Last week’s Valentine’s Day assignment to cover the Santa Clara at Indian Springs basketball game offered both a glimpse into the future and the past of area hoops.
Indian Springs is coached by Brandon Taylor, who helped A.B. Miller High get to a section title game in 1997 — his cousin Travis Reed was the Rebel star — where it lost to Long Beach Poly. On Taylor’s Indian Springs coaching staff is William Harris, 75, who guided some strong teams in the early 2000s at Fontana High.
Before our trip down memory lane, a look at the 2018-2019 Indian Springs team: The Coyotes finished 13-15 but played a tough schedule. They looked like they’d get blown out Thursday night against Santa Clara, which took a 22-10 lead and had four slam dunks in the first quarter.
Santa Clara twice built 15-point leads, but Indian Springs rallied behind Tyler Culpepper (23 points) and brothers Chris Jones (17 points) and Joshua Jones (13) to send the game into overtime. The Saints won 73-64, but the berth in the quarterfinals was the best in school history for the Coyotes.
“It was our most successful season,” Taylor said. “We’re proud of that, especially considering the adversity we faced.”
The Coyotes lost 6-foot-6 sophomore center Eric Watson and his 6-4 brother C.J. Watson to transfer after their father, William, died unexpectedly during the off-season. Ashton Kimes Dunn also transferred to Eisenhower.
Indian Springs won a total of only 10 games in the three years prior to 2017-2018 but, under third-year coach Taylor, has won 31 games over the last two years and will have Culpepper and Joshua Jones, among others, back next season.
THE WAY IT WAS
Seeing former Fontana coach William Harris assisting at Indian Springs was nostalgic.
Fontana was an Inland power in the 1990s and early 2000s and a bit of a revolving door for star players.
“They said we were outlaws,” Harris said, “but that’s the way things were and it’s no different now. The kids see what’s going on and evaluate where they’re at, and sometimes decide to go somewhere else.”
Fohi had quite the rivalry with Eisenhower at the time, and coaches Harris and Ike’s Steve Johnson often took jabs at each other in the newspaper. The Eagles had a long Citrus Belt League winning streak that Harris predicted Fohi would snap. The Steelers did just that (at Eisenhower), after which school officials closed the see-through metal veil separating the bleachers from the court.
“We felt like we were in jail,” Harris said with a laugh. As befits “outlaws.”
FLY LIKE AN EAGLE
Speaking of old-school Inland Empire stars, former Eisenhower Eagle basketball standouts Cory McJimson and Johnny Dukes now assist at Colony, which has made the Division 2A title game against La Canada this Saturday after beating Crescenta Valley 74-54 on Saturday night.
Tweeted Dukes early Sunday morning: “Sick as a dog, voice gone, off minimal sleep, completely exhausted but my team went 3-0 in the playoffs this week and I will be coaching in my second CIF championship game. Priceless!”
COUGAR MADNESS
Rancho Cucamonga’s 62-59 basketball win Saturday night against visiting Valencia has stood the community on its ear and prompted an avalanche of attaboys for veteran coach Bill Burke.
The Cougars are advancing to the section finals for the first time in school history. It is also a first for Burke, 47, who has been coaching for 28 years, including a three-year stint as head coach at Garey. He is in his 19th year as the Cougars coach.
“There were so many kids and staff members and former principals who were there,” Burke said. “They’re all excited. I’ve gotten hundreds and hundreds of text messages from kids I coached and their parents. There were three kids at the game I coached when I was at Garey, and that was in the ‘90s.”
Burke has also heard from fellow Inland coaches such as Bill Berich, John Romagnoli, Jerry De Fabbiis and others.
“We’re all in it together and all of those guys would say the same thing – we do it for the kids and not ourselves,” Burke said. “It’s fun as a coach to experience it, but the game is for the kids. It’s nice to know, though, the kind of impact you can have.”
KNIGHT TIME
Rialto soccer is in the CIF-Southern Section Division 4 title game on Friday against Troy at Downey-Warren High.
Coach Jose Gonzalez’s team defeated Tustin 3-2 on Saturday to advance. Prior to that it topped playoff foes Eastside 4-2, Great Oak 4-3 and Miller 3-2.
The Great Oak victory in overtime on a golden goal by Rudy Reyes was mind-boggling; the Knights trailed 3-1 with six minutes left.
“We got the second goal to make it 3-2 and then one minute later got the equalizer on a goal by Daniel Penaloza,” said Gonzalez, a former Knights player. “I’ve coached for four years and not as a coach or even a player have I experienced a game like that.”
The Knights have also been led by junior forward Hector DeLeon (team-leading 18 goals), junior midfielder Reyes and sophomore forward James Orona.
TITLE RUN
Other San Bernardino County schools to make section championship games this week are: Arrowhead Christian in Division 6 girls soccer, Oak Hills in Division 3 girls soccer, Bloomington Christian in Division 5A girls basketball, Montclair in Division 5AA girls basketball, Chino Hills in Division 1 boys basketball and Western Christian in Division 5A boys basketball. All games will be either Friday or Saturday.
BRIEFLY
Cajon junior football star Rodney Robinson has been offered by Utah … Redlands East Valley football’s annual benefit golf tournament is May 11 at the Yucaipa Valley Golf Club … Keron Jones is the new Silverado football coach, according to the district Twitter feed.
John Murphy is a freelance writer. Contact him at berdooman@gmail.com and follow on Twitter @PrepCat.
