I still consider myself a new resident of Northern California as it will be on year on 05/31 that I moved into my new place in Oakland. I didn't realize how affiliated I was with the culture and activities in Southern California until I see things like the McClymonds Boys Basketball team win the state championship. They played against a school (Compton Dominguez) that has a long history of being a great team but McClymonds not only went undefeated and won the championship they did it for their coach who in the last few years lost his wife and a daughter. These young men touched and inspired me. I even ended up sending a donation so they could get championship rings. I hope it will help them keep the memory of their special triumph...
SACRAMENTO (AP) ― William Cherry had 19 points, eight assists and four steals to lead McClymonds of Oakland past Dominguez of Compton, 73-54, and win the boys' Division I state championship at Arco Arena Saturday.
Damon Powell scored 18 points for the Warriors (32-0), who were ranked 19th in the nation by Rivals.com before the game, and Damario Sims had 16. Powell punctuated his scoring with several thunderous dunks, and both Sims and Cherry completed more than one acrobatic attack on the basket.
Jordan Hamilton led Dominguez (32-3) with 20 points, including two NBA-distance 3-pointers, but the Dons shot just 32 percent from the field, and allowed Mack to hit 47 percent of its attempts.
The game was the last one for McClymonds' coach, Dwight Nathaniel, and was also redemption for the Warriors, who scored just 29 points in the 2007 D1 final. They matched that total in the second quarter, in the midst of an 10-0 run that put the Oakland school ahead for good.
Mack extended the lead to eight at the start of the third quarter, and used an 8-0 run at the beginning of the fourth period to build a 57-43 cushion. The Warriors, alma mater of Hall of Famer Bill Russell, pulled away down the stretch to win their first-ever official state championship.
Counting all boys' state championships, Southern California has a 28-11 edge over Northern California.
(© 2008 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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