandem look that makes sense.

When Spicer and Eugenio settle in further, expect bigger games from their top wideouts. Highly-touted seniors Brandon Gaea (Hawaii commit) and 5-star LSU-bound Derek Meadows both had significant roles last season and could take big leaps. At 6-foot-5 inches and 200 pounds, Meadows oozes with potential and particularly has the potential to lift the team even if the offense is still a bit disjointed in upcoming matchups with national powers Aquinas (Fla.) and Mater Dei (Calif.).

KAHUKU TRAVELS WELL AND FIGHTS HARD

Kahuku brought a large contingent of fans from Hawaii to Las Vegas. / Photo by Lance Smith, SBLive

In recent years, Kahuku has made a name for itself far outside of Hawaii with many high-profile matchups against other top teams in the nation. They've mostly gone like this one – aside from a colossal upset of St. John Bosco last year – but even in lopsided losses, Kahuku has left a strong impression.

On Friday, the Red Raiders had nothing going on offense, but still played strong defense and battled like heck. And their fans filled up the away bleachers of Fertitta Field after showing up hours early to tailgate. This loss was deflating, but it's easy to see why Kahuku is emerging as a nationally-relevant program.

Additionally, Kahuku was missing perhaps its best player, Utah-bound all-purpose star Mana Carvalho. With the versatile speedster catching passes and doing some ballhawking himself, Kahuku could've had a more competitive game.

Aiden Manutai recorded an interception for the Red Raiders.

JETT WASHINGTON CARVING OUT NICHE AT FREE SAFETY

Bishop Gorman's Jett Washington, a 2026 prospect, already has 21 college offers. / Photo by Lance Smith, SBLive

There's never been much question about the talent level or projectable upside of Bishop Gorman's 4-star 2026 prospect Jett Washington, who has at least 21 college offers including Georgia, Alabama, and Washington. The only question has been what the best position is for the 6-foot-5 ATH prospect with the athleticism and ball skills to play anywhere in space on the field.

It might be time to put those questions to bed. Washington played free safety exclusively in nine games as a sophomore, when he recorded 37 tackles and two interceptions, and he already matched his 2023 interception total in his 2024 opener. He was a fluid and instinctive ballhawk – not just a tremendous physical specimen who happened to catch a couple interceptions.

After the game, Washington said that almost all of his offers have been at free safety, and that he feels comfortable zeroing in on the position more. Look for him to continue emerging as a star positioned as the Gaels' last line of defense.

MORE: INTERVIEW WITH JETT WASHINGTON