Running back Cameron Barfield is fast and elusive like a mosquito, yet he’s 185 pounds.
On Friday night, Barfield — a Boston College commit — lit up Fertitta Field on the campus of Bishop Gorman High School, leading the 12th-ranked Gaels to a 42-21 victory over No. 30 Saint Louis of Hawaii.
The two nationally ranked powers and the unquestioned football Goliaths from their own states were in a tight battle in the early going. The Crusaders led 7-0 at one point and the score was tied 14-14 with 8:39 left in the first half.
But the Gaels (1-0) had more in the tank. After taking a 21-14 lead on Barfield’s 3-yard run with 4:44 left in the first half, Barfield scored on runs of 1 yard on Bishop Gorman’s last possession of the first half and 20 yards on its first possession of the second half to take command at 35-14.
“They (the Gaels) were very good, considering the layoff,” Saint Louis coach Ron Lee said. “I don’t know what they were doing during the layoff to get ready. We knew they were going to be fast, though.”
Some screenshots of the live stream of the Saint Louis vs. Bishop Gorman game on Friday night in Las Vegas.
That’s Crusaders quarterback A.J. Bianco scrambling for a big gain below.
The Gaels’ Palaie Faoa got into the scoring act by recovering a Saint Louis high punt snap in the end zone. The ball nearly went all the way through the end zone, but stalled allowing Faoa to jump on it.
The Crusaders (0-1), with Kaunaoa Kamakawiwoole in at quarterback for starter A.J. Bianco, scored in the final minutes to pull within three TDs for the 42-21 final. That’s when Kamakawiwoole hit Yosei Takahashi with a 20-yard TD pass for the game’s last score.
Earlier, Bianco scored Saint Louis’ first touchdown on an 18-yard first quarter scramble. Ola Apduhan also found the end zone for the Crusaders in the game, a 3-yard run.
“We gotta do a better job of coaching and getting our guys ready,” Lee said. “We didn’t block well. Didn’t protect, That surprised me because that was our experience and our strength. Their defense had a nice package. They blitzed and did some good stuff under defensive coordinator Chris Brown (former University of Hawaii standout). He did a nice job with his personnel. They were fast, and not just their exceptional secondary, but also their linebackers and their line overall. All 11 guys could run and they have good size. This game was good for us. We didn’t want to get our quarterback getting beaten up like that. We’re going to have to pick up the pieces.”
Barfield’s five touchdowns were from 1, 57, 3, 1 and 2o yards out.
“I think he’s exceptional,” Lee said about Barfield. “He’s patient, makes good cuts, has good speed. I was also impressed with their O-line. Very physical and they executed and it really helped them that they stayed on their blocks.”
The Crusaders hadn’t played a game since Dec. 21, 2019, in a GEICO State Championship Bowl Series game loss to St. Thomas Aquinas of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. That ended the Crusaders’ 38-game winning streak that included four top-tier state championships in a row from 2016 through 2019.
“There was some good things,” Lee said about his Saint Louis squad’s performance. “We weren’t very consistent when we got inside the red zone, couldn’t convert, couldn’t make a play. You’ve got to consistently get 7 and 8 plays and finish. We didn’t finish. We gotta keep scoring because they’re offense was so explosive, but when we got down in the red zone, we’d get sacked, make a mistake or get hit with a penalty. Sloppy. That usually happens when you start off the season with young guys.”
Bishop Gorman won 10 Nevada state championships in a row from 2009 to 2018. Liberty took that top-tier title in 2019 and, like Hawaii, the state canceled football in 2020.
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BISHOP GORMAN 42, SAINT LOUIS 21
At Fertitta Field, Las Vegas
SAINT LOUIS (0-1) 7. 7. 0. 7. — 21
BISHOP GORMAN (1-0). 7. 21. 7. 7. — 42
Scoring summary
SAINT LOUIS—A.J. Bianco 18 run (Lason Napuunoa kick)
BISHOP GORMAN—Cameron Barfield 1 run (Trey Balsbaugh kick)
BISHOP GORMAN—Barfield 57 run (Balsbaugh kick)
SAINT LOUIS—Ola Apduhan 3 run (Napuunoa kick)
BISHOP GORMAN—Barfield 3 run (Balsbaugh kick)
BISHOP GORMAN—Barfield 1 run (Balsbaugh kick)
BISHOP GORMAN—Barfield 20 run (Balsbaugh kick)
BISHOP GORMAN—Palaie Faoa fumble recovery in end zone (Balsbaugh kick)
SAINT LOUIS—Yosei Takahashi 20 pass from Kaunaoa Kamakawiwoole (Napuunoa kick)
