Resurrected Half Moon Bay making a state-title run

It's been 14 years since a public school won a state Division IV boys basketball championship (Tamalpais-Mill Valley in 2000) but relative unknown Half Moon Bay (Calif.) has a legitimate shot to end the drought.

Following an 86-21 win over at Oceana-Pacifica Friday behind 15 points from Corey Cilia and 13 by Caelin Batstone, the Bay Area's No. 11  team is 20-2 and 10-0 in Peninsula Athletic League's North Division.

Though its league isn't particularly strong, the Cougars have an impressive 66-53 win over No. 15 Burlingame and a 64-40 victory over North Bay power Marin Catholic-Kentfield.

Half Moon Bay opened eyes from the get-go with a Foundation Game (organized scrimmage) win over No. 6 St. Ignatius, and during the summer at Cal, it defeated No. 14 De La Salle-Concord and played No. 2 Monte Vista-Danville and Sacramento power Capital Christian very tight.

"I know people say summer isn't the same and it's not," Half Moon Bay coach Rich Forslund said. "But all those teams were at full strength playing very hard. Hey, if you beat De La Salle at checkers, that's impressive in my book.

"Bottom line, I had a very good feeling about our team. We have a lot of pieces."

It starts with Forslund, one of the top and accomplished coaches in Northern California.

He led Riordan, led by Bay Area Player of the Year Marquise Kately and John Tofi, to a state Division III title in 2002, a year after losing in the state title game. In 10 seasons, Forslund coached Riordan to 194 wins, second most in school history.

But after the 2007 season, he needed to recharge. A basketball junkie and tireless worker, the insurance broker by day took three seasons "off" before taking over at Half Moon Bay, just 10 minutes from his Montara home.

During those three seasons away he coached eight different youth teams and entrenched himself in his community. He planted the seeds for where the Cougars now blossom.

From 2004 to 2010, Half Moon Bay struggled, going 48-99 including 1-21 in 2006-07. John Parsons, now an assistant, brought the Cougars back to life the three seasons before Forslund took over.

Now, with two stand out big men, 6-foot-6 senior Rico Nuno and 6-7 junior Case DuFrane, a brigade of savvy, experienced, good-shooting undersized guards led by Cilia, and perhaps the team's top all-around player, 6-3 sophomore Tommy Nuno, Half Moon Bay is ranked third in Northern California among Division IV teams.

The Cougars won their only two Central Coast Section titles in 1994 and 1996, and in 2012, they won their only Northern California playoff game. The last two seasons, they lost CCS title games. Without a unbeatable team in the Division, HMB has its sights set much higher.

"John and his dad really resurrected the program and did the heavy lifting before I got here," said Forslund, who is 86-27 since taking over. "I think we're ready now to take it to the next level."

Rico Nuno leads the team with a 13.0 scoring average, while Cilia, a 5-9 senior shooting guard is at 12.2. Cilia and point guard E.J. Madriaga were injured during the team's only losses — to No. 17 Moreau Catholic and unranked Menlo-Atherton.

"No excuses," Forslund said. "The injuries might have made us better and tougher. We were in both games, we just couldn't make any baskets. We shoot 33 percent on 3-pointers and we were 3-of-31 in those two games."

The Cougars will likely be called up to the CCS's Open Division, which Forslund welcomes. That will automatically qualify them for NorCals, but more importantly it should toughen them up. The team relies on superb defense — as it showed Friday while holding Oceana scoreless in the third quarter — superb outside shooting and the interior play of Nuno and DuFrane.

"It's exciting for the players, the coaches and the community," Forslund said. "The kids have put in a lot of work over the years and with eight seniors, they're ready for the moment."

Forslund said he's having the time of his life. Coaching in the West Catholic Athletic League and winning a state title were as good as it gets in high school basketball in the state of California. Certainly, it doesn't get much more competitive.

But building from the ground up and seeing and helping to mold almost all of the eight seniors on the current team has been especially rewarding, Forslund said. None of it would have been possible without one final piece.

"The administration and community have back us 100 percent," he said. "That makes a huge difference."