Estancia’s Fuerbringer Slam Dunks His Personal Goals : Division III boys: Forward adds State championship to list after the Eagles’ romp through the regionals.

Matt Fuerbringer, Estancia High School’s string-bean forward, thought he had played well in the Southern Section’s Division III-AA championship game against Pomona.

Fuerbringer’s numbers--21 points and 21 rebounds--said so. But a closer look at the box score said otherwise. Fuerbringer, who had four dunks, connected on only four of his other 13 shots. But above all, the most important numbers--the final score: Pomona 48, Estancia 45--told him it was a bad game.

“I thought I had played well until I watched the videotape,” Fuerbringer said. “I saw all those missed shots and rebounding opportunities. It was really disappointing.”

But Fuerbringer’s disappointment didn’t last long. In a span of five days, eighth-seeded Estancia beat three sectional champions to win the Southern California Division III boys’ regional title.

The highlight of Estancia’s remarkable run through the regionals was a rematch against Pomona in the finals at the Sports Arena. It was the same facility where Estancia had shot 28% in the sectional championship.

“There was a big difference in the team’s attitude this time,” Fuerbringer said. “Our biggest test was the first game in the regionals against Ramona. They were a solid team with a 6-foot-10 center and they had all the fans on their side.

“We shot the lights out and afterward I thought, ‘We’re back. We can play with anybody.’ ”

Estancia outlasted Servite, 56-47, in the semifinals, setting up another meeting with Pomona. The stakes were a trip to Oakland for the State championship.

“We said all along that if we were fortunate to get to the regional final, we wanted another shot at Pomona,” Fuerbringer said. “We lost to them by three points the first time, and we played terrible.”

Why? Fuerbringer figures it was a combination of a big game, spacious arena, early start and, most of all, a lousy start. Estancia missed its opening 15 shots and never recovered.

Seven days later, the rematch was a mismatch. Estancia outscored Pomona, 20-8, in the third quarter and coasted to a 64-40 victory. Fuerbringer had 14 points and 16 rebounds and was complemented by teammate Torrey Hammond’s 16 points and 20 rebounds.

“It’s pretty nice when a guy (Hammond) who’s averaging four points and four rebounds steps forward with numbers in a big game,” Fuerbringer said.

The victory earned Estancia (28-5) its first trip to the State championship, where it will meet host Washington Fremont (24-9) in the Division III title game at 11:15 a.m. Saturday at the Oakland Coliseum Arena.

Fuerbringer likes the idea of playing on the road against a team he knows little about. Estancia was the visiting team in three regional victories.

“I like playing a team that doesn’t know anything about us,” he said. “When we played Ramona, Mike (Haas) and Son (Ly) sat on the perimeter all day. We set picks for them and they had open shots the whole game.”

Estancia’s trademark is its perimeter shooting. The Eagles rode the outside shooting of guard Agustin Heredia to a Southern Section championship in 1990 when Fuerbringer was a gangly 6-5, 155-pound sophomore.

Fuerbringer played only two roles as a sophomore: defender and rebounder. With Heredia running the show, Coach Tim O’Brien asked Fuerbringer to put his offensive game on hold. Fuerbringer was content to be a bystander until postseason play.

“He came to me before the playoffs and said, ‘Coach, run me a play,’ ” O’Brien said. “That told me the kid wanted the ball and wouldn’t be afraid to shoot it.”

Fuerbringer blossomed in the playoffs, averaging 17.7 points, nine rebounds and four blocked shots a game.

“My confidence grew in the playoffs last year, and the older players gained confidence in me,” Fuerbringer said. “Last year, I just wanted to contribute. This year, I set a lot of team and personal goals.”

Fuerbringer’s team goals included a league and Southern Section title. Last week, he added a State championship to the list. He hoped to average 16 points and 10 rebounds per game. He averaged 16.5 points and 9.5 rebounds.

“I played a lot over the summer to try and improve my inside game and got a lot stronger,” he said. Fuerbringer also gained 18 pounds but could still add another 25 to fill out his 6-6 frame.

Fuerbringer’s success inside can also be attributed to a 33-inch vertical jump. Fuerbringer’s leaping ability also helped establish him as one of the top prep volleyball players in the county.

Last summer, Fuerbringer helped Balboa Bay Club’s 16-and-under volleyball team win the Junior Olympics in Albuquerque. He plans to move from middle blocker to outside hitter and play for Estancia’s team when the basketball season ends.

“I don’t know which sport I’ll play in college,” he said. “It all depends on which gets me a better scholarship opportunity. I’d like to play basketball in college, but everyone tells me my future is volleyball.

“It’s going to be a big adjustment going from middle blocker to outside hitter because the timing is so different. But the move should help my overall game.”

O’Brien thinks Fuerbringer’s success in club volleyball competition has helped his basketball game.

“Matt is such a competitor, and I think a lot of that comes from playing on a national volleyball team,” O’Brien said. “He’s not a power player, but he can score so many different ways.”