Las Vegas Sun

March 18, 2024

Desert Oasis stuns Palo Verde for first playoff win in school history

high school football media day 2015

Christopher DeVargas

Desert Oasis High School football players Branden Peterson, Ryan Knipp, and Austin Cooper before the 2015 Season.

Click to enlarge photo

Desert Oasis High running back Tyshun McClinton is pictured with Deb Grant, the Las Vegas Area District Manager for Wingstop.

Desert Oasis running back Ty’shun McClinton barely practiced this week as he nursed a sprained ankle, and there was even doubt about whether he would be able to play in the Diamondbacks’ first-round playoff game.

Friday night he erased all doubt, running for three touchdowns to lead Desert Oasis to its first playoff win in school history as the Diamondbacks took down Palo Verde 34-12. Desert Oasis opened in 2008.

“(McClinton) came into the game and did an amazing job,” said Desert Oasis Brad Talich. “Ty'shun is a tough kid and that showed up tonight. He loves the game of football and we aren’t going to keep him from playing it.”

The Diamondbacks led 13-6 at halftime before pulling away late.

Quarterback Brannon Flowers ran for two touchdowns as well as completing enough passes to keep the Panthers’ defense honest.

“We knew we would have to throw the ball because of how many people they stack in the box, so our receivers did a great job,” Talich said.

Desert Oasis finished with a winning record for the first time since 2011 and now has the program’s first playoff win, but first-year-coach Talich is only looking forward.

“I don’t really worry about what happened in the past,” Talich said. “It is a big deal for the kids. Anytime you win a playoff game it’s big because you know you’re playing the best teams in the valley.”

Next Friday Desert Oasis will face top-seeded Arbor View.

Jesse Granger can be reached at 702-259-8814 or [email protected]. Follow Jesse on Twitter at twitter.com/JesseGranger_.

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