High school basketball: Coalinga claims first section title. ‘This was a redemption’

Coalinga High boys basketball coach Jason McFarlin waited a long time for this.

That would be a Central Section championship.

He’s been here three times, only to see all the losses in his 20 year coaching career.

Not this time, if any of his players have a say so.

Down 19 points in the second quarter, the Horned Toads made a furious rally and took the lead for good on a 3-pointer by Dylan Teixeira from top of the key with 43 seconds remaining for a 48-47 victory in a Central Section Division V championship at Selland Arena on Saturday.

When the buzzer sounded, McFarlin looked at the Coalinga fans and let out his emotion.

It was his first section title as well as the school’s first championship, according to historian Bob Barnett.

“This was a redemption,” McFarln said. “Definitely a redemption trip.”

McFarlin said he was crying all week leading up to Saturday’s game because of the “pure pride” he has for Coalinga.

Even when his team was down big in the first half, he knew they would find a way to get back in the game.

“Keep believing,” he said.

Jaden Pena led the way for Coalinga when he scored 22 points along with 10 rebounds.

“We just got the job done,” Pena said. “We competed all the way down and all the way through. We came all the way back.”

Teixeira said he dreamt of moments like this, even when he was a child thinking about game-winning shots.”

He lived it at Selland Arena.

“Dream come true,” he said. “Always adding three seconds trying to make the last shot. Had to pull up and hit that shot.”

Next up for Coalinga is the CIF state playoffs, but McFarlin said winning the section championship was the ultimate goal.

“Always has been,” he said. “We look forward to the opportunity to compete at state, but the section title is what we talk about every hear before we start our season. We talk about the section title and that’s what we’re going for every year.”