Bishop Gorman ranked No. 1 in national poll after Mater Dei’s loss
Bishop Gorman is the new No. 1 high school football team in the country in one of the two major polls ahead of its showdown with Mater Dei (California).
The Gaels jumped to No. 1 in USA Today’s poll Monday following Mater Dei’s stunning 43-36 loss to Centennial (Corona, California) on Friday. Mater Dei fell to No. 9.
Gorman, previously ranked No. 2 by USA Today, defeated East St. Louis (Illinois) 35-10 on Friday. The Gaels (4-0) will host Mater Dei (2-1) at 7 p.m. Friday at Fertitta Field. The game will be streamed on MaxPreps and NFHS Network.
In MaxPreps’ poll, Gorman moved up but is not the top team in the country. The Gaels, previously ranked No. 3, jumped to No. 2, while St. John Bosco (California) moved up to the top spot. Mater Dei fell to No. 8.
The Gaels are 0-4 all time against Mater Dei. Their 31-15 loss last season ended their chances for a fifth national title and was their only loss.
In 2017, Mater Dei defeated Gorman 35-21 in the teams’ first meeting, which snapped Gorman’s run of three straight national titles and 55-game winning streak.
A win Friday would boost Gorman’s chances of winning a fifth national title. The Gaels conclude their nonleague regular season at Santa Margarita (California), ranked No. 9 by MaxPreps and No. 19 by USA Today, on Sept. 27.
Mater Dei and St. John Bosco will play Oct. 31 in the regular season and are likely to meet again in the playoffs.
Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.
