Sweeney Put King in Position to Win

It looked like checkmate for Tim Sweeney Jr. and Riverside King High.

The Wolves had lost to Redondo Union in the Southern Section Division II-A boys’ basketball championship game on a last-second three-pointer, an off-balance shot that Sweeney lamented “you couldn’t make one out of 10 times on a playground.”

With top-seeded Santa Ana Mater Dei looming in the Southern California Regionals, King would go on, maybe win another game or two, and call it a season.

Hardly.

The Wolves knocked off Mater Dei and went on to win the state Division II championship, becoming the first team from Riverside County to win a state boys’ basketball title.

The Times’ boys’ basketball coach of the year made his players believe. That was a tall order for a team in only its second varsity season.

Yet, King played its best in its biggest games because its coach put it in a position to win.

“I didn’t expect this for four or five years, to be truly competitive,” Sweeney said. “It’s really neat to see a true community school with community players have the kids develop the way they have and just show the character and really be able to adapt to the system. It’s a testament to the kids we have in the program.”

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Ben Bolch