McClymonds powers past Oakland Tech to open OAL play with lopsided win

OAKLAND — For the last 15 years, McClymonds turned every would-be challenger into another chapter in its Oakland Athletic League dynasty. 

On Saturday night, Oakland Tech was the latest team to learn that hopes fade fast when the Warriors hit their stride. 

After a sluggish start, McClymonds ran away with a 36-6 win in its OAL season opener. 

McClymonds has now won 76 of its last 77 league games. The West Oakland’s school’s only recorded loss in that span came last season when McClymonds forfeited a game to Castlemont. 

“This is why we play the game,” McClymonds coach Michael Peters said. “Tech came off of the first kickoff explosive, so that just taught us that we have to prepare like any other game. So we can’t come in and think we’re supposed to win because we have Mack across our chest. We just have to practice like it’s anyone else.”

Saturday’s game was the night cap to the OAL Football Classic, which took place at Laney College. Oakland High defeated Skyline 48-0 in the first game of the showcase and Castlemont defeated Fremont-Oakland 27-8. 

McClymonds running back Dominic Davis accounted for 204 of McClymonds’ 315 yards of total offense. Davis had a receiving touchdown, a rushing score and an interception on defense. 

Quarterback Berrell Staples completed 10-of-21 passes for 158 yards and a touchdown. He also added a rushing score.

McClymonds got off to a slow start, but Davis’ playmaking kept the Warriors ahead. 

Davis caught a 42-yard pass down the left sideline in the second quarter to ignite the McClymonds’ offense. His catch led to a two-yard plunge from Staples that put McClymonds up seven. 

The Warriors got a key stop later in the second quarter and completed a five-play, 42-yard drive that ended with a 15-yard catch and run from Staples to Davis that put McClymonds up 14-0 at halftime. 

Once McClymonds got going, there was no stopping the Warriors. 

McClymonds got the ball to start the third quarter and completed an eight-play, 63-yard drive that ended with a 12-yard touchdown rush from Davis. 

On the ensuing Tech possession, McClymonds shut the door on any comeback attempt from the Bulldogs. 

Sophomore Isaiah Gutierrez anticipated a pass perfectly that came across the middle of the field and returned an interception 40 yards to put McClymonds up 28-0. 

The Warriors initiated the running clock late in the fourth quarter when Keian Davis-Jimmenez scored a rushing touchdown from 12 yards out to make the score 36-0. 

Tech got on the board in the waning seconds of the game when quarterback Elijah Rucker found the end zone on a two-yard rush, but it was too late.