HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS : Schoolland Douses Faith Baptist, 80-70 : Division V boys: Ripon Christian center heats up in the second quarter and finishes with a season-high 36 points.

Tim Schoolland blew out the Faith Baptist High championship flame Saturday, and for that he will receive a ride through Ripon, Calif., on a firetruck.

Ripon Christian’s 6-foot-5 center did not charge into any burning buildings--in fact, he set the Arco Arena nets ablaze--but he did dump a bucket of water on the Contenders.

Schoolland scorched Faith Baptist for a season-high 36 points to lead Ripon Christian to an 80-70 victory before an estimated 3,000 in the state Division V basketball final.

“He was unstoppable,” Faith Baptist forward Etienne Moore said. “I don’t know if there was a lot we could have done.”

Schoolland, a senior, made 16 of 21 field-goal attempts and smashed two division championship-game records. He broke the mark (11) for field goals and bettered by two the record for points.

As a reward, he will ride shotgun on a firetruck in a parade through Ripon (pop. 7,500) on Monday. He was parading on Saturday too, stepping right through Faith Baptist’s man-to-man defense.

“I was a little tired in the first half,” Schoolland said. “I kept running down the floor trying to get air. In the second quarter, I found it.”

Eureka! And did he air it out. After being held to four points and one field goal in the first quarter, Schoolland made six of eight shots in the second as Ripon Christian (34-1) raced to a 33-27 halftime lead.

Foul trouble did not help the Faith Baptist cause. Alex Estrada, a senior guard, was whistled for his third and fourth fouls within 1 minute 36 seconds of each other in the second quarter. After picking up his fourth with 2:58 left in the half and Ripon Christian holding a 26-21 lead, Estrada was benched until the fourth quarter.

“I felt that Ripon was making a run and beginning to take control,” Faith Baptist Coach Stuart Mason said of his decision to leave Estrada in the game with three fouls. “I thought that with him in there, we could stem the tide.”

Improbably, Faith Baptist (27-7) mounted a third-quarter comeback without Estrada (14 points). Faith Baptist had its lone hot stretch of the game, making five of its first six shots to move within 39-38 with 5:33 left in the quarter.

Senior center Peter Rasmussen, who finished with a team-high 25 points, scored 11 in the quarter to lead the rally. But after a Faith Baptist turnover, Ripon Christian went on a 10-2 run to take a 49-40 lead, and Faith Baptist was never in striking range thereafter.

Schoolland, who scored throughout on a variety of spin moves and drives in the lane, had six points in that stretch.

“We just lost it,” Estrada said. “We weren’t getting back on defense at all.”

The Contenders made just two of 13 shots to close out the quarter and trailed, 53-42, entering the fourth. But the cold snap was hardly a rarity: Faith Baptist shot only 34% (25 of 74).

Faith Baptist made its first shot and then missed 11 in a row. Meanwhile, Ripon Christian, which missed a chance earlier in the day to sweep division titles when its girls’ team lost by two points to El Cajon Christian, made 32 of 51 (63%).

Schoolland scored 10 points in each of the third and fourth quarters and teammate Bryan Holland scored 15 of his 17 in the second half. Moore finished with a game-high 17 rebounds, and, as did teammate Darren Wyre, had 12 points.

A taller Ripon Christian consistently pounded the ball inside and attempted just two three-point shots; Faith Baptist made four of 21 from long range. Moore, asked if Ripon Christian’s height advantage--the Knights’ five starters are 6-1 or taller--played a part in the game, responded: “Nah, not at all.”

Said Mason to Moore: “What game were you watching?”

Correct answer: Schoolland’s game.