To celebrate its first championship in the UAAP in 14 years, a victory made sweeter because it was snatched from arch rival De La Salle University (DLSU), the Ateneo Blue Eagles pulled out all stops for its victory bash.
"It’s our time! To God be the Glory!" proclaimed a streamer that waved victoriously at the entrance of the Ateneo de Manila campus in Loyola Heights last Saturday.
And to show that they are really giving God the glory for their sweet victory, the Ateneans began the celebration with a Mass at the new Church of the Gesu on the campus.
After the Mass, the throng of Ateneo alumni, their wives (and husbands), girlfriends (and boyfriends), children and friends walked to the football field, which looked like the setting for a college fair. The only thing missing was a roller coaster. There were booths, balloons, streamers, buntings. Each class had claimed a table from among many set up around a bonfire.
Beer and soft drinks flowed, courtesy of San Miguel, Coke and Pepsi. Jollibee and Dulcinea also gave away food for free until a certain time. There was a lechon booth (eight lechon bakas and five lechon baboys), courtesy of some alumni who asked not to be named. The spirit of giving and sharing was everywhere. Of course, not all booths served food free of charge, but queues had formed before them nevertheless.
A 10-minute fireworks display that was probably seen as far as Ortigas lit up the skies of Loyola Heights.
A short and sweet program followed, where the heroes of the hour were introduced to the ecstatic crowd. Coach Joel Banal, who steered the team to its first victory in 14 years, was made an honorary Blue Eagle. After the program, the bonfire was lit up, flames soaring against the dark sky. There a mini concert that followed and it wasn’t till 10:30 p.m. that the rains poured.
The players, exhausted by their busy schedule, stayed till 1:30 a.m. signing autographs, mostly for grade-schoolers.
"The players were so touched by the sight of young boys, their clothes drenched by the rain, lining up for their autographs. Though bone-tired, they couldn’t bear not to sign these boys’ souvenirs of the game," says Sonia Araneta of Fr. Tito Caluag’s office.
The official souvenir shirts (those with the players’ names and faces, and not those that said, "How can you reach five if you can’t count to four?") sold like hotcakes, too.
Sonia continues, "One player asked the grade schoolers, ‘What would you rather be doing now, sleeping or playing counter strike?’ And the boys answered, ‘We’d rather be lining for your autographs’!"
With those words from the mouth of babes, the champs could have stayed all night.
La Sallites and Ateneans may have prayed for their respective teams to win in the epic Oct. 5 UAAP finals match, but what could have tilted the outcome in favor of the Blue Eagles, my brother Bobby joked, was probably the prayers of hundreds of Nasugbueños who tuned in to the match, fervently wishing that the Blue Eagles, of which our 18-year-old kababayan Lewis Alfred "LA" Tenorio was a point guard, would emerge triumphant.
The mood in our otherwise sleepy town of Nasugbu, Batangas, was euphoric when the dust settled in the historic game dubbed by respected journalist Teddy Benigno as "the Philippines’ most celebrated single sports event."
In a town where everybody knows virtually everybody else, you can ask around and hear only good things said about LA Tenorio. The second of three children of Arthur and the former Luming Vasquez, LA comes from large yet closely-knit clans on both sides (his grandparents are Miroy and Tomasa Vergara-Vasquez and Celing and Nena Dimaunahan-Tenorio).
LA, who had overcome a congenital heart problem, most likely inherited his passion and skills for basketball from his father Arthur who had played in local inter-barangay tournaments, and from his Lolo Celing who, during his over decades-long tenure as Barangay 8 captain, had steered his barangay’s teams to at least four town championships. LA himself led Barangay 10 in winning the town championship two years ago. Still, as Arthur often says, "Di ko akalain na magkakaroon ako ng anak na ganyan kagaling."
True to his hometown upbringing, the ever-respectful LA uses the traditional "po" or "opo" when addressing elders. "Pag nasa Nasugbu yan," adds Ka Celing of LA who calls him Tatay, "hindi maaaring hindi dumaan yan sa aming bahay at um-amen (obtain the blessing of his elders). At kung hindi man siya makauwi, tumatawag siya para kumustahin ako o sabihin na manood daw ako ng mga game niya."
Soft-spoken and reticent to the point of shyness, LA is as unassuming off-court as he is crafty, wily, and lightning-quick on the hard courts.
Once during a recent game, Ka Celing relates, several young ladies approached LA for autographs. LA balked, saying, "Hindi naman ako artista." LA agreed only after his sister’s prodding.
Mom Luming recounts with a laugh, "After the championship when their team guested on The Buzz, halos nagtatago si LA sa likod ni Chris Quimpo. When I asked him why he said, ‘Nahihiya po kasi ako’."
Though shy with others, LA lets loose his humorous side with relatives. "He tells a lot of funny stories, especially during family get-togethers," reveals first cousin Gay Vasquez
Interdisciplinary Studies sophomore LA is especially close to his family. Upon learning that the team’s reward would be a trip to Australia, the first thing LA said, Luming recalls, was "Paano yan? Di ko kayo makakasama sa Pasko."
"LA is very responsible," continues his mom. "His Lolo Miroy’s dream has been for him to graduate from Ateneo, so we remind him how lucky he is to study there. LA always says all his hard work is for the family."
The young basketeer also has a prayerful and faithful side which manifested itself in a special way before the UAAP semifinals, when LA was sidelined during practice by a fractured finger on his right hand. His doctor told him it would take a month to six weeks to heal. Instead of complaining, Luming recalls, LA said, " ‘Salamat, Lord at slight lang ang injury ko’." Then LA joined his family to visit Our Lady of Manaoag in Pangasinan. Miraculously, the injured finger took only two weeks to heal.
LA has given his townmates extra reason to rejoice because it had taken quite a while for an LA Tenorio to join a very short list of Nasugbueños who have played on champion basketball teams–Rudy Codiñera played for the UE champion team in the ’60s, my brother Dr. Marlex Montemar had played for the l975 San Beda Juniors NCAA champion team, and Osmundo Rojales for the l978 San Beda Seniors NCAA champion team. Benjamin Chua had played for the Solid Mills MICAA Champion team and then for the Utex champion team under coach Tommy Manotoc. By going as far as he has, LA raised his townmates’ hopes that with pluck, determination and hard work, a hometown boy can do well and soar majestically–yes–like an Eagle.
The greatest lesson she tries to constantly reminds LA, ends Luming, is "Never let your feet to leave the ground. Be humble. Remain humble."
It is a reminder LA Tenorio has evidently taken to heart–all the way to the championship.