A NEW HOPE: Rising from the Ashes 1985 - 1986

The 1985 BLUE EAGLES

THE 1985 ATENEO BLUE EAGLES

Season 48 of the Men’s UAAP Basketball tournament was one of the most anticipated seasons of the Ateneo Community. Finally, the team has the needed boost to contend and if ever go all the way. The Blue Eagles are now the team that seniors Mike Facundo and Rey Rances will lead together with the new kids on the block – Jun Reyes, Joseph Canlas, Jet Nieto and Alex Araneta. In a sudden twist of fate, Chot Reyes decided to forego his last year of eligibility and HS standout JV Gayoso decided to try his luck with the DLSU team where his older brother Mike found refuge.  But then again not all is lost as Nonoy Chuatico came back to the team and the Blue Eagles added another rookie standout from La Salle Greenhills as the 6’0 swingman Llwellyn “Len” Mumar found his way to Katipunan. The stage was set, the Blue Eagles are ready and what made the season more exciting was the introduction of the three-point line.  Fresh from their monumental encounter the previous season, Allan Caidic of the UE Red Warriors and Pido Jarencio of the UST Glowing Goldies came back for their final year for another UAAP showdown. Both UE and UST were favorites to meet again in the finals with the Red Warriors supporting cast that includes Jerry Codinera, Boysie Zamar and Carlos Fermin while adding Vilmer Banares and Alfredo Bartolome. UST on the other hand had Bennet Palad, Alfrancis Chua and their triple towers in Gido Babilonia, Julian Tomacruz and Bobby Jose. This year the league also accepted the application of De La Salle as the eighth member of the UAAP and will be on probation for two years starting 1986. 

ROBOCOP  Mike Facundo

The 1985 season was the first time the Blue Eagles came out with a team that can run the floor, shoot and mix it up inside. This time the Blue Eagles were able to stand up against the defending champion UE team and the league leading UST Glowing Goldies. The Blue Eagles ended up with a 7 - 5 slate as they beat UE, UST, UP once with two wins against Adamson and NU. FEU was the only team they did not beat. The only good news came after the UAAP season when the Blue Eagles placed second in the MMBL tournament behind the San Sebastian Stags.

The 1986 Prize find Rookie Benjie Paras goes to UP
Picture above: Paras vs. Codinera

THE 1986 ATENEO BLUE EAGLES

After that phenomenal juniors championship, team captain Randy Sevilla, Albert Mendoza, Raymund Morales, PAYA juniors  stud Billy Reyes (the youngest of the Reyes brothers) and the returning JV Gayoso were admitted as reserves to the 1986 Ateneo Blue Eagles team. Albert is a 6-2 forward –center who is physical and also has a good medium range jumper. He can be a valuable back-up to the 4 and 5 positions and eventually a starter when his time comes. Raymund is a 6’0 defensive specialist who can also drive to the hoop with a decent perimeter game. Randy on the other hand is a speed demon, can jump up high for an occasional rebound and rarely misses a jumper. Billy on the other hand is a score first point guard who can drive and dish and shoots well from the three-point area.

Eric Reyes vs. Benjie Paras in HS action
Photo from Joey Guanio's FB Page

Eric Reyes eventually committed to the Ateneo and the 1986 Blue Eagles were raring to dominate the UAAP. Unfortunately, the other teams also got stronger and even though it was the last year of Mike Facundo and Rey Rances, the team faltered once again as they could not get off the hump after being outplayed by the eventual champs UP Maroons, the deposed champs UE Warriors and Adamson Falcons. The Maroons got the best thing that came out of High school - the Tower of Power Venancio "Benjie" Paras the 6'4 power playing center of the San Beda Red Cubs. Again, the NCAA's loss is the UAAP's gain. Aside from Paras, UP also got another proven scorer in Joey Guanio who will challenge the defending champion UE Warriors. Although Allan Caidic has used up his eligibility, the rest of the Warriors are still dependable specially Jerry Codinera.  This time the league was prepared against the Blue Eagles and the big guns matched up well with them. The Blue Eagles snuck out a win against both UST and FEU while beating the NU Bulldogs and newcomers DLSU Green Archers twice to have a 6 – 8 record at the end of the season.  The Blue Eagles beat the Archers 77 - 65 in the first round and 81- 80 in the second round with Franz Pumaren playing out his last year in college basketball.

1986 RP Youth Team

Photo from Joey Guanio's FB Page

After this season, Jun Reyes further enhanced his resume by joining the first legitimate RP Youth 19 and under team. Jun battled with the best of Asia and was joined by Eric Reyes, UP Maroons Benjie Paras and Joey Guanio, DLSU’s Dickie Bachmann, Adamson’s Mulong Orillosa, UST’s Bobby Jose, San Sebastian’s Paul Alvarez. Other teammates included Zaldy Realubit and Nelson Asaytono while their coach was Joe Lipa. This team would eventually be the core of the National team and it was Jun Reyes’ team to lead. The Philippines beat Japan, Chinese-Taipei, Hong Kong and South Korea. In the finals the RP team lost to the Song Ligang and Ma Jian led China team 81 - 67 to settle for the silver medal of the 9th ABC Junior Championships. The team is the first Philippine 19 years and under team that had no overaged player and had only a month to prepare. Coach Joe Lipa called the shots for the Nationals. Jun Reyes' brilliance was shown in this competition which eventually prepared him for the 1987 UAAP season. Eric Reyes on the other hand gained a lot of knowledge from Joe Lipa that he brought with him to the next UAAP season. 

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THE BUILD-UP: The 1983 - 1984 Blue Eaglets

1983 Opening Ceremonies

If there was demoralization in the Senior’s team when the switch to the UAAP happened, it was hardly felt in the Juniors team because in the first three years that the Blue Eaglets played, the teams then won three straight juniors titles. The Blue Eaglets eventually lost in 1981 and 1982 with the defending champion UST Golden Nuggets favored to repeat because of an intact line-up.  In the years leading to the 1987 UAAP Season, the core of the team would come from the four different juniors teams that represented the Blue and White from 1983 to 1986.

Bibo Pefianco (13) is taken out of position

THE 1983 ATENEO BLUE EAGLETS

On the other side of the campus, the Blue Eaglets were just coming to their own once again as the new crop of exciting and promising players were elevated to the Juniors program. Just three years ago, the Blue Eaglets won their third straight juniors title and now that the core of that team is in the Seniors Division, it is time for the junior’s basketball program to make a comeback. Leading the team were two juniors that revitalized the sleeping Ateneo Basketball program and gave it the needed jumpstart that would eventually lead to glory in the late 80s. Jaime Vicente "JV" Gayoso is a dynamo and he was then known as “The man with a thousand moves!” He can score from almost everywhere on the court and he is so strong that even if you ride his back on a lay-up he will surely score with a foul to boot. He is an inside – outside scorer with a decent defensive game. Gilbert "Jun"Reyes Jr. is an example of a thinking point guard. He knows exactly when to orchestrate, when to score and when to put on some tough defense. Don’t let that 5’8 height fool you because if you take him for granted he might as well score a jumper in your face. Back then Alejandro "Alex" Araneta was a work in progress. But definitely a risk the team is willing to take. Its not often that the rebounds fall in the hands of a high leaping 6’6 center and he is most effective in countering the big guys of the other schools. Complementing the three were battle-scarred seniors with Captain Emmanuel “Nolet” Puno, Bibo Pefianco, Louie Bonoan, Pancho TIzon, Raffy Veloso, Romulo Ramos, Mike Agleron and Roberto Liamzon. Completing the team were Germz Sanchez, Chim Sison and Randy Sevilla. The Ateneo had three pairs of brothers playing in both the seniors and juniors with Chot and Jun Reyes, Vince and Alex Araneta and Franco and Randy Sevilla.

Action under the goal

That season the defending champion UST Golden Nuggets were on their way to sweep the UAAP Juniors tournament when the never say die Blue Eaglets weaved their magic to accomplish the impossible.  Imagine having to beat a team they have never beaten for three straight games to be able to annex the title the Blue Eaglets last held in 1980. First to avert a 12 game sweep then negate their twice to beat advantage in the finals. Leading the Golden Nuggets were 2 big frontline players in 6-3 Rene “Bong” Hawkins and 6-6 Julian Rabbi Tomacruz.  Hawkins was a force inside as he led UST by scoring 44 points against Adamson in one of their games.

Rebound play

Just like any championship, the first is always the hardest one to get but the Blue Eaglets were not one to surrender right away as Jun Reyes and JV Gayoso combined with their more senior players Nolet Puno, Bibo Pefianco and Louie Bonoan to beat the Nuggets in three straight games including the title clinching game to the score of 94 – 85 to win the 1983 UAAP Juniors title. This year also marked the rise of an Ateneo star in Jayvee Gayoso who won the UAAP-Celtics one on one competition by edging out Rene Hawkins of the Golden nuggets. JV Gayoso, the man with a thousand moves,  put more than a thousand moves on display to come out victorious. He literally toiled hard to bring the title back to Katipunan as he shot the ball well and barrelled his way inside the paint to no avail. Jun Reyes on the other hand combined his speed, with his impeccable shooting and his excellent leadership earned him the finals MVP. This team would pave the way for greater things to come.

One of the best if not the Best Ateneo Juniors team ever

THE 1984 ATENEO BLUE EAGLETS

After threading the needle the year before, the 1984 Ateneo Blue Eaglets were optimistic that the 47^th season of the UAAP Juniors Basketball were theirs to dominate. Coming back was team captain Jayvee Gayoso together with co-captains Jun Reyes and Germz Sanchez. Alex Araneta would also return that year together and another star on the rise Randy Sevilla who as a rookie contributed well. Joining them after getting more seasoned from the PRADA and PAYA teams were Joseph Canlas, Joseph Kenneth Nieto, Albert Nolido, Juluis Cendana add to that defensive specialists Bing Arroyo and Jun Oledan, bruisers Juergen Facundo and Albert Mendoza and the sharp shooting Robbie Tanjuatco.  Back then the Ateneo Juniors team was called “The Super team” since it is probably one of the most complete teams assembled.

 

Joseph “ICEMAN” Canlas is one of big guns that eventually made it to the senior’s team. One doesn’t get to be called Iceman if you are not a cool and no one gets to be called Iceman if you are not as good as George Gervin. Seph is on the same mold minus the finger roll. Seph can play both forward positions, can slash to middle and can shoot the ball from afar. Seph can be a lockdown defender and will not back down from any rough sailing that any opposing player will do. 

 

The 1984 Blue Eaglets in one of their practice games

Joseph Canlas and Jet Nieto are made in the same mold for they can play both ways as they paralyze you on offense and shut you down on defense. A natural power forward, Jet loves to mix it up inside, grab rebounds and shoot the ball from afar. When he was still a kid in Claret he never knew where basketball will take him but since he loved the game he played the game with passion. When he transferred to the Ateneo High School he got to play in the PAYA juniors team coached by the very outspoken Dondi Baltazar. His flexibility on both ends of the court will is another asset that returning Coach Rafael Dimalanta will surely take advantage to the hilt.

 

For the second straight year, the Blue Eaglets were King!

This team was deep to the core and even the best of the UST Golden Nuggets and Adamson Baby Falcons were no match. A lot of Ateneans were saying that this team is the best in their era and they did not disappoint as they ran rings around every opponent enroute to a 12 – 0 slate and not even the Baby Falcons trio of scoring machine Romulo Orillosa, Rolando Cupcupin and Teddy Naluz could derail the team’s date for destiny. There were no empty seats this time and the game was played at the Araneta Coliseum and was televised. At the end of it all, the Blue Eaglets captured their fifth title in outstanding fashion. The season was the baptism of fire of the fab -5 Jun Reyes, JV Gayoso, Joseph Canlas, Jet Nieto and Alex Araneta that will go on to be the core of the Ateneo Blue Eagles.

 

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A NEW HOPE: Rising from the Ashes 1983 - 1984

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.

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THE SWITCH: Goodbye NCAA, Hello UAAP

In 1978, the Ateneo de Manila University found a new league, the University Athletic Association of the Philippines and the Blue Eagles became the seventh team of the UAAP joining the Adamson Falcons, FEU Tamaraws, NU Bulldogs, University of the East Warriors, and University of the Philippines Maroons.  Looking at the other side of the coin, the UAAP was also the home to many basketball stars in our country and the competition is almost the same with the NCAA. In fact, some players tapped for the Philippine team came from the UAAP namely Robert Jaworski and Jimmy Mariano of University of the East, Bogs Adornado and Danny Florencio of UST and a lot more. Season 41 of the UAAP had three teams favored that were seen to fight it out as defending champion Adamson University, the UE Warriors and FEU Tamaraws. Adamson still had Hector Calma; the UE Red Warriors had Rudy Distrito and Derrick Pumaren while FEU had Bay Cristobal and Rey Lazaro. 

The Blue Eagles were a bunch of freshmen and Sophomores led by Ogie and Rayboy Narvasa, Danny Daez, Diqui Eustaquio, Marco Lorenzo, Fred Ortiz, Edgar Jayme, Kenneth Wendling and Edgardo Puyat to name a few.  Elevated from the juniors ranks as the team's head coach is former Blue Eagle Dodie Agacoili who was at the helm in giving the Ateneo juniors NCAA titles.  A new league and a new team with a lot of first timers but despite their lack of experience, the Blue Eagles played a decent season winning half and losing half of their games. The Warriors eventually unseated the Falcons in the finals played at the Loyola center.  One big difference of the UAAP and the NCAA is that the crowds that flock the UAAP are usually there only during the opening ceremonies and the finals.  In the other games, no one watched the UAAP including the Ateneo games. The NCAA had far more activities in the stands since ever team has a band, cheerleaders and school cheers. In the UAAP, they had guitars attached to loud speakers and they were playing what people termed then as jukebox hits.  The transfer to the UAAP seemed like a death sentence back then that got the Ateneo community demoralized and it seemed like the curse of the closed-door game in every UAAP game. 

1978 UAAP Champions - UE Warriors

The 1979 – 1980 season saw the lowest of lows for the Ateneo basketball program. First, the core of the team did not even come back and the Blue Eagles barely had a team.  It was in this season where the Blue Eagles lost all of their games and went zero – 12 while the FEU Tamaraws won their first of three consecutive titles. If the transfer to the UAAP demoralized the Ateneo community, this season kicked them further down the hole where they got themselves in.  Imagine, one season you were a bad call away from the NCAA title then two seasons after you are at the bottom of “the other league!” The whole Ateneo college community cannot get over the demoralization that besieged them. Like they say, no one watches the games if you always lose. Season 42 of the UAAP was like a long hot summer that just passed by with everyone minding their own business and no one talking about the basketball team.  

FEU wins UAAP title in 1979

The following season, the 1980 – 81 season,  Chito Narvasa was appointed head coach and he immediately sought the help of his two brothers to give it one more try and Ogie and Rayboy obliged to play their last year in college.  The team is new and this time some of the new ones were not even there when the Blue Eagles were playing in the NCAA. On the other side of the fence, while the Blue Eagles were busy staying alive in their new league, the melee at RMC was the talk of the town. Violence once again plagued the NCAA which makes one say that the move to the UAAP was the correct decision. Ateneans were slowly healing and ready to move on from the switch to the UAAP.  The Blue Eagles improved form a winless season to a 5 – 7 slate. Since there was uncertainty in the NCAA the popularity of the once glamour league was waning because of another controversy concerning violence once again.

FEU does it again by sweeping the UAAP 12 - 0

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THE LAST DANCE: The 1977 NCAA Season

The core of the 1977 Blue Eagle squad (in ALL CAPS) is in this 1975 team

Front Row L-R:JOY CARPIO, MALING ESTRELLA, STEVE WATSON, Ricky Lacson PADIM ISRAEL

2nd Row L-R: Fr. Cipriano Unson (Athletic Moderator),Johnny Perlas, Max Estrada, Jerry Verzosa, Louie Rabat, CHITO NARVASA, Bobby Tesoro

3rd Row L-R: Bong Go (Asst. Coach) M. Villamor, Joey Pengson, FRITZ GASTON, PONS VALDEZ, Ike Austria, Sonny delos Santos, Baby Dalupan

Photos Courtesy of the NCAA & San Beda College Library sponsored by Petron

The 1977 – 1978 Ateneo Blue Eagles team had the core intact with six players playing in their last year namely team captain Pons Valdez,  Joy Carpio, Fritz Gaston, Padim Israel and Maling Estrella. Steve Watson was now on his third playing year while the sophomores were Louie Rabat, Eu Puyat and Bambi Kabigting.  The rookies were Ogie Narvasa, Rayboy Narvasa, Jojo Gamboa, Danny Daez and Diqui Eustaquio.  Twelve of the players came from the Ateneo High school while Joy Carpio and Fritz Gaston changed their UST address to Katipunan. Padim Israel on the other hand was recruited from Ateneo de Cebu after seeing him play in their intramurals. This year the NCAA decided to ban PBA Coaches from coaching NCAA teams. Insiders said that this move was to deprive “the Maestro” Virgilio “Baby” Dalupan to coach the Blue Eagles. Baby Dalupan was the most successful coach in the country that time. Championships in the UAAP, the NCAA and the PBA were tucked to his belt. His successor was Adriano “Bong” Go who has a great basketball mind and a John Wooden disciple but lacked the experience and success of Coach Baby. This team was loaded with firepower and at the same time, it marked the first time that three brothers were playing in the same team namely Chito, Ogie and Rayboy Narvasa. During that time and up until now there were two brothers that played, some had twins in recent years you had the Ravena Brothers, the Nieto twins, a couple of years back were the Sison twins but there was never a time that three brothers played for a team in the NCAA nor in the UAAP.

Ateneo's scoring machine in the 70's

The NCAA format back then was the team that topped the first round is automatically seeded to the finals and if the same team topped the second round then they are the automatic champions. If another team wins the second round then they will fight it out with the first round champion in a best of three series. As luck would have it, the first round encounter between the undefeated Blue Eagles and undefeated San Beda Red lions would go San Beda’s way because Watson, Gaston and Carpio were all out of the country playing for the National team. That gave the first round pennant to San Beda. In the second round, the three were all back and the Ateneo got the second round pennant to arrange a best of three showdown. The San Beda Red Lions then had future PBA players in Chito Loyzaga, Frankie Lim, JB Yango, twins Joel and Noel Guzman and Chuck Barriero.  Steve Watson was unstoppable in game one as the scored 47 points to lead the Blue Eagles to a 105 – 99 win. Before the start of game two, the President of both schools appealed to the crowd not to hurl things on the court. Ateneo President Fr. Joe Cruz spoke to the crowd and said “People should stop throwing things on the court and both teams should display sportsmanship especially since this is the last game of the season!” People were saying then that the phrase “last game of the season” did not go well with the San Beda crowd and this in a way provoked them to throw even more. The throwing did not stop at all. Worse than that, the Red Lions changed tactics and played slowdown basketball, limited Watson and prevailed 71 – 68 to set up a game three. 

Not the Trophy we wanted to take home

VIOLENCE  - CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE NCAA KIND

"Hooliganism and violence marked and marred the games.  Aside from what appeared to be then customary rumbles after every game, the violence escalated inside the playing arena.  Fans and supporters of teams from the upper levels - bleachers and upper box, were hurling dangerous objects to the playing court - padlocks, golf balls, coins, etc.  It became so precarious for the spectators, mostly alumni, seated at the lower levels - lower box and ringside, that they would be watching the games with open umbrellas.  It was an odd sight in a basketball game.  Despite pleas from the school heads for their students and alumni to stop the hurling, the throwing did not stop in games 1 and 2, thus forcing the organizers to play Game 3 under closed doors.” That was what rookie Ogie Narvasa said on why the third game of the 1977 finals was held under closed doors.   Then came that fateful closed-door game at an empty Araneta coliseum. Players said it was odd to play in a venue that was so quiet. They missed the drums, they missed their school chants and cheers and all they can hear were their coaches and the other team’s coach. The game was close all through out and in the dying seconds of the game the Red Lions held a 76 – 75 lead with the Blue Eagles on the offensive. Team Captain Pons Valdez, playing in his last game as a Blue Eagle, drove down the lane and was called for a charging foul on San Beda’s Al Alipante. In the next play, JB Yango hit another free throw 77 – 75 to settle end the 18-year title drought of the San Beda Red Lions. On that day the Ateneo Blue Eagles and the Araneta Coliseum both felt empty! After that, the University President Fr. Joe Cruz announced that Ateneo is pulling out of the NCAA. In the NCAA hooliganism and violence were totally contrary to the concept of brotherhood and sportsmanship.  Threat of injury, or even death, was clear.  There was no reason for the rumbles after the games.  Cheers were of insults, curses and threats - this is very uncharacteristic of students in academic institutions, some of which were Catholic schools. 

The Caption says it all

The violence prompted the Ateneo to leave the NCAA.  After Ateneo left, violence in the NCAA continued. In 1980, the violence reached its peak when the Letran Knights and De La Salle Green Archers met at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum. In the first half, the organizers discontinued the game because of the fight that started from the fans and supporters of both teams. As written in the newspapers then, the supporters of the two teams ripped apart the chairs screwed to the ground and threw them as weapons. Rizal Memorial coliseum was a mess. The BAP ordered the cancellation of the NCAA season and no champion was declared for the 1980 season. The De La Salle University left the NCAA because of the same violence that prompted Ateneo to withdraw.

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NEXT MAN UP! THE 1987 -1988 ATENEO BLUE EAGLES

The Ateneo Blue Eagles celebrate after winning the 1987 UAAP Title

NEXT MAN UP!
A STORY OF REDEMPTION

THE STORY OF THE 1987 - 1988

ATENEO BLUE EAGLES 

After the Ateneo Blue Eagles won their third consecutive UAAP Men's Basketball crown in Season 82 via sweep, the Ateneo community were one in saying that this is the greatest Blue Eagles team ever! The past two decades most of the Ateneo games were packed and tickets are hard to get. However, if you cannot be there physically you can either watch the games on television or through streaming. That is why the whole Ateneo community was able to witness the story of the Ateneo Blue Eagles Band of Brothers and Coach Tab Baldwin’s battle cry – next man up. After carefully thinking about Coach Tab Baldwin’s next man up Philosophy it made me remember the team I grew up watching, that most people nowadays have no recollection whatsoever or didn’t really know what happened, this the 1987 and 1988 Team that went back to back. That team overcame incredible odds to be able to bring the first two UAAP titles of the Ateneo. Before I continue let me first paint a scenario comparing the circumstances of that team to the players of today’s team.  First, the 1987 team – imagine the BEBOB going up against the UP Maroons in Season 81 without Angelo Kouame in the championship series?  Who would have contained Bright Akuhetie? Can Isaac Go do a good job of defending Akuhetie? Second, the 1988 team – imagine the BEBOB playing without Thirdy Ravena from the second round onwards to the championship game. To make matters worse a day before the finals Matt Nieto is sick with a flu. Do you think we would have stopped the Tigers? Who will match up with Mark Nonoy and Rhenz Abando and will we be able to contain them? To me the answer to these two questions is a resounding YES we would have won because I trust in Coach Tab Baldwin’s next man up system. But that is today, more than thirty years ago these were the situations that plagued the Ateneo Blue Eagles and for you to know more about what happened back then then please do continue reading this blog entitled “ NEXT MAN UP! A STORY OF REDEMPTION. THE STORY OF THE 1987 – 1988 ATENEO BLUE EAGLES.”

THE GLAMOUR LEAGUE

To be able to understand how jubilant the Ateneo community was when the first Men's Basketball title was brought to Katipunan in 1987, we have to go back to where it all started and that is the switch from the NCAA to the UAAP. The NCAA back then was the glamour league of the Philippines and unlike the UAAP, the supporters of the NCAA teams packed the venues. School spirit was at a high especially during Ateneo and San Beda games, which was the rivalry that prevailed in the NCAA since the 1930’s.  Unfortunately the one big problem that the NCAA failed to address back then were the fights and crowd conduct during and after the games.  In the 60’s there was a season wherein the NCAA was not played because of the unruly crowds, fights and other stuff that had no place in a basketball game. At the same time, in the 1970’s the students then were more engaging and belligerent owing to the fact that many students then were part of rallies against the Philippine government. The Ateneo Blue Eagles were not spared of the violence that has hounded the league for so long. There was a time when Ateneans did not bring their cars with Ateneo gate pass stickers because after the games the cars will have   broken windshields and dented sides. As former Blue Eaglet Ogie Narvasa narrated, after winning game 1 of the NCAA junior’s championship, he and his teammate Rudy Boy Vargas were chased by San Beda fans after the game. They were lucky that they escaped that incident unscathed.  In addition, the crowd that watched the games were likely victims of objects being hurled on the court. This is no joke because the objects being hurled on the court and to the opposing team's crowd were hard objects that may cause serios injury to the one watching.   This escalated until the time when the Blue Eagles were out to give the team from Katipunan their third straight NCAA title in the 1977 – 1978 season. 

PLEASE CLICK THE NEXT BLOG ENTRY: THE LAST DANCE: THE 1977 NCAA SEASON

NEXT MAN UP BLOG LIST

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Image from @ADMU_MBT twitter account

NEXT MAN UP! A STORY OF REDEMPTION.THE STORY OF THE1987 – 1988 ATENEO BLUE EAGLES

·       THE LAST DANCE: The 1977 NCAA Season

·       THE SWITCH: Goodbye NCAA, HELLO UAAP

·       A NEW HOPE: Rising from the Ashes 1983 - 1984

·       THE BUILD-UP: The 1983 – 1984 Blue Eaglets

·       A NEW HOPE: Rising from the Ashes 1985 - 1986

·       THE BUILD-UP: The 1985 – 1986 Blue Eaglets

·       THE REINFORCEMENTS

·       1987 UAAP SEASON PREVIEW

·       THE 1987 UAAP SEASON – FIRST ROUND

·       THE 1987 UAAP SEASON – SECOND ROUND

·       THE 1987 UAAP CHAMPIONSHIP

·       THE 1987 UAAP CHAMPIONSHIP – 2^ND HALF

·     : THE 2^ND SEM COMPETITIONS

·       1988 UAAP SEASON PREVIEW

·       THE 1988 UAAP SEASON – FIRST ROUND

·       THE 1988 UAAP SEASON – SECOND ROUND

·       THE 1988 UAAP CHAMPIONSHIP

·       THE 1988 UAAP CHAMPIONSHIP – 2^nd HALF

·       THE BLUE BABBLE BATTALION

·       THE 1988 SECOND SEMESTER

·       HAIL MARY FALL FROM GRACE

         TWENTY YEARS AFTER

 

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WORK FROM HOME - The New Normal

Because of the COVID 19 Pandemic the whole country was put into Enhanced Community Quarantine and as a result everyone in our company is now on Work from home mode. Here we are me and my wife in full battle gear including ID's!

Having coffee while working

Mrs. G. smiling at me while working

A nice picture of us working together

A wider picture of us working at home - the new normal