Coalinga rides to title win on late free throw before the buzzer against Santa Maria
It came down to one free throw, one breath, one moment.
And Coalinga High seized it.
Tucker Corona was fouled at the buzzer and calmly sank one of two free throws to lift Coalinga to a dramatic 63-62 victory over Santa Maria in the Central Section Division V championship game. on Saturday.
Selland Arena erupted. The bench spilled onto the floor. Head coach Jason McFarlin went sprinting in celebration.
It was chaos — the kind that only comes with a one-point title game decided at the line.
Coalinga had to survive a frantic final minute. Santa Maria surged ahead late, forcing the Horned Toads to respond possession by possession.
McFarlin’s message never changed.
“One stop at a time,” he said. “It’s not two stops. It’s one stop at a time. Every possession matters.”
At halftime, he reset the tone after trailing by double digits.
“I told them coming out in the second half, it’s 0-0,” McFarlin said. “Whatever the score was, it didn’t mean anything. They knew where I was coming from. Defense. Have a basketball.”
Coalinga answered with grit, getting key defensive stops before Corona’s final drive drew the whistle that decided the championship.
“He’s butters”
While Corona delivered the final point, senior guard Daymen Tamayo carried Coalinga through the fourth quarter, and he finished with a game-high 26 points.
“You kept us in the game in the fourth quarter,” McFarlin said of Tamayo. “When we needed a bucket, Daymen got it.”
When asked what makes him the player he trust with the last shot?
“He’s butters,” McFarlin said with a grin. “You guys only knew how much work this kid’s put in. I guarantee there’s not a kid in this valley, in this section, that’s worked harder since his freshman year.”
This story was originally published February 28, 2026 at 6:03 PM.
