NOW it can be told. Newly-crowned national high school students basketball champion Assumption College of Davao are only a second choice alternate to participate in this year’s national finals in Dagupan City.
ACD head coach Ice Gravador revealed his team was just a last minute substitute for Regional champion Holy Child and runner-up Agro-Industrial Foundation Colleges which both begged off.
The Holy Child Reds was first to nix the slot to the national finals because of a commitment to another basketball program. The slot was next offered to first runner-up AIFC which also turned down the right to play in the NSBC Finals because of financial woes.
Then came third placer Assumption College of Davao Warriors.
Under the NSBC rules, the regional champions shall shoulder their own expenses to the national championships.
The spectre of financing a team’s trip to Dagupan City tolled heavily on the schools, but the Warriors were hell bent on competing in the nationals.
“We scrambled for solicitations and asked for everyone’s help just so we can participate. We had little time left when we were told we are given the slot, but I guess it was the boys’ desire to elevate their status that fuelled our eventual trip to Dagupan,” said Coach Ice.
Off went the substitute team to the nationals. They flew to Manila on their own and then took a 6-hour bus ride to Dagupan City.
“On the way, I was hoping we will not draw the strong teams early because we were really tired and we had barely enough practice. We were more busy finding money,” Coach Ice bared.
Once in the hardcourt in Dagupan, the boys were like Warriors possessed.
They were suffocating their opponents with their pressure defense who could not quite make quick adjustments, resulting to five or six quick turnovers in succession. Think about that, six turnovers coupled with a conversion on the other end is easily 12 points. That explains the huge 22-point average winning margin the Warriors set in the entire tournament.
They swept the tournament with four wins, nailing down the championship with a blowout win against Malay National High School. So badly beaten were the boys from Boracay that they must owe the Warriors a sweet taste of summer in the island paradise.
In the end, it was all hardwork and desire.
Coach Ice was kind of emotional when he emphasized what they had to go through to reach the finals.
The boys responded.
You can call them now Super Subs.
But if you ask me, would Holy Child or Agro also had won the title if they were the ones who played in Dagupan?
I say no. It does not follow.
Victory, you see, goes to those who try. Not to those who pass up opportunities.
So chalk that record to 5-0, not 4-0.
Four wins in Dagupan. One win for taking the challenge.
