Gaels’ defense smothers Grizzlies

Friday night's game at Spring Valley was the first real Southwest Division test for top-ranked Bishop Gorman.

The Gaels passed with flying colors.

Gorman's defense was stifling in the first half, holding the Grizzlies (6-2, 3-1 Southwest) to 13 yards of offense in the opening half on the way to a 40-19 win.

"The kids are playing great defense," Gorman coach Bob Altshuler said. "They're swarming to the ball. They came out in the empty set, and we came with a pressure set. And the pressure really hurt them in the first half. I don't think they were expecting it."

Spring Valley's first six offensive plays went for a loss or no gain, and the Gaels (7-0, 3-0) led 12-0 before the Grizzlies had run a play for positive yardage.

After holding Spring Valley to minus-7 yards on the first drive, Gorman needed just two plays to take the lead.

Gorman running back Keola Antolin, who entered the game with four rushing TDs, two receiving TDs and four return TDs, found a new way to score, taking a pitch and throwing a halfback-pass to a wide-open Trey Mays for a 53-yard touchdown.

Spring Valley backup quarterback Anton Stallworth came in for the second series and had no luck. The Grizzlies came out in a shotgun formation with no running backs, and the first snap was high and went off Stallworth's fingertips for an 18-yard loss, pinning Spring Valley at its 2-yard line.

Stallworth took the next snap, turned as if to hand off to a running back, but none was there, and the Gaels swarmed Stallworth for a safety and a 9-0 lead.

The ensuing free kick set up a 36-yard field goal by Mike Levine to make the score 12-0, and Dylan Barrera hit Antolin with a 30-yard TD pass on the first play of the next drive as the Gaels went up 19-0 and the game was all but decided.

Barrera said watching his team's defense harass the opposition helped him get ready to play. Defensive linemen Justin Chaisson (6 feet 4 inches, 265 pounds), D.J. Ingram (6-0, 270) and Alex Turner (6-1, 225) pressured Spring Valley quarterback Kyle Wolak throughout the first half.

"It's great. I love it. I love seeing D.J. Ingram and Justin and Alex Turner, I love seeing our guys up front," Barrera said. "They really make it hard for teams to pass or run or do anything. It just gets you pumped up and gets you ready to go out there."

Turner had two sacks, and Wolak was hit by a Gorman player almost every time he dropped back to pass. He was 0-for-5 passing before being replaced by Brandon Weisenberger late in the half.

"It's not fun getting hit, especially from guys like Justin and D.J. because they're just some big dudes," Barrera said. "I'm just glad I'm on the other side of the ball and I'm not the one getting hit all the time."

Gorman added two second-quarter TD runs to take a 33-0 halftime lead. Numerous penalties and three second-half turnovers by Gorman helped Spring Valley show some life in the second half.

Weisenberger led the team on three scoring drives, capped by a 4-yard TD run by Eric Dyer, a 5-yard scoring run by Stefan Klein and a 7-yard TD run by Tracy Lide.