Every time McClymonds has won a state championship, the Oakland football powerhouse has done it at a lower-division level.
The one time it lost in a state final, Mack was beaten in an upper-division game.
The Warriors will aim to reverse that script Friday when they play defending champion Mater Dei Catholic-Chula Vista for the Division 2-AA title at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo.
For that to happen, star running back Jaivian Thomas will need one final great game.
In the 12 games he has played, the three-star senior with offers from Cal and San Jose State has rushed for 2,456 yards — third-most in the state among stats reported to MaxPreps — and 29 touchdowns.
“What else can I say other than other colleges better start coming in,” coach Michael Peters said about the recruiting process. “Jaivian’s been carrying us this whole year.”
Mater Dei Catholic certainly is no stranger to stopping the run.
In the 2-AA Southern California championship against Downey, Mater Dei held a team that had averaged over 240 rushing yards per game to 108.
Four of Mater Dei’s senior defenders, including UCLA commit Tre Edwards at linebacker, are rated as three stars or better by 247Sports.
Fortunately for McClymonds, Thomas has been a dominant force no matter the competition.
In a 24-21 season-opening win over Bellarmine, the NorCal 3-A champion, he rushed for 227 yards and two touchdowns.
Two weeks later, in a competitive loss at NorCal 1-A champion Pittsburg, he ran for 181 yards and two more scores.
A week after that, in a wild 45-42 win over NorCal 2-A champion San Ramon Valley, Thomas rushed for 287 yards and four touchdowns.
In a 49-35 victory over Lemoore on Friday for the NorCal 2-AA title, Thomas ran for 307 yards and four TDs.
His rushing averages are staggering.
This season, he has averaged 14.5 yards per carry and at least 10 yards per attempt in every game.
If he does that Friday, McClymonds might return home with a state championship trophy and perhaps send Peters, who has hinted about stepping down at the end of the season, out with a memorable victory.
“We’ve got to get the job done,” Thomas said. “We’ve got to stay humble and finish the job this year.”
MCCLYMONDS VS. MATER DEI CATHOLIC-CHULA VISTA
What: CIF Division 2-AA state championship
Where: Saddleback College, Mission Viejo
When: Friday, 4 p.m.
Stream: NFHS network
Storylines: McClymonds is playing in its sixth consecutive state championship game. … The Warriors have won four lower-division titles. But in their only appearance in an upper-division final, they lost the 2-A title game to Pacifica-Oxnard 34-6 at Cerritos College in Norwalk in 2019. … McClymonds has rushed for 4,542 yards and 58 touchdowns and passed for 1,297 yards and 10 TDs this season. … In addition to Thomas’ contributions, Mack has gotten 1,079 yards and 14 TDs rushing from Ferrari Miller Jr. … Mater Dei Catholic won last year’s 2-AA championship 34-25 over Central Catholic-Modesto. … Mater Dei Catholic started this season 0-4 before running off 10 consecutive wins to reach a state final. … McClymonds played two of the other four Bay Area teams that will play this weekend in Mission Viejo. It defeated San Ramon Valley and lost to Pittsburg. … Mater Dei Catholic lost to 1-AA SoCal champion Lincoln-San Diego 56-20 early in the season. … Mater Dei Catholic’s Dominic Nankil has thrown 70 touchdown passes over the past two seasons … McClymonds’ senior pass rush quartet of Malik Richardson, Joshua Shanklin, Greg Kenny III and Jaysen Cole has combined for over 40 sacks. … Calpreps.com’s computer picks Mater Dei Catholic to win 35-28.
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