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Alums Win State Football Championship
 Tuesday, December 20, 2016 
Ile Omode alums helped Bishop O'Dowd High School to a historic California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) football championship victory on Saturday, December 17 in Moreno Valley. Until this year no Oakland high school had ever won a California high school football championship. Battling temperatures that hovered near 40 degrees, Bishop O'Dowd won the CIF Division 5-AAA championship by defeating Valley View High, near San Bernardino, 43 to 24 (McClymonds High school secured the Division 5-A championship on the same day).
The 400 mile trek to southern California for alums, Lonnie Turner (c'14) and Khukheper Awakoaiye (c'14), was clearly worthwhile, although Lonnie would have preferred playing in Oakland, "I would have loved to have the game in Oakland because I would have created history in front of all of my peers and family".
Bringing an 11 game win streak, including 5 playoff games, they certainly didn't lack confidence, but no Bishop O'Dowd team had ever gone beyond the division championship, and that was 2002. After winning the league championship, division championship, and regional championship, this team was hungry for the state title.
Khukheper was unaware of the historic moment. "I had no idea we were making history being the first O’Dowd football team to go to a state game", and he instead just focused on winning the contest.
There was some pregame controversy because all CIF championship games are played on a neutral field. However, this game was played at Valley View High School providing a clear advantage for the host team. Khukheper didn't want to become concerned with Valley View's possible edge, "I didn’t focus on that because we still had to play a football game on a field and the specifics didn’t matter to me".
Lonnie had been well prepared by O'Dowd's coaches, including former NFL star and head coach, Napoleon Kaufman. Valley View had a dominant offensive line that controlled their games, and O'Dowd needed a strong game from Lonnie. He didn't disappoint. In perhaps one of his best games of the season, Lonnie was a force in the middle at nose guard. He had 3 solo tackles, and he said, "the big stops came naturally; I see the running back and I take his head off."
Khukheper wasn't 100%, and was still recovering from an earlier injury, but he wanted to play. In last week's regional championship game he only played 50% of his usual assignments, but resumed all of his roles in the championship. He had to "power through" the game, but had, "put in work at the trainers to get as close to 100% as I could in preparation for the state game."
O'Dowd got out to an early lead, and led 10-0 in the first quarter. However, Valley View was able to get on the board, and at the halftime it was 16-3. The third quarter saw an offensive explosion, with both team scoring 2 touchdowns each, and the score sat at 30-17, but the Riverside county team, never got any closer, although they fought well.
Both players will receive a ring for their state championship, and while he was looking forward to receiving the ring, Lonnie was excited about, "winning state because no one can take away your title as a champion."
Khukheper was, "most excited about earning a historic victory because it sets a precedent and sets our team in the history books as one of the best O’Dowd football teams in school history". Indeed it is, congratulations to the two "Ile" alums.
Nandi Maunder Says Apr 11, 2017 Great job Lonnie |
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