SHS-Ateneo to rely on defense, running game in back-to-back title bid

CEBU, Philippines - The Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-Adc) Magis Eagles are the reigning king of secondary basketball in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI).

Up to this moment, they are still seated comfortably at their throne while basking in the glow of the glorious moment they attained nine months ago.

Now that their road to title defense is near, they are headed into the battlefront armed with the ardent desire of scoring a repeat of their historic feat last year.

What makes their bid more interesting is that they are aiming high for another crown without thinking that they are the defending champion.

"We're not thinking actually that we are the defending champion. Our goal is just to win another championship. That is really what I emphasized to them after our successful Palaro stint last summer," said Magis Eagles head coach Roel Rasmo. "Being a defending champion entails a lot of challenge and I don't want to pressure them."

After two straight years of heartbreak, the Magis Eagles finally soared into seventh heaven, dethroning the University of the Visayas (UV) Baby Lancers via three-game sweep of their best-of-five title series on September 29, 2012. Aside from producing the Jesuit-run school its maiden title in Cebu's premiere cage league, they also became the first juniors team to finish the season undefeated (14-0) in CESAFI's 12-year history.

When it rains, it really pours. The Magis Eagles further etched their names in stone after steering Central Visayas to its first ever secondary basketball championship in the Palarong Pambansa last April 27 in Dumaguete City.

"For me, the Palaro championship is the sweetest, the biggest of all our triumphs," said Rasmo, who also guided SHS-Ateneo to back-to-back national championships in the annual MILO BEST SBP/Passerelle Tournament in 2010 and 2011.

While recalling their golden achievements, the 34-year-old Rasmo is very well aware of the tough task at hand for them.

"I strongly feel that the competition would be very intense in the CESAFI this year. Aside from UV, CEC and USC are also strong contenders. The likes of UC, CIT, USPF and USJ-R can't also be taken lightly," said Rasmo. "But we are prepared and ready because we always treat everybody as a competitive team. That is our mindset ever since."

The CESAFI Season 13 is set to take off on August 3 at the Cebu Coliseum, but the Magis Eagles will begin their title defense the following day yet against the University of Cebu (UC) Junior Webmasters.

Rasmo no longer have the core of his formidable squad - Hinric Dawn Ochea, Arc Gabriel Araw-Araw and Rendell Senining and Criss Galvez- but he still have five reliables from his previous lineup in Jair Igna, Giovanni Laguyo, Arnold Dy, Arnie Padilla, Janjan Jaboneta, and Lucky Ecarma.

Aside from his Paserelle standouts such as Zachary Wang, Popoy Navarro and AJ Ong who have been elevated into SHS-Ateneo's regular roster, Rasmo will also be pinning his hopes on his new recruits in Rich Mantua, Andrew Velasco, and Renzo Calumpang. Velasco is from the University of St. La Salle (USLS)-Bacolod, while Calumpang was previously with Don Bosco-Dumaguete.

"Though we have new faces, there are no major changes in our system. We're still a defense-oriented team who also relies on our running game," said Rasmo. "We will just follow what we did last year. Rest assured we will give our best in every game and hopefully win the championship again." (FREEMAN)