Central falls to 0-2 for the first time in more than 15 years with loss to Bishop Gorman
Jayden John knew during pregame warmups the prescription athletic turf at the brand new Paradise Coast Sports Complex in Naples might just be a problem. The Miami Central kicker happened to be right.
John was in position to be the hero for Central on Saturday when he lined up to kick a potential game-winning 35-yard field goal with six seconds left and the Rockets trailing Las Vegas’ Bishop Gorman by one. Instead, the turf was once again a problem. John’s plant foot slipped as he strode into the kick and he got very little on the ball as it barely elevated. He still got enough of the ball to reach the crossbar, but the inches worked against Central. The ball bounced off the bar and No. 9 Bishop Gorman emptied onto the field to celebrate a 21-20 win in the Battle at the Beach Classic.
“I had been slipping all game long and was a little concerned when I lined up for the kick,” John said. “I guess I just got unlucky and slipped again. Anywhere else, I drill that kick every time. This really hurts.”
On the heels of a season-opening 35-13 loss to No. 3 St. John Bosco in Bellflower, California, the loss means the No. 24 Rockets, who began the year in the top 10 of MaxPreps’ rankings, are off to their first 0-2 start in more than 15 years.
The loss offset a brilliant performance by quarterback Dylan Tulloch. Filling in for injured quarterback Keyone Jenkins, Tulloch started for the first time in his career and was the catalyst for the Rockets all night, completing 12 of 20 passes for 227 yards and two touchdowns. He was especially clutch on Central’s final drive when he completed four of his five passes, including a clutch throw on fourth-and-10 at his own 40 to Zaylan Reese for exactly 10 yards thanks to a diving catch by the wide receiver.
“I did everything I could out there to try and get my team in a position to win the game, but in the end, it just wasn’t enough,” Tulloch said. “I just had to turn it up tonight and do what I had to do. I’d like to think I have the team’s confidence with the way I played tonight going forward.”
They will need to as head coach Roland Smith confirmed after the game that Jenkins broke his hand and had to have surgery. He is out 4-6 weeks.
Trailing 14-13 with 9:07 left, the Rockets, led by Tulloch, put together a nine-play 80-yard drive to re-take the lead when Tulloch found Reese for a 17-yard score with 5:28 left. One play earlier, on third-and-17 from his own 39, Tulloch showed great awareness when he stepped up in the pocket to avoid pressure, took off to his right and, just before getting hit, tossed a short pass to tight end Corey Washington, which Washington took and turned in to a 44-yard catch-and-run down to Gorman’s 17-yard line.
After Reese’s touchdown, Smith made a puzzling decision, which would ultimately come back to haunt him. When the Rockets took a 19-14 lead, Smith sent out John for an extra point, rather than going for two to potentially stretch the lead to seven. John hit the field goal to put Central up 20-14, but the eventually pulled out a one-point win.
It didn’t take long. Bishop Gorman quarterback Micah Alejado took his team 80 yards in just four plays, hitting Zachariah Branch for a 37-yard score with 3:50 to play. Gorman’s extra point was the difference.
“It was good, we knew we were in a good position to win the game, it was the right decision I made,” said Smith when asked about the decision to spurn the two point attempt. “I believed we would get the ball back and go down and score and that’s what we put ourselves in position to do.”
After falling behind 7-0 just three minutes in to the game, Central got the ship righted and controlled the remainder of the half. Tulloch led the Rockets on a marathon 13-play, 95-yard drive to tie the game at 7-7 when Wildcat quarterback Terrence Lewis scored from 2 yards out on the first play of the second quarter. Central then took the lead with 6:58 left in the half when Tulloch found Cataurus Hicks wide open for a 30-yard touchdown, but a prelude of things to come followed when John lost is footing on the extra point and kicked the ball low into the line, leaving the score at 13-7.
Bishop Gorman took the lead early in the third quarter when John lined up to punt, but a low snap led to a blocked punt and Gorman took over at Central’s 23. Alejado found Branch wide open on the next play to put the Gaels up 14-13.
“Our kids fought all night and take your hat off to Bishop Gorman. They’re a great team too and their kids fought as well,” Smith said. “In the end, we just came up a little short. We put a great drive together that put us in a position to win the game, but the turf is new and I can’t blame the kicker because he had been slipping all night and unfortunately it happened again.”
Asked about the odd circumstances of his team being winless two weeks into the season, Smith agreed it was not a place he was used to being.
“It does feel strange to be 0-2, but of course the two losses have come against some big-time opponents,” Smith said. “This is no time to drop our heads though. We’ve got to get ready for a good Booker T. [Washington] team next week and even though the national scene is over, we just have to get better every week and try and win another state championship.”
This story was originally published September 5, 2021 at 12:13 AM.
