Gaels fall in Sollenberger Classic, 24-17

Kyren Poe's 1-yard sneak for a touchdown with 1 minute, 32 seconds remaining Saturday night lifted Hamilton (Ariz.) past Bishop Gorman's football team 24-17 in the season-opening Sollenberger Classic in Flagstaff, Ariz.

Poe's sneak capped a five-play, 80-yard drive that came after Gorman had tied the game with 2:54 left on Shaquille Powell's 7-yard run and a 2-point conversion run by Gaels quarterback Jarrett Solomon.

Powell, who finished with 29 carries for 196 yards, had six rushes for 25 yards and caught a fourth-down pass for 13 yards on the game-tying drive.

After the tying touchdown, Poe hit Tanner Clay on a 58-yard pass, and Jai Johnson followed with a 21-yard run to the Gorman 1. Three plays later, Poe cashed in with the sneak.

Gorman, the defending Class 4A state champion, returned the ensuing kickoff to its 26, but Solomon's fourth-down pass from the 28 fell incomplete.

The Gaels took a 9-7 halftime lead on field goals of 21, 44 and 43 yards by Collin Ditsworth.

An 81-yard punt return for a touchdown by Malcolm Holland in the third quarter and Clay's 22-yard field goal with 10:19 to play gave the Huskies a 17-9 lead.

Hamilton scored on its first possession of the game, taking advantage of early mistakes by the Gaels to go 51 yards in four plays, capped by an 8-yard TD run by Kendyl Taylor.

The Gaels, ranked No. 11 nationally by USA Today, had 268 yards of total offense, most of that coming from Powell, but threw two interceptions and had three drives stall inside the Huskies' 30.

Hamilton, which won its 26th straight game, is ranked No. 15 by USA Today.