A historic season for the Lemoore High Tigers came to an end on Dec. 2 with a 49-35 loss to the McClymonds High Warriors in the CIF 2-AA Northern California Regional.
Jaivian Thomas put the Warriors on his back rushing for 296 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Warriors to the win over the Central Section Division II Champions in a game played in West Oakland.
Lemoore senior quarterback Ty Chambers had 483 total yards and threw for three touchdowns. He also had one rushing touchdown. Demel Turner had seven catches for 142 yards and two touchdowns. Kobe Green ended with 103 yards receiving and a touchdown for the Tigers, who were making their first appearance ever in the State Playoffs after winning the program's second-ever Central Section Title on Nov. 26.
Lemoore ends the season with a 12-2 overall record.
Chambers said that despite the loss he is proud of the what the team has accomplished this season.
“It was definitely one for the history books, we have all been playing for this town since we were little kids and our coaches have played for Lemoore and weren’t able to make it this far,” Chambers said. “To bring something like a Valley Championship back to the community is something special. I just really want to thank my coaches for all they’ve done to put this team in the right positions to go as far as we’ve come and thank my teammates for being my brothers and creating a bond that can’t be broken. Thanks to the community for always supporting us and being behind us on our journeys.”
Lemoore head coach Rich Tuman said that this year’s team will not be forgotten for what they did for the Lemoore High football program.
“I was proud of the way the young men played to the bitter end. We were able to put an awesome season together and reach a place we have never been before in Lemoore,” Tuman said. “These Young men and this coaching staff set a new bar for Lemoore Football. They have nothing to hang their heads about.”
As a team, McClymonds ran for nearly 500 yards and seven touchdowns in the victory that sent the Oakland Section Champions to the 2-AA State Championship. Ferrari Miller Jr. added 130 yards and two touchdowns.
McClymonds (12-1) advances to the CIF State 2-AA Championship game against Mater Dei Catholic High School (Chula Vista). Mater Dei defeated Downey High School 22-21 in the 2-AA Southern Regional game. The game will be played at 4 p.m. Friday, Dec. 9 at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo. McClymonds will be looking to capture their fifth State Championship.
After falling behind 7-0 early in the first quarter, McClymonds outscored the Tigers 49-28 the rest of the game, including scoring 21-straight points after the game was tied at 14, to take control of the game.
Lemoore scored on the first possession of the game when Chambers connected with Green for a 61-yard touchdown that gave Lemoore the 7-0 lead.
McClymonds tied the game at 7 early in the second quarter when Thomas raced into the endzone from 41-yards out with 9:05 left in the first half. After McClymonds’ defense forced Lemoore to turn the ball over on downs, McClymonds took a 14-7 lead after a 2-yard touchdown run by quarterback Deontae Faison with 3:49 remaining in the second quarter.
The Tigers responded on their ensuing offensive possession, tying the game at 14, as Andrew Moench punched in a touchdown from 2 yards away.
The Warriors proceeded to score the next 21 points, starting when Thomas scored his second touchdown of the first half racing into the endzone after a 50-yard touchdown run that gave the Warriors the 21-14 halftime lead.
Thomas continued to shine in the third quarter scoring a 49-yard touchdown on the second offensive play of the half. This extended the Warriors lead to 28-14. After the Tigers were forced to punt on their first possession of the second half, the Warriors struck again, as Miller scored on a 15-yard touchdown run. This gave the Warriors a 35-14 lead midway through the third quarter.
Lemoore, needing to score to stay within striking distance, answered on their ensuing possession. Chambers connected with Turner on a 39-yard touchdown pass that cut the McClymonds lead to 35-21 with 5:59 left in the third quarter. McClymonds responded once again on their ensuing possession scoring when Miller raced in to the endzone for a 30-yard touchdown run to extend the lead to 42-21 late in the third quarter.
Chambers and Turner connected for a 40-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter to make it 42-28, but Thomas once again responded on the ensuing McClymonds possession, sealing the game running down the sidelines for a 64-yard touchdown run. This gave his team to 49-28 with 9:30 left in the game. Lemoore added a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter, but it was not enough to overcome the deficit.