Boosted by that ground game, the Warriors outlasted the Tigers 49-35, thus eliminating Lemoore from its quest for the Division II state championship.
Instead, it will be McClymonds High School tackling Mater Dei Catholic in a Dec. 9 game for the Division II State Championship to be held at Saddleback College. Lemoore’s season ended only after powering to a West Yosemite League championship, followed by a decisive victory over Central Valley Christian.
Lemoore completed a 12-2 season and was a perfect 5-0 in the WYL.
According to their stats, the Warriors of Oakland’s McClymonds High School lived by the running game and completed just one of seven passes for 17 yards in Friday night’s Division II playoff game.
Instead, the Warriors did what they did best by running the ball 42 times.
Leading the Warriors' ground assault was running back Jaivian Thomas, who rushed 22 times for 307 yards and four touchdowns. As a team, McClymonds's powerful backs rushed for 515 yards and seven touchdowns.
Despite the lopsided running game, Lemoore kept within striking distance, beginning with a first-quarter 40-yard touchdown pass by Ty Chambers to Kobe Green just three minutes into the first quarter.
It wasn’t until early in the second period that McClymond’s running game really took off. At the 9-minute mark, Jaivian Thomas scored from 35 yards out to tie the game at 7-7.
McClymond’s Deontae Faison, minutes later, scored on a two-yard burst, upping the advantage to 14-7.
Lemoore tied the game at 14 apiece when Andrew Moench scored from the three-yard line. Jayden Evangelo’s point after splitting the uprights for a 14-14 tie.
McClymond’s powerful running back, Thomas, gave the Warriors a 21-14 halftime lead when he swiftly scored from 50 yards out.
Early in the third quarter, Thomas upped the ante to 28-14 with a 45-yard touchdown. He was followed by a Ferrari Miller 15-yard TD and a 35-14 advantage.
Tiger quarterback Chambers struck back in the third with a 30-yard TD pass to Andrew Moench, cutting the lead to 35-21. However, the Warriors scored again to take a 42-21 lead heading into the final period.
Enter Chambers again, who cut the gap to 42-28 with a 35-yard pass to Demel Turner with about 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter.
The Tigers certainly had their hands full with McClymond’s powerful running back Thomas, who upped the ante with a 65-yard touchdown increasing the Warriors' lead to 49-28.
The Tigers scored once more in the fourth quarter on a short three-yard run with about seven minutes left in the game.
