AT LAST, AEMILIANUM KNIGHTS WON THE PROVINCIAL CROWN IN PRISAA BASKETBALL!

THE AEMILIANUM KNIGHTS - PRISAA CHAMPION 2009

Last year I posted in this blog the shame we've been through in PRISAA [Private School Athletic Association] in Sorsogon Province. Our drums and buggle was almost non-existent, our cheering squad was judged the poorest in the competitions and our Basketball team was at the bottom as well. And here in the Philippines there is no greater shame in sports competitions than being the poorest in Basketball because for us sports is a one game spectable - BASKETBALL... Basketball is to a Filipino what Soccer is to a Brazilian. It is better to loose in all events except in Basketball. If ever loosing is unavoidable then we must win with dignity and our honor intact.

AITV5 staff Russel Detera and Dan Dioneda, one of the trainees, brought the sports event live for the enjoyment of the people of Sorsogon. Russel is wearing one of the gadgets donated to AITV5 by Bro. Tom Borromeo of Defensores Fidei. The gadgets allow my cameramen 5 of them to be in communication with each other.

We presented this to our former superior, Fr. Richard Germanetto, CRS and he immediately looked for a Basketball coach and once he found him he was tasked to immediately form a fighting team. We inherited that team as new administrators. We supported it with all our heart. The entire school from the professors to the students were energized and found new hope. Then came the BICCS [Basketball Inter-Collegiate Championship of Sorsogon] 2008. Our players at last was winning game after game until we suffered defeat during the Championship. Despite the fact that our players were tall and talented their manner of playing was disordered, they were lacking stamina at the final stretch and obviously there was no game plan prepared before hand. We were happy to be second. We accepted our medals and trophies with joy. But the disappointments in the hearts of students and professors were stronger than the achievement. The former coach had to go and so we found a new one who has better competence and with better game plan to offer.

Some of the Aemilianum Knights with the Aquinas University Phoenix during their invitational game in preparation for the Provincial PRISAA for Sorsogon.

Almost every Aemilian aggrees that we have found 'gold' in our new coach, Sir Aldin Ayo.

First, he is a former Seminarian from Our Lady of Peñafrancia Seminary in Sorsogon City. It means he is a man with Catholic spirituality and values.

Second, he is a former Aemilian himself who played for the school for a semester until he transferred to Manila. It means his fidelity is beyond question.

Third, he finished AB Philosophy in San Juan de Letran in Manila where he joined its elite varsity team that won the NCAA Championships in 1988 and 1989. It means that he is truly competent as a coach and as educator.

Now, a very successful young enterpreneur Coach Aldin Ayo is known in the entire province as an active promoter of Basketball among the youth.

ACI Students, the players' relatives and the sports afficionados filled our Gymnasium to the rafter to witness the ongoing rivalry in Basketball between Aemilianum Knights and CCDI Wild Cats.

The presence of Coach Aldin brought new dimension in the trainings of our varsity players. He camped them and made them run and play while everything was still dark. He taught them techniques and game plans that we can only dream of. He called off any participations in competitions for 3 months to focus in only one target: PRISAA CHAMPIONSHIP CROWN IN 2009. In effect, the boys increased in speed and in stamina. They gained so much self-confidence and those suffering from inferiority complex found themselves greatly challenged to surpass their weaknesses. The hard work was long, the training very hard and the practices of movements were so boringly repititious. We saw the match up games with various teams in Sorsogon and we witnessed also how the Coach was fuming mad for his boys' failure to implement what had been practiced.

Few days before the PRISAA GAMES Coach Aldin invited the entire varsity team of Aquinas University for a friendly match. It was a test of nerve because the Aquinas Phoenix is the reigning regional champion. The current Regional Champion, the Aquinas University Phoenix right in Aemilianum Gymnasium prior to PRISAA.

What came out during that friendly match was a revelation. The Aemilian Knights were able to dominate the Phoenix by 17 points in the First Half of the Game. They were fast, well organized, systematically playing, excellent in shooting. But of course, the Phoenix were true to their name as well; like the phoenix they rose from the ashes of death. They proved to have possessed the heart of a Champion. They bounced back and pressured the Knights to commit fouls after fouls sending our tall players to Graduation March wtihout diploma. The final buzzer sounded with the Phoenix on top. Our guests were happy and so the entire school. For the first time we saw our players on a different light; they gained our admiration and respect. We lost with honor and we witnessed substantial improvements beyond our expectations. We found out that we can slug it out with the best in the region and with more focus we could have prevailed. Then we were convinced that we will enter the PRISAA ready to sweat it out with our archrival the CCDI Wildcats.

The PRISAA kicked off with us as one of the favorites with our archrival CCDI and Solis College of Irosin the reigning PRISAA Champ. And as expected we demolished our opponents one by one with gusto. Actually the first team who tasted our power was overtaken with more than 30 points. The only difficulty we faced during the eliminations was Solis College whose game was too physical but we prevailed still with a relatively large margin.

Finally, there came the final game and as expected the Knights and the Wildcats met to settle the score. The Wildcats were determined to sweep the titles. They want to get the PRISAA to add to their BICCS crown and also to gain the right of representing Sorsogon Province in the regional meet.

AITV5 Staff giving Full Coverage of the Invitational Game and the PRISAA Competitions. News reporter Salve Villanueva in front with trainee Ronel Divina.

The entire school was up in arms also. The students and professors were there including the Dean and her husband. The employees, the administrators and the priests. Each priest was praying silently in various corner of the gym. While the Law Students who are former seminarians and friends of Coach Aldin set aside the law books they have to prepare for the morning after exams and instead chose to join the Coach and the Knights throughout the final game and even much after.

My technical staff in AITV5 Benjie Diesta, Romeo Jolo, Mr. Rosauro Amistoso, Ricky Anonuevo, Chris Sesbreño, with trainees Albert Gutierrez. During the first quarter of the game, the CCDI Wildcats immediately reigned supreme over the Knights. Their bodies were more muscular and they seemed to be made of stronger steel. Many of them are veterans of PRISAA and other competitions in the province since they are familiar faces to every body. The Knights were struggling to cope up with them although they themselves were showing signs that they were as fast when it comes to dribbling and passing the ball, it so happened that most of their shots were missing. This is a classic fight between experience and youth and I have read once a Basketball commentator that when two equal teams are fighting it out tooth and nail the one hungrier comes out victorious.

Due to my excitement, I sat quietly in the corner during the games since the opponents were ahead by about 11 points throught the First Half. In effect, I only have this shot on the game itself because I have completely forgotten that I have a camera with me.

The second quarter was like a repetition of the first. The Wildcats were ahead by about 11 points and it even reached 15 at a time. But the Knights have been through this ordeal because during the 2nd game of their best of 3 in BICCS 2008 the Knights overcame the same adversity and extended the series to the do or die situation. This time the Knights were as determined and deadlier than they were 5 months ago. They were behind in points but they were relentless in their offense, they were running as fast and they were faithfully executing a game plan that only their coach and each of them know. The majority crowd was nervous but the Knights were cool under pressure.

Coach Aldin Ayo implimenting his plans during the games.

The First Half ended with fear in our hearts. Fr. Lino our superior went outside the gym to inhale some fresher air. Fr. Manny went to the Convent refectory to take some snacks for he suddenly felt hungry while on my part I rushed to my room to change clothes and chose a lighter one because the clerical one I was wearing was wet on my body. The weather was not so hot and I was wondering why I was sweating like that. I immediately returned to my seat which was near the TV control room and just a meter away from where our Coaching Staff were. Our law students who were former seminarians were on their feet, serving as assistants to Sir Aldin. I sat there to get the chance of hearing the plans and instructions of the Coach, to be fully aware of the 'inside of the game' but was not able to hear or understand anything because my mind was concentrated in prayer while my eyes were closed.

During the quarters that the opponents were ahead like an immovable rock Coach Aldin's trust in his players didn't waver... he led them through with a heart of steel. The 3rd quarter entered with a bang. The Knights intensified their offense and the opponents were committing a lot of errors. And it seems that almost all of our players were scoring so that the quarter ended with the margin of Wildcats reduced to 3. It seemed that the CCDI were slowing down with their heavy muscles while the slender but taller Knights were getting faster in their movements. More scores, more steals and more rebounds.

Trust and cooperation, one heart and mind the team listened to their chief. And together they were able to crack the rocks as they equalled the score at the end of the 3rd quarter.

Due to the almost equal score for both teams the Aemilianum crowd became noisier and it appeared to be affecting the players at the start of the Fourth Quarter. This time they were at their best. They suddenly became so dominant and overtaken the score of the CCDI and surpassed it with 7 points with the last 5 minutes left in the game. But, the Wildcats refused to surrender. They too exploded their own shooters that practically erased the 7 point lead by the Knights but their terrific offense was halted by successive graduations of their players including the tallest one. Then, here comes the best excitement of all: at the final 50 seconds left in the game the two teams exchanged barrage of 3 pointers to put themselves on top over the other by mere one point. The turning point and the point of no return happened mere 7 seconds from the buzzer, our ace player Adrian Escauriaga, nicknamed 'Vaca' scored a two point near the ring and with four seconds left a CCDI Wildcat dribbled the ball and made the last attempt for victory but it missed. The buzzer sounded with a pandemonium shouts of victory in the pews and in the ACI corner. Finally, the Wildcats have been tamed by the Knights... Knights in flashing armor... armor of iron.

I have seen these boys played before. They were talented but rough, they were easily reacting to every call of the referrees, they were erratic and unsure in their moves. But what we have seen during these days of intense competitions are mature boys who were confident, playing systematically and generous in passing the ball to each other as teammates.

True to their form as champions the Wildcats accepted their defeat with grace and dignity. Some were in tears but they embraced the winners warmly and in their turn the winners showed magnanimity in victory. A one point lead victory is still a victory but it is something that must not be rubbed on the other because they too were great and they too were champions. This triumph only made them equal but not higher over the others. The Wildcat players came to me and made their respect asking for blessing including their Coach. He is also very young and very talented. I was informed that he and Coach Aldin are good friends and actually Coach Aldin is the godfather of CCDI Coach's son.

This is the eruption after our star player made the winning shot allowing us to surpass the opposing team by one point.

When the shoutings and screamings and embracing and the high fives were over, Coach Aldin gathered his team right in the middle of the court for a prayer of thanksgiving. The team captain was about to start a prayer but after seeing me both Jeffry Fuller and Coach requested me to lead. I immediately closed my eyes and raised my hands to pray. I remember myself exerting effort not to raise my hands beyond shoulder length as a practice for TLM but when the photos appeared I looked like a charismatic leader. Here is how I remember the prayer:

While the entire Gymnasium was still shouting and jumping with joy at the super intense game, Fr. Abe led the entire team with the full coaching staff in a prayer of thanksgiving that brought tears to the eyes of those around.

"O God our Almighty Father, we praise and thank You because You made us according to Your image and likeness, chose us to be Your children and called us from darkness into Your marvelous light.

O Lord our God we thank You very much for giving us the gift of victory. You alone O Lord knows how we desired it in our hearts. You have seen our sacrifices Lord. You have witnessed how our players are daily practicing their game from the darkness until late in the morning. You have seen Lord how our players separated themselves from their families in order to dedicate their time and energies in honing their skills and in studies.

We praise You Lord for the wisdom of our Coach who mold us into something better than we were before. We praise you because You gave us a coach and his staff who are so knowledgeable in the game and so dedicated in imparting their knowledge with us.

Thank you Lord, thank you Lord for giving us this Championship for the first time in the 23 year history of our College. May You bless us more in every endeavor we take whether in sports or in profession or in life. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ Your Son who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit. Through the intercession of Mary our Queen-Mother and of St. Jerome Emiliani our father and founder. Amen."

The spontaneous prayer of thanksgiving freely flowed from my mouth who was then have changed into simple clothes because my clerical clothes earlier was wet with perspiration most probably caused by excitement.

Since I have my eyes closed later on I was informed that those around me including the Coach, the assistant coach and the volunteer law students and the players were in tears. They were so deeply touched that I offered to the Lord their daily sacrifices of waking up ahead of the roosters and started running and dribbling while the rest of the population was still on bed.

AEMILIANUM KNIGHTS - PRISAA CHAMPION 2009

BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD, NOW AND FOREVER. ALLELUIA!