McClymonds’ dynasty marches on in Silver Bowl played in John Beam’s memory

OAKLAND — When Michael Peters woke up on Saturday morning, something felt different. 

The longtime McClymonds football coach had been through countless Silver Bowl mornings, but this one carried a weight that settled into the quiet moments before kickoff. 

It was the first championship Saturday without John Beam roaming the game’s sidelines – the legendary former Skyline and Laney College coach whose influence shaped generations of football coaches, Peters included. 

“It’s been real tough,” Peters said after his team defeated Oakland Tech 34-0 on Saturday afternoon at Castlemont. “(Beam) was the type of guy that made me put in the work. He was beating us bad back in the day. … He was always giving me words of wisdom and all that kind of stuff.”

So as McClymonds’ rolled to its 13th consecutive Silver Bowl title on a sunny day at Castelmont, the afternoon felt less like another chapter in the West Oakland school’s dynasty and more like a collective pause to honor the man who once set the standard for what Oakland football should be. 

Beam, shot and killed at Laney College last week, was remembered not only in pregame tributes but in shared stories among a football community that he helped lift up. 

“Beam impacted us in so many different ways,” current Washington Commanders quarterback and Oakland Tech alum Josh Johnson said as he stood on the sidelines watching his alma mater. “He set the standard out here and though none of us knew really what the standard was, we knew how we had to exceed to get somewhere. 

“He was like a real OG to me. He knew so much game, not just about Oakland but about the world. We always advocated for Oakland. Our advocacy for Oakland and our goal to bring the best for this city was where we really connected and was what made him so impactful.” 

Beam was a beloved coach and community leader in Oakland, leading Skyline to a dynastic run from the 1980s into the early 2000s. He became the Laney College coach in 2012 after spending years as a coordinator. He went on to win Laney the California Community College Athletic Association state championship in 2018. 

He became a national figure when he was featured on the Netflix documentary “Last Chance U,” introducing a global audience to the trials and tribulations of California Community College Football. 

His death came as a shock to many, especially in the Oakland community. 

An outpouring of former players, notable Oakland athletes and community members quickly filled social media with tributes, each one underscoring how deeply Beam shaped their lives. 

Peters has built a juggernaut program at McClymonds, but the longtime coach harkens back to the lessons Beam told him when Peters struggled to topple Skyline early in his coaching career. 

“As coaches in Oakland, you got other problems aside from the field,” Peters said. “We got kids that’s homeless and haven’t eaten and stuff like that. So here in Oakland, it’s a little different because we are more than just the coaches and that’s one thing I take from him.” 

While none of the players in Saturday’s game played for Beam, his impact was felt even from afar. 

“Coach John Beam meant the world to me,” Oakland Tech quarterback Elijah Rucker said. “He always helped me out. I watched film with him, trained with him. I did everything with him. He was a good coach. He was a great leader and was always a selfless person.” 

Since Beam’s passing, multiple high school football games in the area have held moments of silence to honor Beam from Serra in San Mateo to Pittsburg High. 

On Saturday, the Silver Bowl started with a moment of silence for Beam followed by a loud cheer for the former coach. Some have called for the Silver Bowl to be named after Beam, but OAL commissioner Franky Navarro said the current name of the game honors former OAL commissioner Louis K. Jones, who first started the tradition of the game and will not be changed. 

Navarro did say however that he plans to make the OAL Classic – the season-opening game for all OAL teams that took place at Laney for the first time in October – renamed in Beam’s legacy. 

“I know we’re still in preliminary talks, but my initial ask right now is that we rename our football classic the ‘John Beam Classic,’” Navarro said. 

Much like the Skyline teams before them, the Warriors made it look easy. Despite fielding a roster with less than 25 players with a few JV call ups, McClymonds eased past Oakland Tech in what has become a Silver Bowl tradition for the past decade: A lopsided McClymonds win.

During the game, a picture of Beam filled the scoreboard on the west side of the field. It was a simple tribute, but one that landed with quiet force. As the game went on, the photo hung there, watching over the field like a familiar guardian. 

For a moment, it felt like the championship noise faded and it seemed like Beam was right there beside them, looking down on the game, the city he loved and on the legacy he spent a lifetime building.