Photo Gallery: 2008-09 HS GameTime year-end honorees

Now that Rialto Eisenhower's stellar season -- with a CIF-SS boys basketball title and the school's first state title -- is history, it's easy to forget Feb. 27.

The sputtering Eagles trailed La Verne Damien by nine points with three minutes left in the third quarter of the CIF-SS Division 2 semifinals before rallying for a 48-45 victory.

"The CIF (sectional) title is always a goal, but I don't know that state was ever a goal," Eagles coach Steve Johnson said. "A lot of things have to fall into place and you have to win some close ones here or there and get some rolls. One bad game and you're out."

Eisenhower went 2 for 23 from three-point range against Damien but survived. It went on to defeat Los Angeles Loyola in the CIF-SS title game and Rocklin, 73-61, in the state D2 title game en route to a 32-3 record.

Those impressive accomplishments helped the fiery Johnson become the HS GameTime Coach of the Year.

It's the latest acclaim for the veteran Johnson, who has also been named the CalHiSports.com state coach of the year.

Johnson accomplished all this with his tallest player -- forward Bernard Ireland -- standing just 6-foot-4. Both Loyola and Rocklin had players 4 or 5 inches taller than Ireland, such as Rocklin's Brendan Lane, a UCLA-bound 6-9 center.

Lane finished with 27 points, 19 rebounds and 10 blocked shots, but the Thunder was no match for the relentless team Johnson assembled. Four Eagles scored in double figures against Rocklin, led by Creighton-bound Andrew Bock's 17 points.

"Obviously he's a great coach," said Rob Bock, the father of Andrew Bock and Bryan Bock, who will be a junior in the fall. "Some people who don't know him and maybe just see a game or two might have the wrong impression of him. But he knows how to get the best out of his players. The thing that impresses me is how he gets contributions from his 10th, 11th and 12th man, who might have been guys who didn't even play the previous year."

Eisenhower figures to be no slouch in 2009-2010, either. Andrew Bock is gone, but key players Ireland, Alex Varner, Devin Garner, Keyon Sayles, Bryan Bock and Kirby Gardner all return.

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