Eagles no vanishing breed after Fonacier

If you think Ateneo has become a lesser team without Larry Fonacier, think again.

Four days after losing the 6-foot-3 gunner to an ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injury, the Blue Eagles are in fact trying to turn everything around, turning something negative into something positive as they try to move on in the 67th UAAP season where they remain as the only unbeaten team after four games.

Fonacier tore a ligament on his left knee as he drove to the basket in the first half of a winning game against University of the Philippines last Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum. It signalled an abrupt end to his dedicated five-year UAAP career where he won his only crown for Ateneo in 2002.

Fonacier underwent operation at the St. Luke’s Medical Center the other day and will soon begin a long, tedious and sometimes frustrating rehabilitation program that could last at least six months. The successful 40-minute operation was performed by Dr. Raul Canlas, Ateneo’s team physician and the country’s finest sports surgeon.

While Fonacier was going under the knife, an afternoon mass was being held at the Ateneo chapel, with its homily slightly touching on the Blue Eagle’s future without the injured star. The mass was also used to encourage the entire Ateneo community to rally behind the team for the rest of the UAAP season.

Students, alumni, friends and supporters were asked to cheer and root for the Blue Eagles more than ever, attend every game as if it was the last, and pray that Ateneo would get past the elimination round with great success, move on to the Final Four and win it all in the end.

Fonacier T-shirts with different slogans were ordered and printed in boxes, and will be distributed to Ateneo players and fans as well in time for their next game against the Adamson Falcons tomorrow. ‘Larry this is for you’ banners and streamers will be all over the game venue with school officials also thinking of coming up with Fonacier flaglets.

"The operation went well. Larry’s home now and in great spirits. There’s occasional pain but it’s normal and will last for a day or so. The total tear of the ACL was replaced. The MCL injury (a slight tear on the side of his knee) was not touched because the rehabilitation will take care of it," said Ateneo team manager Chito Mossessgeld.

"I think Ateneo will come out of this as a stronger team. Not because we lost Larry Fonacier to injury but because there’s another thing that the players will have to fight for the rest of the season," said Mossessgeld, recalling the same situation in 2002 where Ateneo lost LA Tenorio to a hand injury late in the elims. — Abac Cordero