Happy homecoming for Bishop Gorman’s Warriors

It is perfect timing that this is homecoming week for Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas.

The Hawaii football team — featuring three former Gaels and an assistant coach — will be practicing at Bishop Gorman’s Fertitta Field ahead of Saturday’s road game against UNLV.

“It’s great,” said UH mike linebacker Jamih Otis, who graduated from Bishop Gorman in May. “It’ll bring back memories of high school, and all the work we put in to get to this point. That’s where it all started.”

Elijah Palmer, UH’s starting nickelback, said he learned of this trip soon after signing with the Rainbow Warriors nine months ago. “Knowing that the game was on the schedule, I felt it would be a fun game” Palmer said. “I’m excited to get back to Vegas.”

Palmer, Otis and defensive lineman Aiden McComber knew they had to make strong impressions early in this freshman season to earn a spot on the Warriors’ 74-player travel roster. Palmer is fourth among Warriors with 18 tackles and also has made UH’s lone interception. Otis is the primary backup to mike linebacker Isaiah Tufaga. McComber has been in the D-line rotation this week.

“Just to play in front of the home crowd and my family pushed me, motivated me to get on the field,” Palmer said.

As juniors, the three played at Allegiant Stadium — site of Saturday’s game — in the state championship. “It was surreal being in an NFL stadium at that age,” Palmer said. “Taking it all in, but at the end of the day, we still had a game, so I had to lock in.”

Otis was born in Inglewood, Calif., but moved to Las Vegas in 2017. He attended Bishop Gorman all four years.

“I’ve been in Vegas for a while,” Otis said, “I claim Vegas, too. That’ll be cool to practice at my alma mater, just to be back on that field.”

It also will be a reunion for linebackers coach Chris Brown, who was Bishop Gorman’s assistant head coach and defensive coordinator for seven years through 2021. Brown, a standout linebacker for the Warriors in the early 2000s, joined UH last year.

“It’s a full-circle moment,” Brown said. “This is a special one. I’m proud my journey took me in a crazy direction of bringing the Bishop Gorman football team down to Hawaii to play Saint Louis (in 2019) and now it’s bringing the University of Hawaii football team back to Las Vegas. I’m excited about it.”

Palmer also is excited about a special meal from his family. “They’re going to bring it to the hotel,” Palmer said. “My papa loves cooking catfish. Loves it. He’s going to bring some fish. And my uncle Tony loves gumbo, so they’re going to cook that.”

In other UH football developments:

>> Tight end Greyson Morgan announced on X (formerly Twitter) he has entered the transfer portal. Morgan, who was granted a redshirt last year after suffering a shoulder injury, had seven catches for 42 yards in three starts this season.

>> Frank Kahoa Abreu, a wideout-linebacker from Kamehameha-Maui, announced his 2024 commitment to the Warriors. Abreu, who is 6 feet 4 and 200 pounds, projects as a tight end at UH.

Abreu said he chose UH because of the “culture around (the program) and I wanted to stay close to home. I really like the coaches and their offensive schemes. I want to be in Hawaii, and I want my family to watch my games.”