Elija Lofton, Micah Alejado lead Bishop Gorman past Miami Central in thriller: 5 takeaways
LAS VEGAS - Friday evening saw lightning go on for hours in Las Vegas. So much so that perhaps the most anticipated high school football in the country for the week was nearly postponed.
But when the lightning subsided, it was Elija Lofton, Micah Alejado, and the highly-touted offensive stars of Bishop Gorman that shined the brightest as the Gaels held on for a 39-35 victory over Florida's top-ranked team, Miami Central.
MORE: PHOTO GALLERY
Here are five takeaways from the game:
THE WEATHER STRIKES AGAIN
2023 has seen a particularly quiet monsoon season in the Las Vegas area. Thursday saw normal late-summer temperatures of nearly 110 degrees.
You wouldn't have known it on Friday.
At 7 p.m., the intended start time, players were still yet to begin warmups, as lightning persisted while buckets of rain poured on Fertitta Field. Even for monsoon season, a flash thunderstorm of these proportions was exceedingly odd for Las Vegas at this time of year.
If extreme weather plaguing a Miami Central trip to Bishop Gorman sounds familiar, that's because it's nothing new. When the Rockets played at Bishop Gorman in 2017 – and picked up a 24-20 upset win over the reigning national champions – they made national headlines by getting stranded in Las Vegas for nine days due to Hurricane Irma.
On Friday, Bishop Gorman waited until the last possible moment, 7:45 p.m., before making a decision. And it paid off, as the storm cleared just in time for a 45-minute warmup period and 8:30 start – even as other local schools had already announced cancellations.
MIAMI COMMIT SINKS MIAMI CENTRAL – LOFTON DOES IT ALL
For those unfamiliar with 4-star Miami commit Elija Lofton, a tight end who also has a significant role at running back, he showed exactly what he's made of on Friday when it was greatly needed.
Lofton was electrifying, much like the thunderstorm that delayed the game. He ran for three touchdowns, including the game-winner with 24 seconds left, and caught for a touchdown as well. He recorded the play of the night, a 17-yard touchdown run in the first half on a 4th-and-1 in which he bulldozed nearly the entire Central defense.
"Coach just told me, get the first down," said Lofton.
"I was like 'Coach, 'I'm getting the touchdown.' And I got the touchdown."
The top-ranked 2024 recruit in Nevada, Lofton is an anomalous tight end prospect and a matchup nightmare. At 6-2, 220, he's one of the "smallest" 4-star tight ends you'll ever see, but there's nothing undersized about how he affects the game.
Photo by Jann Hendry
Lofton has a playmaking toolkit like few other tight ends. His route-running, pass-catching ability, and sheer explosion off the line of scrimmage would make many nationally-ranked wideouts jealous. If he wanted to be a full-time running back at the next level, he could. But with the ability to block like a player multiple inches taller and 25 pounds heavier, he brings unusual playmaking versatility to the tight end position.
On Friday, Miami sports fans were on the wrong side of Lofton's heroics. But there's a silver lining – next year, Lofton will be suiting up for the Miami Hurricanes. Which meant he was facing off against future teammates in Gorman's victory, such as 3-star linebacker Vincent Shavers.
It was a strange coincidence, but Lofton said his Miami commitment didn't impact the feel of the game.
"I'm friends with guys that are committed to Miami on [Central]," said Lofton.
"We were talking, they're cool, it was just... a battle against, basically, my brothers. Just have a good time and battle."
Lofton also confirmed that, despite the fact that other schools are still heavily recruiting him, his commitment to The U remains rock solid.
MORE: INTERVIEW WITH ELIJA LOFTON
BOTH OFFENSES IMPRESS
Lofton wasn't the only offensive star to show out on Friday. Both teams looked like powerhouses on offense.
Micah Alejado, Bishop Gorman quarterback and 3-star Hawaii commit, passed for three touchdowns and well over 300 yards, and made an impact with his legs as well.
Even at just 5-10, 160, Alejado was able to run the Gaels' offense at a high level despite having one of the premier defensive lines in the country breathing down his neck. Alejado is a particularly quick and reliable decision-maker, including when the game is on the line, and made his big night against a formidable defense look way too easy. In addition to his acumen for reading defenses, Alejado is a decisive runner, and he doesn't need much breathing room to get off a strong throw.
"The whole point for me today was getting back fast, and if I see pressure, ball security," Alejado said. "Just being quick with the ball and safe with the ball."
Photo by Jann Hendry
Additionally, Alejado was quick to praise his offensive line, which he called the best in the country. It includes 3-star senior Alexander Ruggeroli and 4-star juniors Douglas Utu, Seuseu Alofaituli, and Alai Kalaniuvalu, and more nationally-ranked prospects.
"It's the people that they are, on the field and off the field," said Alejado.
"On the field, they continuously work after-hours, they're always trying to get better, they always have a lot of film to watch. From that perspective of football, they take it to the next level. And off the field, they're just great human beings, I love them."
MORE: INTERVIEW WITH MICAH ALEJADO
Alejado's only mistake of the night was a fumble with 3:50 left in the fourth quarter and his team down 35-33. It nearly cost them the game, but after the Gaels' defense secured a stop, Alejado coolly spearheaded the game-winning touchdown drive. To set up Lofton's game-winner, Alejado connected with 3-star Arizona commit Audric Harris for a 32-yard catch to get Bishop Gorman to the one-yard line.
"Credit to the whole offense. I mean, after I fumbled, I'm on the [sideline], they're picking me up and we're still in it," said Alejado.
"We got faith in the defense, and we got the ball back. We practice two-minute [drills] every single day. In the huddle we're like, 'guys, we rep this every single day, we'll be good'. And that practice went into play tonight.
Harris was the Gaels' top receiver with over 150 receiving yards, and many of his catches came in pivotal moments in addition to the catch that set up the game-winning score. On a 3rd down and the last play of the the third quarter, he caught a first down that set up Lofton's touchdown catch on the next play. Harris also caught a 31-yard touchdown pass on 4th-and-8 that put Bishop Gorman up 14-7 with 8:52 left in the second quarter.
Brandon Gaea also caught a touchdown pass for Bishop Gorman.
It took Miami Central's offense nearly a full half to wake up, but wake up it did. Even though it struggled moving the ball early on, it did keep Central in the game in the first half with two touchdowns on "the big play". One was a kickoff return touchdown from sophomore Jayden Ford of nearly 100 yards to immediately respond after Gorman went up 21-14 in the second quarter. The other was an 80-yard touchdown pass from Antonio Smith to Khaleal Sterling over the middle on 3rd-and-10, which first got Central on the board in the first quarter.
In the second half, Miami Central built on what it began to do late in the first half – sustaining drives. JC Evans split snaps at quarterback with Smith throughout the second half, and both contributed to the team's comeback efforts. Sterling and Ford were the other top stars for Central's offense. For the sophomore Ford, who also scored the would've-been game-winner with a touchdown catch in the fourth quarter, this was a breakout performance that should put him on scouts and opponents' radars going forward.
Both offenses found success by going to some different looks. For Bishop Gorman, it was a textbook case of going from the spread offense to a full power formation in goal line/short-gain situations, and it was highly effective. With the Gaels' imposing offensive line and Lofton crashing through defenders, not many defenses out there have a chance to stop them even if they know what's coming.
As for Miami Central, the Rockets at times had their quarterbacks dropping back in the shotgun and firing freely, and at other times mixed in some double or triple run option schemes while still spreading the field in the shotgun. Their ability to effectively toggle between looks kept Gorman's defense off balance for nearly the whole second half.
BISHOP GORMAN PROTECTS NATIONAL TITLE HOPES
While there would've been no shame for Gorman in losing to a team of Miami Central's caliber, it would've almost certainly spelled the end of their national title pursuit.
And that's something this year's group wasn't willing to take.
"I've been dreaming about this since I was a freshman," said Lofton.
"I've always wanted to put up a national championship for my high school. We're trying to add another one. It's been a minute since [Gorman won a national title] so I'm trying to leave a legacy at Bishop Gorman."
"I think a national championship is in every single conversation [Gorman has] throughout every single day," said Alejado.
"You know, it stings from last year still, but this year's team, the '24 class, this is our last year to get it."
Bishop Gorman has huge challenge next week, which is also another great opportunity to add to its national championship case. It will host Corona Centennial, the third-ranked team in California and a consensus top-20 team in the nation – and SBLive will have full coverage of the heavyweight clash.
MIAMI CENTRAL IS THE REAL DEAL
The downside for the Rockets is that this loss snapped their 26-game winning streak – with their previous loss coming in 2021 at Gorman – and all but ended their national title hopes.
On the bright side, Miami Central made it very clear that the team is as good as advertised.
How good? Clearly still one of the best teams in the country. And a major threat to both win its fifth state title in a row and retain its status as the No. 1 team in Florida.
