The Bishop Gorman flag football team had a very exciting play off week, as they accomplished what seemed to be impossible and continued to carry out their main focus of giving it all to God.
Going into the first playoff game on Sat., Feb 7, at Liberty, the lady gaels were confident that their training would allow them to beat the fourth seed Liberty.
Going into the second half with the score being 15-0, the Gaels were struggling to put numbers on the board. The conversations at half time were centered around how to run different routes, change plays on defense, and to fix the energy on the field.
The energy shifted in the second half when the Gaels started off strong. The girls put up a great fight and pulled out the win. They were able to get 3 touchdowns in the last minute of the game. With the score being 28-25 at the 6 second mark, the ladies had a last second walk off touchdown. The adrenaline and surprising win brought new hope for the gaels. The final score of 31-28 gave the ladies a boost in morale.
The second play off game against the number one ranked, Arbor View, on Feb. 10, was all about strategy. The coaches and players spent around 5-6 hours, after school and the day of, to practice. This time was dedicated to watching film and learning new offensive and defensive plays.
The good news for the ladies is that they lost to Arbor View before, meaning that Arbor is confident they will win. However, the ladies brought new plays and drive into this last play off game. Although they were nervous, the enthusiasm and energy at practice was infectious and led into the game the following day.
The ladies started off strong and stayed in the lead throughout the game. With a final score of 21-14, they were finally going to the State Championship at Allegiant Stadium against Shadow Ridge.
Spending around six hours the day before and two hours the day of, the players and coaches had a plan for every offensive play that could be thrown at them.
In the locker room at Allegiant Stadium, the ladies took the time to focus and pray. The lights, fans, and atmosphere of the stadium added to the adrenaline rush before the game. Defense kept the Gaels in the game. Unfortunately, the offense just wasn’t able to get a touch down. Even though the ladies weren’t able to pull out a win, their effort and preparation showed throughout the game.
The Lady Gaels had an impressive season by going against the odds and proving themselves time and time again. They should be proud of their achievements and performance throughout the season. This will be an experience that they will never forget.
The girls did everything as a team. Sienna Gostanian ‘27 expressed that, “ I have learned and done so much this season but I think that the most important thing we did was growing as a team.” This continues to show how they are truly all a family and treat each other as such.
Jenna Garritano ‘29 explained that, “ With this being my first season, I couldn’t ask for anything more. We won, lost, laughed, and grew together as one big team. And for that I will be forever grateful.” They will be able to relive these memories at their end of the season banquet.
This isn’t the end for the girls. With a promising team and coaching staff next year, they look forward to finding themselves back at Allegiant Stadium to win the State Championship.
