Fuerbringer Blocks Servite’s Path to Title

With three seconds left in overtime, Servite High School went for it all. Trailing by two, the Friars’ Paul Stapleton set up for a three-point field goal attempt.

But the shot had barely left Stapleton’s finger tips when Matt Fuerbringer reached out and swatted it into the corner.

The play preserved a 51-49 overtime victory for Estancia High School in the Southern Section 3-AA championship game at the Bren Center Wednesday.

For Fuerbringer, it was vindication of sorts.

On Friday in the semifinals, Fuerbringer had tipped a three-point field goal attempt against Lompoc. However, the ball went in to tie the score and send the game into overtime.

Although Estancia had won in triple overtime, Fuerbringer has been haunted by that shot.

“If you tip a shot, it shouldn’t go in,” Fuerbringer said. “If I hadn’t touched it, the shot wouldn’t have been close.”

But the incident against Lompoc was the furthest thing from Fuerbringer’s mind when he charged Stapleton Wednesday.

A little more than 30 seconds before, Stapleton had hit a three-pointer from the exact spot to tie the score, 49-49. Fuerbringer lunged at Stapleton, but got there too late.

After Agustin Heredia made two free throws with seven seconds left to give Estancia a 51-49 lead, the Friars worked the ball up the left side.

“I saw it was the same play they had burned me on before,” Fuerbringer said. “I didn’t think I was going to get there in time to block the shot. I thought he was going to make it and we were going to lose. So I just jumped.”

It was Fuerbringer’s second blocked shot of the game. He also scored eight points and had a team-high eight rebounds.

Wednesday’s game was not his best performance in the playoffs, far from it. Fuerbringer has averaged 17.7 points, nine rebounds and four blocked shots per game in the postseason.

However, Fuerbringer, a 6-foot-4, 155-pound sophomore, was able to hold his own against the Friars’ tall front line. He battled Steve Marusich, Servite’s 6-7 center, to a standstill.

“Matt has come through for us at the right time,”’ Heredia said. “Every team needs a big man. Matt’s ours.

“That was a gutsy move by Matt on the blocked shot. What if he fouls the guy?”

But Fuerbringer wasn’t worried about a foul.

“What if he makes the three-pointer?”