ORANGE COUNTY PREP BASKETBALL : Freeway League Tournament : Sonora Keeps Fullerton Out of the Playoffs : In Unlikely Turn of Events, Third-Place Raiders Advance to Postseason Play With Win

Third-place games were hardly ever like this before.

Sonora High School upset league champion Fullerton, 65-63, Friday night at Fullerton in the first Freeway League Tournament. The victory gave Sonora third place--and what goes with it: the final league berth in the Southern Section 3-A boys’ playoffs.

Such sweet consolation.

Tournament champion Troy and runner-up Buena Park won the other playoff spots.

Fullerton (13-8) won the league championship with a 9-1 record and needed only one victory in two games at home to secure a playoff berth. Sonora, which finished in a three-way tie for third at 4-6, needed three victories.

Buena Park upset Fullerton in a semifinal game Wednesday, putting Fullerton into a must-win situation.

Fullerton jumped to a 5-0 lead. But then Sonora (11-13), which lost to the Indians once by 20 and then by three this season, scored seven straight points, taking a two-point lead it never relinquished.

Fullerton missed a shot that could have tied it with eight seconds remaining and another--a desperation heave that would have won the game--as time ran out.

The only consolation Fullerton has is a title.

“Our kids are the league champions,” Fullerton Coach Randy Forgette said. “I told them that next year there’s going to be a banner up in this gym saying league champions, and we’re the only ones who are going to have one.”

Fullerton played both tournament games without center Alan Lewis, who has the chicken pox.

Sonora, which shot 53% (25 of 47) from the field, took a 19-13 lead after one quarter. The Raiders led by as many as 13, and held a seven-point lead at the start of the fourth quarter. Fullerton closed the lead to two and turning it into a nip-and-tuck contest. Fullerton’s Greg Wilber (16 points) hit a jump shot with less than minute to play that made it 65-63, and the Indians got the ball back with 40 seconds remaining.

David Sawyer (13 points) took an 18-foot shot from the right side of the key with eight seconds left, but it bounded off the rim. Sonora’s Brian Massey got the rebound, and was fouled with five seconds left. Massey missed a free throw, giving Fullerton one last chance. Sawyer’s heave from halfcourt as time ran out hit the backboard and bounced off.

David Morris, who made 5 of 10 three-pointers, led Sonora with 24 points. Grayle Humphrey and Jeff Crow each added 16 for the Raiders.

Mike Hetland led Fullerton with 17.

In the championship game:

Troy, 64, Buena Park 48--Brad DeLoof scored 23 points and Mark Rudometkin added 22 for the Warriors (19-7), who finished second in the league. Gary Hunter scored 16 and Kevin Graddy 14 for Buena Park (13-11).