Washington, Estancia Fought Back, Won : Division III boys: Fremont has been on the road since ’89 quake destroyed its gym. Estancia lost section championship but rallied to win regional as eighth-seeded team.

The aging 74-year-old campus at Fremont Washington High School is a constant reminder of the devastation the 1989 earthquake wreaked on the Bay Area.

Rooms are boarded up and chain-link fencing surrounds most of the 26 classrooms, auditorium and gymnasium that were condemned after the earthquake.

The destruction has been particularly tough on the Washington boys’ basketball team, which has practiced at a nearby church for the past two years and played every game on the road while its gym was razed and being rebuilt.

But Washington (24-9) has thrived on adversity, finishing fourth in Mission Valley Athletic League and then advancing to the Division III State championship game against Estancia (28-5) at 11:15 a.m. today in the Oakland Coliseum Arena.

“Nothing has fazed this group of kids,” said Washington Coach Guin Boggs, who is in his 10th season at the school. “They never once complained about the practice conditions or playing on the road.

“We played in a very tough league under some adverse conditions, but if anything else, it only made us tougher.”

Washington’s “Road Warriors” are led by guard Jim Stevenson, a 5-foot-10 senior point guard who averages seven points and six assists. Center Jesper Sorensen, an exchange student from Denmark, is the team’s top scorer at 8.9 points per game.

The starting five averages only 36 points per game. Boggs uses nine players in his patterned offense, and he is the first to admit there isn’t a superstar on the team.

“There isn’t a college coach pounding on the door to get one of my players,” he said. “We play well together and have good depth. It seems like it’s somebody different every night doing the job for us.”

Estancia also knows tough times, having lost the Southern Section championship and then winning the Southern California Regional as the eighth-seeded team. Estancia beat three section champions--Ramona, Servite and Pomona--on the road in a five-day span to reach the State championship.

Forward Matt Fuerbringer, the only underclassman on the team, is Estancia’s leading scorer and rebounder, averaging 16.5 points and 9.5 rebounds. Center Torrey Hammond is coming off his best game of the season, scoring 16 points and getting 20 rebounds in a regional rematch with Pomona.

Estancia, ranked No. 1 in The Times’ preseason poll, breezed through the Pacific Coast League and soundly defeated four playoff opponents before losing to Pomona in the section championship game, 48-45.

Coach Tim O’Brien said the team has become more focused and is playing its best basketball since the loss to Pomona two weeks ago.

“We’re hungry,” O’Brien said. “The practices have been intense and everyone has turned their game up a notch. Last year, I felt we were a bit complacent after winning the CIF (Southern Section) championship.”

O’Brien has helped stir the mood of his players, bringing football blocking pads to practice and instructing his players in a game of “bruise ball” this week.

Hammond was the target in Wednesday’s practice. Teammates Jeff Hokanson and Fuerbringer took turns pounding Hammond with the pads while he tried to make three layups. Hammond struggled for nearly 10 minutes to make the shots.

Estancia’s trademark is perimeter shooting and it should be interesting to see if Mike Haas, Son Ly and Paul McDaniels find the range in Oakland’s spacious arena. Two weeks ago, the trio combined for 8-for-32 shooting in the Los Angeles Sports Arena against Pomona.

DIVISION III BOYS’ CHAMPIONSHIP GAME LINEUPS

ESTANCIA (28-5) FREMONT WASHINGTON (24-9 Name Hgt. Yr. PPG Pos. Name Hgt. Yr. Mike Haas 6-1 Sr. 13.0 F Chuck Legan 6-1 Jr. Matt Fuerbringer 6-5 Jr. 16.5 F Aaron Schulz 6-3 Sr. Torrey Hammond 6-6 Sr. 7.0 C Jesper Sorensen 6-8 Jr. Paul McDaniels 6-0 Sr. 10.0 G Jim Stevenson 5-10 Sr. Son Ly 5-11 Sr. 12.0 G Jermaine White 5-9 Sr. Coach Tim O’Brien Coach Guin Boggs

ESTANCIA (28-5) ) Name PPG Mike Haas 8.0 Matt Fuerbringer 7.0 Torrey Hammond 8.9 Paul McDaniels 7.0 Son Ly 5.0 Coach Tim O’Brien