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The absolute run that has become the embarrassment of riches for East Bay Athletic League athletes continued with the Amador Valley football team claiming the CIF State Regional title with a 44-33 win over McClymonds.
The win sends the Dons to play Frontier of Bakersfield in the state title game on Friday (Dec. 13) at 8 p.m. at Long Beach Community College.
It’s the latest postseason success run that has been the best I have seen in my 40 years of association with EBAL sports. And this doesn’t include the proficiency of De La Salle.
The Spartans are a contender for a NorCal or CIF title in just about every sport. By the way, they are playing for the CIF Open football title this weekend.
Let’s go back to just the spring of 2024.
Just this past spring Granada won the CIF D-I NorCal baseball title, the Amador Valley girls won the CIF D-I NorCal softball title with the most improbable run.
It was topped off with Foothill freshman Luke Mijatovic winning the 500 free and finishing second in 200 free at the CIF State Swimming Championships. One of the best high school swimming meets in the country and he wins by seven seconds. One swimming publication said this summer that Mijatovic is the top distance swimming prospect in generations — Katie Ledecky good.
After a summer break, greatness picked right back in the fall as the Foothill girls’ volleyball team went to the finals of the CIF State D-I title game, and now you have the Amador football team playing for a state title.
The win over McClymonds for the Dons featured a little bit of everything — a quick start for the Dons, a Mack comeback, and a dominating ending for the Dons to get the trip to the big enchilada!
Getting there was no easy task. Going on the road into a tough environment, with a number of players sick (some missing the game with others throwing up on the bus).
The game started with both teams scoring on their initial drives, with Dons scoring first, then McClymonds and with over six minutes left in the first quarter it was 8-6.
“That first drive was easy,” Amador coach Danny Jones said. “I was surprised — we were able to run the ball down the field.”
The Dons have made going for two an art form, and another successful one made it 8-0 Amador. McClymonds came right and scored but missed their attempt and the game stood 8-6 Amador.
From that point on the game changed for some time.
It turned into a game that worried me. Over the last 40 years I have watched teams from the EBAL fall to teams from the urban area in the postseason.
You can’t simulate the speed of a team like McClymonds, making the first time you face them in person, a major adjustment.
On defense the Dons were getting in spots that worked in the EBAL, but not against Mack, resulting in the running back jumping containment resulting in big runs.
On offense, defenders were able to get around the edge on the pass rush, forcing issues for Tristan Ti’a.
Sometimes teams can adjust and succeed. Some can’t and end up losing.
“It took us about a half,” Jones said of adjusting to the Mack speed. “They got up those two possessions and we just couldn’t stop them.”
But after some early trouble, the Amador offense found its gear and Mack’s defense couldn’t stop Amador either.
Finally, the game changed in two McClymonds plays.
With the Dons down 33-30 after cutting into an 11-point lead in the third quarter, Amador kicker Ethan Ling hit the ensuing kick short and towards one sideline. The Mack returner misplayed the ball, and it headed toward the sideline.
Getting first to the loose ball, but with Amador’s kick coverage team breathing down on him, he compounded his mistake by intentionally swatting the ball out of bounds.
By the time it was sorted out, Mack was starting first-and-10 from inside the Warriors’ one. The defense, fired up by the events, gave up one yard in three downs forcing Mack to punt from their own endzone.
The Dons had a first-and-10 from the Mack 33, but stalled a little, facing a fourth-and-two. Mack jumped offsides, giving Amador a first down.
A few plays later on a first-and-goal from the 8-yard-line, Ismael Duenas found the endzone for the Dons and they had a 38-33 lead with 5:33 to play.
“We’ve been working on our special teams, and we have been getting better,” said Jones.
The gifts didn’t end.
On the next kickoff, Mack’s return man slipped after catching the kickoff, leaving the Warriors starting at their own 4.
A little bit later, with Mack facing a fourth-and-four, the Warriors went for it. A Mack receiver got behind the Amador defense but dropped the ball for what seemed to be a sure long touchdown, instead turning it over on downs.
“He was gone,” said Jones of the receiver. “We got another break there.”
But that’s OK. You have to play well to win in the playoffs but a little bit of luck helps, often making the difference between two good teams.
Duenas made the Warriors pay for this mistake as well, finding the end zone, making it 44-33 with 3:22 left.
After moving to the Amador 28, the defense came through again, and closed out the game when Gabe Gyamfi picked off a Mack pass to start the celebration.
Now comes the fun — and of course work — in playing for a state title.
“It’s going to be great,” Jones said. “We are heading down Thursday morning and staying two nights. We’ve got a full itinerary for Thursday. This is a business trip — we’re not taking the boys to Disneyland; we are going to play for a state title.”
Editor’s note: Dennis Miller is a contributing sports writer for the Pleasanton Weekly. This column originally appeared in Tri-Valley Preps Playbook, a weekly sports e-newsletter published by Embarcadero Media Foundation.
