It was a game Bishop Diego’s football team didn’t expect to get and it turned out to one the Cardinals definitely needed at this point in the season.
Bishop Diego played CIF-Central Section Division 1 power Liberty of Bakersfield and slugged out at 28-21 victory behind four touchdowns from junior running back Qu’ran Gossett and a fierce performance by its defense.
Bishop improved to 4-0 on the season while Liberty fell to 3-2.
Gossett scored the winning touchdown on a 45-yard run up the left sideline with 1:15 left in the game. The score capped an impressive 79-yard nine-play drive that was done all on the ground.
Gossett carried the ball seven times and Isaac Burquez the other two. Burquez filled in for senior Marcus Chan, who had a great start to the game, but left late in the first quarter when he got injured while playing defense.
Gossett just picked up a first down when he bulldozed for 3 yards to the Liberty 45. He then took a pitch from quarterback Michael Luckhurst, turned the corner, bounced off a pair of defenders and bolted up the sideline to break a 21-21 tie.
“Bread-butter-play,” said Gossett of the pitch play. “I knew they were all coming in, so as soon as I saw No. 23 (defensive back Jason Oliver) come down, I bust out and I knew I could beat the safety with my speed.”
Said coach Tom Crawford of Gossett’s burst: “I’m certain he put on a little extra jet there.”
The powerful Gossett was a handful for a tough Patriots’ defense all night. He rushed for 178 yards on 23 carries, ran for three touchdowns and caught a 23-yard pass from Luckhurst for a score that gave Bishop a 21-14 lead in the third quarter.
Bishop Diego fans showed their appreciation of the team’s performance against a quality opponent by applauding for a long time after the end of the game.
“It feels great,” said Gossett about beating Liberty, a team that last week lost by one point at North Coast Section power Clayton Valley Charter in the Honor Bowl. “Bakersfield, their teams play hard, very hard, and it’s always great to win.”
Bishop Diego coach Tom Crawford and he and his coaching staff knew this was an important win for the program, especially coming after the Cardinals learned late Thursday they were playing the game.
Bishop was looking for a game to fill its bye week after they had their Week Zero game against Righetti canceled due to a COVID-19 issue with Righetti. The Cardinals hooked up with Liberty after the Patriots’ weekend opponent, Chaminade in West Hills, had to pull out of its home game against the Patriots because of a positive COVID-19 test in the program.
“It was a good early test for us to have this sort of game, and we needed it in all honesty,” said Crawford. “I’m so thankful that Aaron Skinner, our AD and one of my coaches, was diligent in looking for a game and caught this one in the last minute. The kids were excited to be able to play.”
The Cardinals came out just like they’ve done in their previous three wins, blasting through the opponent for an early touchdown.
Chan was the featured back at the start as he gained 75 total yards on a 80-yard drive. Gossett finished the drive with a 5-yard touchdown run and Luckhurst kicked the PAT for a 7-0 lead at 10:17 off the first quarter.
After Chan left the game with an injury, Gossett and Burquez took over the rushing load.
Bishop made it 14-0 after recovering a fumble following a 52-yard punt by Luckhurst. Henry Benoit recovered the ball at the Patriots’ 31. Gossett ran for 9 yards, Burquez showed some great moves on an 11-yard run and Gossett ran the final 11 yards, bowling over a Liberty defender as he crossed the goal line.
Liberty, which had the size up front to match Bishop Diego and good speed, finally got its offense going in the second quarter.
Quarterback Carson Woods fired a pass to Jason Oliver for a 47-yard touchdown to put the Patriots on the board. Dylan Lynch kicked the PAT to make it 14-7 at 8:49 of the quarter.
Gossett broke off a 31-yard run on Bishop’s next possession, but the Liberty defense stiffened and stopped the Cardinals at the 32.
Luckhurst attempted a 50-yard field goal that fell short.
The Patriots stopped the Cardinals after Michael Hayes intercepted a Woods pass.
Dion Williams picked off Luckhurst, and Liberty capitalized on the turnover.
Woods drove the Patriots on a 13-play, 70-yard drive, and Jalen Hankins scored on a 9-yard drive with 33 seconds left in the first half to tie the score at 14.
Bishop rebounded in the second half, taking the ball on their first possession and scoring a touchdown. Luckhurst completed four passes on the drive, and hit Gossett for a 23-yard touchdown.
“I was probably most pleased was how we came out in the second half after the momentum had turned there in the second quarter,” said Crawford. “They were fired up, and rightfully so.
“So, to be able to come out in the third quarter and kind of reset, I thought our kids did a really nice job of that.”
Liberty answered with a tying touchdown on a crazy play to start the fourth quarter. From the Bishop 30, Woods completed a pass to Christian Edwards and he fumbled the ball in the air. Luckily for the Patriots, Oliver caught the ball and ran the final 12 yards for the score to even the score at 21.
Woods completed 11 of 19 passes for 151 yards. Hankins was the leading rusher with 73 yards on 13 carries.
The next time Liberty got the ball, Bishop’s Roy Levu made a big hit on Edwards for a 7-yard loss. Logo Log Va’a then sacked Woods for a 6-yard loss on third down, forcing the Patriots to punt.
Bishop pounded the Patriots with Gossett and Burquez, and Gossett finished then off with his big run.
Liberty got the ball back with 1:15 left, but Bishop thwarted any comeback as Va’a, Sam Kitt and Canan Ramirez recorded sacks and more Cardinals pressure forced a deflected pass and an interception.
“The guys kind of kept their wits about them when there were some things we didn’t do well, made some mistakes and had some penalties and so forth,” said Crawford. “The kids continued to overcome those things and not get caught up with them.”