It has been a fast four months and there are a lot of things that have happened to me. One day in that fateful month of June, I kinda have lost the appetite for blogging and updating my stuff in my blogs. I don’t know what just suddenly hit me but for some reason I lost my appetite for blogging. I did other stuff to replace blogging but after four months, I just realized that this was one thing that was too good to pass off. But now I’m happy to be back with my new place in Wordpress. I trashed my old website katchatore.freehostia.com because it really doesn’t sound appealing to me anymore and I want a fresh start as far as blogging is concerned. I did keep some stuff though, especially the posts and the comments that were made in the days when I was very livid with blogging. This is obviously a fresh start for me… a new resumption of my blogging addiction. And honestly, I’m so happy to have found my want to blog again.

The four-month layoff from posting ideas and thoughts was a long break and there are many stories that were told in between those four months. Be it with regards to the nation, school, sports, showbiz or anything you can think of - even gossips. But let me not blabber about the other stories that happened in the past four months. Let me focus on a particular story that was told during the four month blog layoff and one of my personal best - the De La Salle Green Archers and their return to the UAAP championship.

It has been a long and harsh break for the DLSU teams that serving the 1-year suspension due to the inclusion unknown illegals in lineup of the Men’s Basketball Team. It was unfair that the whole DLSU team had to take the the same amount of flak of via the misdeed of one of its sports teams but the rule was the rule and they have to be included in the execution chamber. July then was fast approaching and everyone was excited for La Salle’s return. The date marked 07.07.07 with the slogan “We are back, we are One La Salle” and everyone was very optimistic with the season. The season eventually started and DLSU played in the first game as they won easily over the young and inexperienced UP Fighting Maroons of Coach Joe Lipa. The next game they slaughtered the Adamson Falcons and the next game they won a close battle against FEU. But the first real test came when they lost by 20 points against the UE Red Warriors. Questions were coming fast about the real capability of the Archers and whether they are deserving to be called as championship contenders. Then they lost a cardiac finish match against bitter rival Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles. They tried to reverse the outcome via a protest of the rules saying that Ateneo fielded in two foreigners (Kirk Long, American and Zion Laterre, Australian) in a part of the game which is not allowed in the rules. But the protest was denied for the reason that it was not meritorious and it did not affect the outcome of the game. The Ateneans also unfurled a Suspended banner complemented by chants of SUS-PEN-DED. More doubts and doubters were coming straight the way of the Archers but they restored order by winning their final two assignments in the first round against UST and NU.

First round record: 5 wins, 2 losses - Number 2 seed.

Then here came the second round. The Archers faced UST again for their first game of the second round. They build a 12-point lead in the fourth quarter and blow it all in a quarter’s work. They lose for first time in 8 years against UST. It was so painful because they had a 12-point lead with less than two minutes to go and they blow it all. Next up was a series of called-off games due to the storm. But UAAP action had to continue. The Archers faced FEU and they almost did another late-game collapse. Good thing the veterans had the experience and the smarts to finish off the job. Then they had massacred UP, Adamson and NU in a three-game stretch before facing Ateneo again. Their second game against Ateneo was more like it but Ateneo was shooting the lights out in three point territory. Although the Archers were able to build several leads, Ateneo was able to claw back with timely shooting from their guards. Down 86-87, the Eagles forced the Archers to a bad possession and Chris Tiu converts the game-winning three as the last-second attempt of Rico Maierhofer was nullified by the referees. They had UE as their last assignment. They had the chance to win at the endgame but a muffed freethrow by Jvee Casio and a perfect lob that Rico Maierhofer muffed that could have won it in regulation cost the game because it was all UE in the overtime session. UE goes 14-0 and they went straight to the Finals.

Something bizarre happened in the last Ateneo game. Recall that all they had to do is to beat NU to clinch the second slot and the twice to beat advantage. With everybody expecting Ateneo easily to win over NU in a no-bearing game for the Bulldogs. But no, they beat Ateneo to force them to play against La Salle for the right to the twice to beat advantage. The third La Salle-Ateneo encounter was also cardiac. Down by 3 in the last seconds, Ateneo had the chance to tie the ballgame but a boo-boo from Zion Laterre cost them the game. Laterre hit a two instead of hitting a three.

Second round record: 9 wins, 5 losses, Number 2 seed, Twice to beat

On to the stepladder, Ateneo won against UST and La Salle had to face Ateneo for a fourth and fifth time. La Salle had the fourth game under their belts and all they had to do is to protect their margin but they failed and they let Chris Tiu do his heroics again for Ateneo to squeak out a 1 point victory. The Ateneans were still desperate and obsessed with the suspended chants and banners that they brought out such gimmicks as Sus… and S… which were totally waste of money and tarps. On to the second game, this was the defining moment of the DLSU Green Archers this season. They locked down on Ateneo shooters and they gave Ateneo big men hard time operating inside the paint. It was such a beauty seeing the Archers play team defense and stop the Eagles. They were very energized from the get go until the end and they had the smarts to take the ball out to the point guard and milk the clock. They made the shots and the stops when it mattered most and it was just such a marvel and a beauty. It was the sweetest victory this season because 2 mattered more than three and it was such a beauty to see the blue side quiet and stunned after how they taunted the green side with their heckling and jeering against us. THEY WERE LIKE LIFELESS BODIES HAHAHA! I’m sorry for being so ecstatic and mean but I just loved the reactions and looks on their faces after we won. Poetic justice. Priceless.

The Finals: De La Salle vs. UE.

La Salle already got the cake, what was lacking was only the icing.

Questions were raised if anybody can beat the powehouse UE squad which has ran rough in the 70th season of the UAAP. On the contrary, there were also questions whether the UE team can keep up in step because of their three week break as reward to their 14 and 0 sweep act. Game 1 went going and it was obvious that UE was rusty and they committed turnover after turnover in the game. But La Salle, on the other hand, was giving up rebound after rebound to UE. They took care of the ball well but they also were heavily outrebounded. TY Tang took over in a crucial fourth quarter stretch and Rico Maierhofer made charites for the marginal point in Game 1 wherein DLSU won by 1 against UE. The Archers led the series, 1-zip. They deal UE their very first loss of the season - at the most important juncture of the season. Game 2 was the day of the coronation, as the Archers who were once suspended are back at the top of the food chain. All players chipped in for the championship cause on both sides of the court. They built a halftime lead of double digits and even though the UE Red Warriors clawed their way back, the Archers were able to restore order with timely baskets and defensive stops. Co-Finals MVP Jvee Casio (Cholo Villanueva was the other Finals MVP) nailed the final nail on the coffin by hitting a high-looper as the shot clock expired with less than a minute to go in the fourth to put La Salle up by 7. La Salle ended up winning by 9, 73-64. What a wondrous and magical season. Storybook finish! Champions of Season 70!

Yes, we got the big cake, we also got the sweetest and the most delicious icing to top it all off!

This is the sweetest championship ever. What a year it was for La Salle and the Green Archers. From SUSPENSION they become the CHAMPION. The team experienced all of the emotions that they could possibly experience in a season - joy, pain, anger, dejection, ecstacy, jubilation, and many more. The team carried on through injures to the Archers and suspension given by the biased UAAP board to the team, The same is also true with the fans. I, personally have felt the ups and downs of the recent UAAP basketball season and this victory is very very very inspiring. They stood tall through the challenges and they are now reaping the rewards for standing up for the truth and for standing up through the various challenges that were thrown at the team. There’s nowhere to go but up for the Archers. I also applaud TY, Cholo and Brian - the graduating players - for putting their best efforts to the championship cause of the team. Mabuhay kayong lahat!

ANIMO LA SALLE!