SAN MARCOS – A dominant second quarter and free throws down the stretch powered Poway High School to a 62-54 win over archrival Rancho Bernardo in Friday night’s CIF San Diego Section Division 2 finals and the school’s first boys basketball championship since 1992.
Top -seeded Poway’s third win over No. 2 RB this season came before an estimated crowd of 1,100 in Cal State San Marcos’ like-new 1,400-seat Sports Center.
Both teams advance to the Southern California Regionals, with pairings announced Sunday afternoon.
“RB is a tough, hard physical team,” said Poway coach Corey Clark. “They are tough. This team is a family effort. From my assistant coaches, to the players, to my children. We have a lot of fun and give glory to God.”
Poway used a 14-0 run to end the first half to overcome a three-point deficit and led 32-21 at the break.
SAN MARCOS, CA – February 27, 2026: Poway’s Cash Heverly, left, and Grant Rodriguez jump up as they and teammates celebrate their 62-54 win over Rancho Bernardo for the CIF Division 2 boys basketball championship game at California State University San Marcos in San Marcos on Friday, February 27, 2026. (Hayne Palmour IV / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Daniel Mariduena led Poway with nine second-quarter points and had 14 at the half.
After a 16-point first quarter, RB (19-13) went cold. The Broncos scored just five points in the second quarter. After trailing by 13 early in the third quarter, RB made a late run and trailed by six heading into the final quarter.
The Broncos trailed by two with 6:30 to play in the game, scoring the first four points of the fourth quarter. But Poway had it back to eight with 4:00 remaining.
Grant Rodriguez, who entered the game with 1,114 career points, had four key free throws down the stretch. He finished with 15 points.
Senior Daniel Mariduena, who sprained an ankle in the game’s opening minutes, finished with a game-high 16 points.
“This is the result of dedication and hard work,” Mariduena said.
“I’m so proud we accomplished something that hasn’t been done at our school for a while.”
Bryce Jones added 11 points for Poway (21-11), while James Clifford chipped in with four points and six rebounds.
Blake Jordan led RB with 14 points, including a pair of 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, while Tyler Johnson had eight points and six rebounds.
Poway turned the ball over 21 times while RB had 16 turnovers.
Poway swept the league series from RB and has beaten the Broncos five straight times and six of the last seven.