think rainbows

Basketball has been one of the most interesting sports for me. I was already cheering for the Ateneo Blue Eagles in the UAAP during second year high school. I knew their cheers by heart, even though I was not actually going to that school. I have told myself that I would want to visit their campus someday, just to grab a feel of it. And when the time came that we seniors needed to take entrance exams for college, Ateneo was on the top of my mind. I knew we couldn’t afford the school, so I told myself, I’d just take the chance and take the ACET just to be able to enter Ateneo’s campus; and probably to get a glimpse of how it looks like and how it feels like to be there. It was my dream school, I knew all of their basketball players, their cheers, and I loved the school.

I didn’t do it though, I didn’t take the ACET. Why? Because I knew that even if I passed it, I wouldn’t be able to go there still. And even though I’d get the chance to enter the campus, the entrance exam fees were already too much for us, and that it would be wasted if I were to take the exam just for the purpose of being there. Someday, I told myself, someday.

I ended up in UST, and I’m not complaining. It was the next best school for me if I wasn’t to be in my dream school. My brother was already going to UST that time, so that did influence me. I always cheered for the Salinggawi Dance Troupe during UAAP Cheerdance Competitions, which made me love UST as well. Even though I was a die-hard Blue Eagle fan during basketball, my colors would change when the cheerdance competition arrives. I knew UST’s basketball team as well because my brother watches their games. Cyrus Baguio, Warren de Guzman, Alwyn Espiritu, but I didn’t know them as well as I knew the Blue Eagles, and I didn’t know all the players for UST. I had to change colors when I started going to UST.

I still rooted for Ateneo at times, mostly when they’re not our opponents and also during Ateneo-Lasalle games. Then I started rooting for UST as well. My feelings have changed, I love UST now more than my dream school. Those were the times when only a very few people were watching UST’s basketball games and I think they don’t even make the final four during those moments. Being a UAAP basketball fan even before I entered college, I still rooted for them and watched their games even if it’s only on TV. Still they didn’t make the final four, but at least we still got the UAAP Cheerdance Championship. That was season 68.

Things turned around when season 69 came. It was the Cinderella story for UST when they beat Ateneo in the best of three finals, 2-1. It was already surprising that they are in the final four, and what better way to finish the season than to end up with the championship. They were the underdogs, no doubt about that, but thanks to Jervy Cruz, Jojo Duncil, Allan Evangelista, Japs Cuan, and the rest of the Tigers, they were able to relive ’96 in 69. They did not give up. And of course let’s not forget the then first time coach Pido Jarencio, whose ‘pride, puso, palaban’ and ‘never say die’ slogans really helped the Tigers achieve the UAAP Men’s Basketball Championship for season 69, and gave the same attitude to the whole Thomasian community. Adding to this, I think the women’s basketball also won the championship that season, and of course, the UST SDT achieved their 5-peat. Season 69 was by far the most successful season for the University of Santo Tomas. (Aside from the fact that UST has been winning the general championship of the UAAP for the past years.)

It was the most unforgettable season for UST, most unforgettable season for all of us Thomasians. It was also during that season when I got to watch my first ever live UAAP game during the game 2 of the finals. It was also during that game that I got to see Wesley Gonzales in person for the first time, the main reason why I got so addicted to the Blue Eagles and the UAAP during high school. (Yeah, thanks to him.) Season 69 was the turning point of it all; Thomasians started flocking in Araneta whenever UST has a game. Suddenly the cheers were louder and could match that of Ateneo and Lasalle, and the crowd was getting bigger. Season 69 gave hope to the Thomasian community.