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No. 3 Bishop Gorman (Nev.) beats Lone Peak (Utah) via forfeit

IMG_8358by: Andy Villamarzo09/06/25Andy_Villamarzo
Syndication: Reno Gazette Journal
Bishop Gorman and McQueen players shake hand during following the second half of their Class 5A football state championship game at Allegiant Stadium on Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021, in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images Preps 2afootball Nov19 21

The Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association (NIAA) has a rule in place that if three or more players leave their sideline, the opposing team forfeits the game and a win is awarded to the law abiding squad. In Friday night’s meeting between No. 3 ranked Bishop Gorman (Nev.) and Lone Peak (Utah), the rule came into play.

According to multiple reports from the game, early in the third quarter when the Gaels were on offense, Hawaii commit Maika Eugenio connected on a 32-yard pass to senior wide receiver Kaina Watson and that’s where the infraction began. Watson was tackled by Lone Peak’s Kennan Pula, which then a Bishop Gorman player shoves a Knights’ player down well after the play and causing a commotion on the sidelines.

Gaels’ players began walking away, but not without what looked like on video some choice words for the Knights. The NIAA rule was enforced by the officials with 9:25 remaining in the third quarter, with Bishop Gorman (3-0) leading 35-14, as the referees determined that more then three players had left the Lone Peak sideline, forcing the Knights (3-1) to forfeit the game and awarding the win to the Gaels.

Under Nev. Admin. Code § 385B.824, the NIAA rule reads the following:

If at least three members of a team participating in a game, contest or meet:

(a) Leave the bench, sideline or other area that is outside the playing field or area of play and enter the playing field or area of play in response to a bench-clearing incident; or

(b) Engage in a physical altercation, the team is guilty of committing an unsportsmanlike act and must incur a forfeiture or double forfeiture for the game, contest or meet.

“You can not have more than three players come off your sideline in case of a fight,” Bishop Gorman head coach Brent Browner said to Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Alex Wright. “Once you do that, you automatically forfeit the game. We technically practice that. Sounds crazy, but we’ve practiced that many times. I was proud of the guys for when that was happening, for turning around.”

Bishop Gorman will take on No. 1 ranked Mater Dei at home next week while Lone Peak returns to Utah and will face Farmington on the road.

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