Second-half surge helps boost Gaels
Bishop Gorman’s Beau Orth has been around long enough to know that a football game is never over until the final whistle sounds.
With memories of the Gaels’ 2006 regional semifinal game on his mind, Orth took the field Friday night determined to prevent his team from falling victim to a dangerous underdog.
He succeeded, rushing 11 times for 72 yards and three touchdowns to help top-ranked Gorman beat Cimarron-Memorial 43-20 in the Sunset Region semifinals at Valley High School.
The victory lifted the Gaels (11-0) into next week’s regional semifinals, where they will face Cheyenne on Friday at a site to be determined.
Gorman was the first-round underdog last year, when a last-minute field goal helped the Gaels upset the heavily favored Spartans.
“We were definitely thinking about that game tonight,” Orth said after Friday’s game. “Last year they were undefeated, so this was pretty much a role-reversal.
“We were determined to not let what happened to them happen to us.”
For a while, it appeared Cimarron (6-5) might avenge last year’s loss. The Spartans used an 11-play opening drive to take a 6-0 lead on a 22-yard touchdown run by Stephen Nixon.
Gorman answered with rushing touchdowns by Orth, Brendan Dolby and Nick Lewis to go ahead 21-6, but the Spartans battled back.
Nixon’s 15-yard touchdown run and a 64-yard TD reception from Joe Zikakis helped cut Cimarron’s deficit to 21-20 with 1:44 left in the first half.
But the Spartans didn’t reach the end zone again.
Dylan Barrera’s 68-yard touchdown pass to Kamana Kaimikaua moments later turned the game’s momentum and sent Gorman into halftime with a 28-20 lead.
“We adjusted defensively in the second half,” said Gaels coach Bob Altshuler, whose team finished off the Spartans with Orth’s two second-half touchdowns. “And we played sound football.”
Lewis carried nine times for 126 yards for Gorman, and Barrera completed 7 of 11 passes for 169 yards.
Nixon rushed 25 times for 141 yards to pace Cimarron’s offense.