After slow start, Florida champion Chaminade-Madonna roars back to life in beating Highland, 35-24, in GEICO State Champions Bowl Series

LAS VEGAS - Whatever the reason - jet lag, near-freezing temperatures - Florida state champion Chaminade-Madonna wasn't its normal self, on both sides, in the early going of the GEICO State Champions Bowl Series showdown against 6A Arizona champion Highland.

But, oh, how things changed in a hurry.

The Lions wiped out an early deficit to bring home a 35-24 over Highland on Friday night at Fertitta Field on the campus of Bishop Gorman High School.

Cedrick Bailey threw three touchdowns passes, and the Chaminade-Madonna offense finished with a whopping 462 yards - 323 coming on the ground - paced by Davion Gause's big night (194 yards on 33 carries).

And after Highland scored on its first three drives to open an 18-7 lead late in the first half, the Lions defense pitched a shutout over the final 24 minutes - no points or yards given up.

"They've got dudes everywhere, and we knew it," Highland coach Brock Farrel said. "We started well, and we were like, 'We've got to hand on.' They were big and strong, and that back (Gause) can run."

Crew Crockett opened the game with a 29-yard field goal for Highland. Then, quarterback Gage Dayley found Jacob Soehl for a 4-yard touchdown pass on the Hawks' second drive. And Steven Trujillo ran it in from 9 yards out on the third series as the Arizona state champions grabbed an 18-7 lead.

But Gause, the Lions' workhorse running back, was a big contributor on the team's 12-play, 81-yard scoring drive right before the half.

And the sophomore finished the first-half scoring by taking Kendrick Bailey's screen pass and rumbling 25 yards down the right sideline for a touchdown with 22 seconds to go, cutting it to 18-14.

"No excuses - it took a while," Chaminade-Madonna coach Dameon Jones said. "But that (Gause touchdown) was big. That shifted the momentum going into halftime ... and it carried over."

Right into the first series of the second half.

Chaminade-Madonna drove to the Hawks' 42 where the drive stalled, and out came the punt team.

But Jones called for a fake punt. The snap went right to up-man Denzel Johnson, a linebacker, who rumbled down the sideline for a 42-yard touchdown, giving the Lions their first lead, 21-18, with 8:44 to go in the third quarter.

It was a play they had been practicing all season, but had not utilized - until Friday night.

"My players kept saying all year, 'Call the punt fake,'" Jones said with a chuckle.

Sensing it needed a spark to get going again, the Hawks called their own fake-punt play later in the quarter, but it went nowhere.

On the first play - and lining up in a "Wildcat" formation for the first time all night - running back Duane Thomas Jr. squirted through a middle crease 24 yards for another Lions' touchdown, and 28-18 lead with 3:10 remaining in the third quarter.

Five minutes later, Bailey tossed his third touchdown pass of the game to Jeremiah Smith in the left back corner of the end zone, and Chaminade-Madonna was in control, up 35-18.

Highland's Cooper Scott returned his blocked punt for a touchdown in the final two minutes for the Hawks' only scoring in the second half.

The Hawks finished with 157 yards, all in the first half.