DIVISION I BOYS : Poway’s Triple Threat Is Too Much for L.A. Manual Arts

Poway elicited a few screams in its home gym Tuesday night--and probably raised a few eyebrows this morning in Los Angeles.

The Titans beat Los Angeles Manual Arts, 72-68, in front of 1,500 packed into the PHS gymnasium.

Poway became only the second San Diego Division I school to advance beyond the first round of the Southern California Regionals and will play Thursday against the winner of the Fremont-Long Beach Millikan game.

“I don’t know what the L.A. people are going to think when they read the papers and find out a team from Poway beat one of the powerhouses from L.A.,” said 6-foot-7 junior Kyle Milling, who had 10 points and five rebounds in the fourth quarter.

The last team to reach the semifinals was the 1986 Poway team that had Jud Buechler and Dominick Johnson on it. This Poway team doesn’t have a Buechler or Johnson, but you would have never known by watching Milling, Bill Rarity and Frank Garrett for 32 minutes.

Milling scored 23 points and grabbed 23 rebounds. Rarity scored 23 points, including 16 in the first half, with three three-point baskets. Garrett had seven points and 13 rebounds.

And junior Todd Fortney made four of five free throws in the final 26 seconds, when Poway protected a 67-65 lead.

His final two shots fell with four seconds left and Poway up, 70-68.

“The guys on the line were saying that I wasn’t a clutch player, that there was no way I was going to make it,” Fortney said. “After I made (the free throws) I said, ‘The game’s over, it’s on your head.’ ”

Poway (21-6) led at halftime, 37-28, and entering the fourth quarter, 50-48. Manual Arts took a 55-52 lead with 6:24 left, but free throws by Fortney and a basket by Milling underneath put the Titans on top for good, 56-55.

“We knew that we would come down here under adverse conditions and with the crowds and all,” Manual Arts Coach Randolph Simpson said. “It is kind of ironic that we never got in the bonus. A team (Poway) that pressed the whole game had only six fouls.”

Poway made 18 of 32 from the foul line, Manual Arts five of eight.

Responded Wealch: “I don’t think we fouled that much. They were the team putting on the pressure and going for the ball, we were playing position defense. It was the crowd that was incredible.”