"SALAMAT mga TIU-ng! May ARAO din kami. The wait won't be LONG, for we will be BAC-LAO. We shall build a MON-FORT like ZION that no JAI-Namite NORMAN can topple. Hip-Hip, YURI!"
That was the cheesiest Ateneo quote after i watched on YT an Ateneo-La Salle game from 3 seasons ago, after healing the wounds of Season 69 in Season 70 as the kids of Taft Avenue returns, the kids of Loyola Heights & Katipunan Avenue found out that it was not yet their time to shine. It was like the target was aimed before taking flight. But good thing, 5 big face-offs in UAAP Season 70 was a big time event for the return of the bitter-sweet rivalry. Season 70 perhaps was the season for the Blue Eagles to shine further, when Chris Tiu becomes the Team Captain, they knew that they only have one enemy. In the form of TY Tang & the Green Archers. But why i called Ateneo & La Salle as the 'bitter-sweet' rivals? When they are on the court, they are bitter, fighting for their school honors is what they do. But when they're not on the court, they are sweet like friends, i noticed that when Chris Tiu & JV Casio made it to Smart Gilas & they set aside their good 'ol College Basketball days of 2008. If Season 70 was the return of the bitter-sweet rivalry, that was crazy. Ateneo blew off 2 important games, the twice-to-beat advantage & the right to be in the finals, all taken by La Salle to fulfill a storybook-like happy ending. But the wounds of a nightmare from Season 69 is already healed, thanks to some players who came to Katipunan Avenue to take flight & unleash their Eagle fury under the watchful eyes of the Legendary Coach named Norman Augustus Black. (Who cannot forget the Kirk Long buzzer beater last August 30, 2007 just 2 days before his birthday?) When Chris Tiu received the call to lead the Hail Mary Squad, he never failed the call, he was like an Eagle spreading it's mighty wings & ready to take flight. Even if Season 70 was more of a bitter-sweet season, Ateneo finally knew who is their worst enemy, it will always be La Salle.
Every Archer needs an Eagle, Blue Skies on a clear day can have a clear view of the nature surrounded in Green & if you pass by either on Taft Avenue aka Archer Territory or Katipunan Avenue aka Eagle Territory, you will never know that your life will never be the same again when an arrow hit you or an Eagle dropped it's feather on the ground. In UAAP Season 71, it's Ateneo's turn to turn the tables as Chris Tiu takes his final flight as a Blue Eagle. As of today 4 players, 2 from the kids of Katipunan Avenue & Loyola Heights & 2 from the kids of Taft Avenue shined from their Season 71 debut as the future of this bitter-sweet rivalry. For the kids of Taft Avenue, watch out for La Salle Zobel Standout Joshua Webb & Higashiyama High School Breakout Player Maui Villanueva. For the kids of Katipunan Avenue & Loyola Heights, watch out for San Beda Breakout Player Nico Salva & NCAA Juniors MVP Ryan Buenafe from San Sebastian College. Their performance from Season 71 was more of a breakout performance. But this season, they stepped up & shined further as veterans. Season 71 was Ryan's breakout season, he won the Rookie Of The Year Tittle. Lucky guy.
Ateneo somehow dominated Season 72 for their Sesquicentennial Celebration, the record was like good ol' Season 71. Even there are only 2 Ateneo-La Salle face-offs, the cliffhanger game between Ateneo & FEU to end the elimination round was like a one helluva roller-coaster ride. Emotions gone wild & the feeling is less of a drama movie & more of action movie. Nico Salva got kicked out of the game dealing a one-game hiatus on the Final 4 game, Bacon Austria & Justin Chua suffered cuts on the right side of their faces (If they got it on the left, uh-oh, i think i remembered something.) & Jai Reyes prayed that a missed free throw from a FEU player will give them the record they got from Season 71 & the number 1 slot. Good thing Jai's prayers were answered. The finals was more of like an action-adventure feeling. Blue prevails Game 1, Red came from behind in Game 2 but in Game 3, the town is painted in Blue, AGAIN. Lock & loaded shots, Blue Eagles screaming on the top of their lungs for victory & Eric Salamat's epic salute to the 6th man, it looks like the Sesquicentennial Celebration of Ateneo becomes sweeter times 3 because after the UAAP, they prevailed in the Unigames & at the Philippine Collegiate Champions League. In 2008, the Blue Eagles ended 6 years of heartbreaks w/ a championship, last year, the Sesquicentennial Year become the best year ever as they go Back-2-Black. This year, history & domination is on their side, but it will not be easy.
As i draw this post to a close, the bitter-sweet rivals will walk on 2 different roads, one walks to the road to redemption, the other will walk to the road to domination. Even if there were road blocks & pot-holes are there in those roads, the bitter-sweet rivals can surpass it, trying to find the light at the end of each road, now, let's wait for Sunday, shall we?
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