One year ago, the Federal Way boys basketball team stood inside the Tacoma Dome, watching one Ferris player after another climb to the top of a ladder to cut down the nets as state champions.

It was a sight that was etched into the minds of this year’s Eagle team and something that fueled their fire since losing to Ferris in the 2008 Class 4A State Boys Basketball championship game.

And this year, it was Federal Way who was standing atop that same ladder after winning the 2009 state title. The Eagles cruised past the Garfield Bulldogs Saturday night, 62-54, to garner the program’s first-ever championship.

“I can’t even describe it,” said senior guard Andre Barrington, through tears of joy. “We learned how to use what happened last year and nobody wanted to have that feeling again. We are standing on top of the hump and looking down.”

The victory over Garfield, the most accomplished basketball program in state history with 11 titles, was a microcosm of the Eagles’ magical season. Federal Way had four players average in double figures during the year, but it was their fifth-leading scorer, Isiah Umipig, who carried a lot of the offensive load against Garfield. Umipig, a 6-foot junior guard who came in averaging seven points, was the star of the championship game. Umipig led all scorers with 19 points on 5-of-9 shooting.

“This is our year,” said longtime Federal Way head coach Jerome Collins. “It’s a testament to our kids. They have great chemistry. This is one of the most unselfish ball clubs I have ever coached.”

Federal Way’s depth and extreme athleticism proved too much for its opponents at the Class 4A State Tournament. The Eagles (28-2) won their four games in Tacoma by an average of 16 points and had a different leading scorer in three of them despite entering the tournament with a huge target on their backs as the No. 1 team in the state.

“We work hard and hard work paid off,” said senior Jeffrey Forbes. “Everybody did their part.”

Against Garfield, Federal Way took control of the game from the opening tip. The Eagles jumped out on the No. 2 Bulldogs, 15-8, after the first quarter, thanks to seven points from Umipig.

But Garfield fought back with a 7-0 run early in the second quarter to cut the Federal Way lead to just one, 16-15, and actually took a one-point lead with 1:31 left in the second quarter on a pair of free throws from Tony Wroten Jr. Umipig converted on two free throws with 53.1 seconds left in the half to take the lead back entering the locker room at the half, 24-23.

Both teams’ struggled during the first two quarters from long range. Federal Way finished just 1 for 6 from beyond the 3-point line and Garfield was 0 for 6. The Bulldogs finished the game just 3 for 22 from three.

After Garfield started the third quarter strong and tied the game at 32-32 on a Wroten three-point play, the Eagles went on a quick 7-0 run to take the lead back for good. The Bulldogs never got closer than seven points the rest of the night.

Wroten, the most valuable player of the state championships, finished with just eight points after not making a field goal in the first half, thanks to relentless defensive pressure led by Forbes.

“It’s great just playing with each other,” said Federal Way junior Cole Dickerson, who finished with 18 points in the title game and was named first-team All-Tournament along with Barrington. “We really got our defense going in the postseason and we play hard.”

Barrington finished with 14 points, four assists and four steals against Garfield.

“Going into every season, we are coached to do the best we can,” Barrington said. “This year we were confident again. We just go out and get after it.”

The Eagles got after it all season long, winning the South Puget Sound League championship, the West Central District championship and the state title.

“This is unbelievable,” said senior point guard Michael Hale, while wearing one of the Tacoma Dome nets like a necklace. “We started out to get the league championship and we got that. Then the West Central District championship and we got that. Then we had to get state and we now have that too.”

“I’m just proud of our kids,” said Collins, who is in his 25th season at Federal Way. “These guys were young last year and Ferris had the experience. We are a tough ballclub. These kids got back here this year and accomplished our goal.”

Federal Way 66, Kentridge 54 (Friday)

Revenge is sweet.

The Eagles earned a berth into their second-straight state championship game Friday night with an impressive win over the Kentridge Chargers in the semifinals. Kentridge handed Federal Way one of their two losses during the SPSL North regular season.

But there would be no denying the Eagles Friday inside the Tacoma Dome.

Federal Way shot an amazing 59.5 percent (22-of-37) for the game and Barrington scored a season-high 22 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the field. Barrington, who is bound for the Washington State University football team in the fall, came into the game as the Eagles’ fourth-leading scorer.

“Barrington absolutely killed us,” Kentridge coach Dave Jamison said. “He’s so quick and so strong.”

Barrington’s scoring outburst didn’t come as a surprise to anybody who watched Federal Way play this season. The Eagles’ depth and the willingness of several players to take and convert the “big shot” is what led Federal Way to the program’s first state championship.

“When we play like that, we are at our best,” Barrington said. “Everybody’s unselfish and we get the job done. I don’t want to say nobody can stop us, but it’s going to be tough.”

Barrington wasn’t the only key to the win over Kentridge. The defense played by Forbes on Kentridge super-sophomore Gary Bell was also huge for the Eagles. Bell had torched Mariner for 32 points during their quarterfinal win Friday, but had only two points during the first half Friday.

“I’ve guarded Gary every time we’ve ever played them,” Forbes said. “It’s been quite an experience. I just wanted to force him left. I know he wanted to go right. His body language told it all.”

Bell finished with 16 points, but a bulk of those points came in the fourth quarter when the game was already decided. Forbes was also solid on the offensive end for the Eagles. The 6-foot senior, who is headed to Eastern Washington University in the fall, finished with 16 points.

The turning point for Federal Way came at the start of the third quarter. The Eagles led 25-22 at halftime, but exploded on a 15-2 run to take a commanding 39-24 with 5:01 left in the period. The run was highlighted by 10 points from Barrington. The 6-foot-2 senior hit a 3-pointer, converted a three-point play and tallied two driving layups.

“We have depth,” Collins said. “That really helped us out this year. We had a lot of injuries and other stuff, but our depth really helped us through.”

“They’re just very good,” Jamison said of Federal Way. “They had a very good game plan. They know us. They did a good job getting in Gary’s face.”

Kentridge (20-9) came out strong to open the game. The Chargers rolled out to a quick 9-4 lead early in the first quarter. But Federal Way used a 13-0 run to take a 17-9 lead.

Hale finished with 12 points for the Eagles and Dickerson added 10 points and 10 rebounds.