STATE HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT : Monarchs Prevail Behind Boseman : Division III: The junior guard scores 25 points to lead Morningside to an 84-67 victory over Estancia.

Since the start of the season, junior guard Stais Boseman has been one of the leading scorers for the Morningside High boys’ basketball team.

But Boseman appears to have taken his game to a higher level since the start of the playoffs.

Boseman, who help Morningside beat Estancia last week in the Southern Section III-AA Division final, was equally impressive in a rematch on Saturday at the Sports Arena. He scored 25 points as the Monarchs won the Southern California Division III Regional championship, 84-67, and earned their first-ever berth in the State Division III final.

The Monarchs (24-6), who have won 16 consecutive games, will play either Hayward or Monterey Seaside, who played in a late game Saturday night, in the title game at 4 p.m. Saturday at Arco Arena in Sacramento.

Boseman decided to take charge after talking with Coach Carl Franklin before the playoffs.

“Before the playoffs, coach Franklin told me that I had to step it up a notch,” Boseman said. “He told me I had to be a leader. So I just decided to play hard and take control.”

But from Franklin’s perspective Boseman isn’t the only player who has picked up his game.

“I think the team as a whole has picked up its game a lot,” Franklin said. “Stais has played well, but I think he has toned his game down a lot. He has worked hard to blend in. So he hasn’t always had to score for us to win this season.”

In addition to Boseman, four other Monarchs scored in double figures. Guard Dwight Curry had 15, center Pauliasi Taulava added 14, guard Donminic Ellison had 12 and guard Sean Harris had 10.

Estancia Coach Tim O’Brien, whose team finished 25-8, credited the Morningside defense.

“We got worked by a team that was just bigger, quicker and stronger than us,” he said. “That’s a good team going to the state final, no doubt about it.”

Unlike last week, when the Monarchs trailed by as many as 11 points in the fourth quarter before rallying for a 95-85 overtime victory, Morningside was in control throughout.

The score was tied, 13-13, after a quarter, but the Monarchs opened up a comfortable 34-22 halftime lead behind 11 points from Boseman.

After Morningside extended its lead to 18 points late in the third quarter, Estancia rallied.

The Eagles trailed by four, 62-58, after a basket by forward Matt Fuerbringer with 4 minutes 43 seconds remaining. Fuerbringer, who will attend Stanford on a volleyball scholarship in the fall, had a game-high 26 points.

But the Monarchs used their quickness to force Estancia into several turnovers to secure the victory.

“We felt that we could press them the whole game and make them work harder than they did the last time,” Boseman said.

Harris said he wasn’t concerned when the Eagles rallied in the fourth quarter.

“When they came back to us, (Franklin) felt we got a little of a swelled head,” Harris said. “So we called a timeout and we came back with a better attitude.”

Said Taulava: “We were looking forward to this all season. We started out real slow. We lost six games and we had to really work hard to make it to this point.”

Franklin said the players were confident from the first day of practice.

“I think if you asked the team to a man, they all felt they could win CIF,” Franklin said. “They weren’t just bragging about it. Then if you win the Southern Section title, you get a chance to play for state. It has all just happened in a natural progression.”

Maybe so, but Boseman is still trying to grasp the Monarchs’ accomplishment.

“Right now, it really hasn’t sunk in yet,” he said. “It will take me a little while. I’m not in reality right now.”

But for the Monarchs, the reality is that they are headed to Sacramento for the state final.