The green-and-white basketball season isn’t over yet.
It’s a green vs blue showdown again this coming weekend. This time though, it will be in the High School division as our top-seeded Junior Archers try to reclaim the crown against the defending champion Blue Eaglets.
This will truly be a battle of champion teams. De La Salle Zobel and Ateneo HS have alternated as champs since 2005. The Eaglets have constantly been a powerhouse in the Juniors over the years. The Junior Archers on the other hand have emerged as a serious contender in the past few seasons.
Leading the charges for DLSZ are seniors Gwyne Capacio (son of FEU coach Glenn Capacio), Nico Elorde (Grandson of boxing legend Flash Elorde), Luigi Dela Paz and Arnold Van Opstal. The team only lost twice in the eliminations to finish on top of the heat at 12-2. They crushed the Baby Tams in the F4 playoff to nail the first finals seat, achieving some payback after FEU knocked them out in last year’s F4 playoff.
The Blue Eaglets are anchored by 3rd year guard Kiefer Ravena. Yes, just him but man, this kid is simply phenomenal ever since he started playing in the High School ranks straight from Grade 7. The son of former PBA player Bong Ravena is surrounded by a stellar supporting cast among them Rafael Banal, the son of former Blue Eagle coach Joel and brother of current Green Archer Gab. Though Ateneo was seeded 3rd in the semis, they overcame the twice-to-beat advantage of the UST Tiger Cub to set up this dream matchup.
The Junior Archers defeated the Blue Eaglets in the championship series in 2007. Will DLSZ nail its third championship in four years of participation or will it be payback time and a back-to-back for Ateneo?
The rivaly here may not be as intense as in the Seniors but this upcoming title series will still definitely by an exciting one to watch. Game 1 will by this Saturday, 4PM at the Fil-Oil Flying-V Arena. Let’s cheer on our Junior Archers. See you there.
