Colorful Opening ceremonies at the RMC
My first foray as a Blue Eagle fan was in 1983 when I was a freshman in
High School. The previous school year, the Blue Eagles had a promising
season that saw them win six games and lose six for the third time in four
seasons. For Team Ateneo, everything was now pointing for them to go above the .500
mark. Leading the Hail Mary squad was the do it all point guard in Vincent
“Chot” Reyes, skipper Jerick Hechanova and finally a serviceable center in the
hulking Michael Facundo. As a fan i heard that the Ateneo were once the kings of the NCAA and transfered to the UAAP. That's when i realized that all those Basketball players coming in and out of the Loyola center were Atreneo stars and i didn't even know who they were unlike now where grade school students are immersed in the games of the Blue Eagles.
1983 opening Ceremonies, all teams performed
THE 1983 ATENEO BLUE EAGLES
The Blue Eagles on the other hand started the tournament strong with five players averaging double figures after
the first round as the Blue and White ended up tied for first with FEU and UST
with similar 4- 2 win loss cards. Chot Reyes (21.0 ppg), Jeric Hechanova (15.83
ppg), Center Mike Facundo (14.67 ppg.), Tino Estela (12.5 ppg) and Frank Orena (10.5) tore the tournament apart as
the Blue Eagles surprised the league with their high-octane offense. The Blue
Eagles beat the defending champion UE Red Warriors with Jeric Hechanova
providing the winning free throws and Chot Reyes erupting for 32 points in
their 109-107 win. Another team that the Blue Eagles brought down were FEU
Tamaraws 101 -93 with Hechanova going for 19 points. It was the first time in
five years that the Eagles defeated the Tamaraws. To underscore the firepower
of the Blue Eagles, the team annihilated the NU Bulldogs to the tune of 140-63
with three players scoring 20 pts and six players scoring double digits
and all 12 players scoring a least a
point. This record still stands as the biggest points scored by Blue Eagles to
this day. Unfortunately, in the second round, the league adjusted to the sudden
rise of the Blue Eagles and one by one the Eagles fell prey to the other teams and lost five of their last six games and the only team they beat was the NU
Bulldogs to end the season with a 5-7 card and another sub . 500 season. The FEU Tamaraws won the title by beating the
UP maroons. This year San Beda left the NCAA and wanted to concentrate on their intramurals that left the once glamorous NCAA with only five teams.
Led by Glen Capacio the Tamaraws win title #13
THE 1984 ATENEO BLUE EAGLES
The 1983 season was just a peek of good things to come. Although the
dream season turned out to be a nightmare, the Blue Eagles bucked playing in
gyms with empty seats and minimal school support by beating the big guns in UE
and FEU. The year 1984 proved to be another heart breaker for the Blue Eagles
and not even the super human efforts done by Chot Reyes and center Mike Facundo
could suffice as the team lingered in the cellar once again. Unlike in previous years, the Blue Eagles were able to surprise other teams because no one took them seriously and those teams paid dearly. Now the other teams are starting to notice and practically preparing for the Blue Eagles. This year, the
UAAP was gaining ground and popularity and was somehow distancing itself from
the NCAA with the rise of Allan Caidic and Pido Jarencio as the stars of the
UAAP. The UAAP had more teams than the NCAA and some of the High school stars of the NCAA are shifting to the UAAP.
The UAAP Stars take your pick Caidic vs. Jarencio
Two years ago Pido Jarencio scored 50 pts against the NU Bulldogs and if given the chance he can do more. The epic 1984 UAAP season witnessed the mano-a-mano battle of Caidic and
Jarencio as both shooters established a finals record of scoring 44 and 48
points respectively. That year the three-point line was not yet in play so for
Jarencio to score 48 points and Caidic 44 was already a feat in itself that
sent waves around the country of the next stars of Philippine Basketball. However,
for Ateneo basketball their story that year did not evolve around their senior’s
team but more on the junior’s squad. The Blue Eagles could only muster three wins in this season as the teams they beat before took notice and got stronger. UE had Caidic and Jerry Codinera, UST had Pido Jarencio and Bennet Palad, UP had Ronnie Magsanoc and Eric Altamirano, FEU had Glen Capacio and Harmon Codinera while Adamson had Louie Alas and Elmo Ledesma. The other teams kept on getting better while the Blue Eagles became stagnant and needed a new lease on of life.
NEXT BLOG: THE BUILD-UP: THE 1983 - 1984 BLUE EAGLETS
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