Bishop Gorman football rolls Corona Centennial, entrenches itself in national title race: 5 takeaways

LAS VEGAS - With its eyes set on a national championship, simply beating the No. 17 team in the country wasn't enough for Bishop Gorman in its final interstate game of the season.

To further their hunt to be the top-ranked team in the nation, the Gaels needed a statement win. And they got it, making light out of another powerhouse as football fans across the country watched on ESPNU.

Bishop Gorman would put together arguably its most impressive win yet this season to wrap up non-league play, blowing out Corona Centennial (CA) 56-28.

MORE: GAME STORY

Here are five takeaways from the game:

PERFECT START FOR GORMAN, NIGHTMARE START FOR CENTENNIAL

For a game touted as the top game of the week across America, this one was sure over quickly.

After winning the toss and deferring, Bishop Gorman started the game by forcing a turnover on downs and scoring a touchdown on its first offensive snap of the game. Gorman led 7-0 just over a minute into the game after running back DeVon Rice's 29-yard touchdown run. On Centennial's ensuing drive, Bishop Gorman recorded an interception, and Rice quickly ran it in again, putting the Gaels up 14-0 not halfway through the first quarter. The tone was set quickly.

The Huskies had a brief chance to get back in the game when they responded by scoring their only touchdown of the first half. It was a 39-yard run from running back Cornell Hatcher II with 4:35 left in the first quarter, set up by a long keeper from quarterback Husan Longstreet.But Centennial would continue to get thrashed by Bishop Gorman's defense, and also to dig its own grave with turnovers.

By the time there was 9:43 left in the second quarter, the Gaels had a commanding 28-7 lead. Both touchdowns were thrown by Micah Alejado and caught by Miami-bound tight end Elija Lofton, and both were the result of Centennial fumbling pitch attempts.By halftime, Corona Centennial had been turned over on downs twice, been intercepted once, and given up three fumbles. All to the tune of a 35-7 Bishop Gorman lead.

BISHOP GORMAN'S OFFENSE MIGHT BE THE BEST IN HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

Here's the story of the game in a nutshell: Bishop Gorman's offense was impeccable.

The Gaels scored three touchdowns in the first nine minutes of the game and five touchdowns in the first half. They scored three more in the second half despite the presence of a running clock. None of Bishop Gorman's touchdowns were scored by its defense or special teams – it was just an unstoppable offensive effort.

And it's no stretch to say that Bishop Gorman's offense has been unstoppable all season. The Gaels have scored 218 points in four wins against elite out-of-state opponents. And in all four games, the final whistle was the only thing stopping them from scoring more.

Three weeks ago, Corona Centennial played top-ranked Mater Dei (CA) and was able to contain its offense in a 28-14 loss. On Friday, Bishop Gorman scored twice as many points against Centennial as Mater Dei did. With a running clock in the fold for about half of the second half.

As Alejado and Rice were both quick to point out, Bishop Gorman's offensive success starts with dominance at the line of scrimmage. The Gaels' imposing offensive line has been called the best in the country, as has their 4-star tight end, Lofton. Arizona-bound wideout Audric Harris averages 125 receiving yards per game and blows the top of opposing defenses as a deep threat. And the team beat its last two nationally-ranked opponents without even needing a heavy workload from Michigan-committed running back Micah Kaapana.

In addition to its outright potency, the Gaels' offense has all the other requisite characteristics of a top-notch offense. Bishop Gorman's offense comes out hot at the start of games, it stays cool in crunch time, it's been consistent from week to week, and it almost never turns the ball over.

RICE IS EVERYWHERE

Some players get listed as "ATH" (athlete) prospects because they're stuck between positions. For others, it's because they can seamlessly play a handful of positions. The latter would describe DeVon Rice.

The Hawaii commit finished the night with three touchdowns, well over 100 rushing yards, and more than 200 all-purpose yards. In addition to opening the game with two touchdown runs, he opened the second half by taking a short pass 42 yards for a touchdown that put Gorman up 42-7.

MORE: INTERVIEW WITH RICE

Rice frequently catches kickoffs just outside the end zone and takes them 30 or 40 yards to help ignite the offense. Last week, he grabbed an interception on the final play of the game to clinch a win over Miami Central. Some nights he's an offensive focal point, and when he isn't, he goes to work in other parts of the game. It makes him a perfect fit alongside Bishop Gorman's other top players.

Rice said Hawaii recruited him primarily to play running back and slot receiver, but added, "Really, when I get up there, they're gonna have me wherever they need me. And I don't have any problem with that."

GAELS 'PUT THE COUNTRY ON NOTICE'

"As you can see by the scoreboard, I think we left our mark pretty clear and put the country on notice," said Rice when asked about the game's national championship implications.

"We really got something cooking up over here. We're number one in the country, we believe it and I'll stand by that."

Like Rice said, those closely following the national title race who were not on notice yet should be on notice now. Especially considering the game was nationally-televised on ESPNU.

Through four games, which constitute the out-of-state portion of its schedule, Bishop Gorman has outscored Corner Canyon (UT), Long Beach Poly (CA), Miami Central (FL), and Corona Centennial 218-120. The Gaels entered the week widely considered a top-five team in the country, ranked between fourth and second, and their fourth game was their most convincing yet.

HATCHER SHOWS OUT, HUSKIES' OFFENSE SHOWS PROMISE

The clear storyline of the night was Bishop Gorman's dominance. But one thing that might get lost in the mix is the fact that Centennial's offense was actually quite formidable when it wasn't turning over the ball. That was despite missing Iowa State commit Brent Helton and other rotation members from the offensive line due to injury.

The Huskies' four touchdown drives were all sharp and convincing. And all were capped off by touchdown runs from Cornell Hatcher II, who continues to strengthen his status as one of the best running backs in the Southern California. Hatcher entered the contest with 527 rushing yards and five touchdowns plus 71 receiving yards in three games, and reportedly cleared 200 rushing yards against Bishop Gorman.

A slew of productive running backs in recent Centennial history didn't get the credit that many thought they deserved because some thought they were just products of a great system. But Hatcher entered the season with seven D-1 offers and looks the part of a future D-1 starter no matter the opponent. He's kept the offensive heartbeat alive for Centennial the few times that the rest of its offense has struggled.