Running out of steam

It has been HOT lately here in the Metro (and even all over the archipelago), with ambient temperatures averaging around 38-41C!!

I guess that's the main reason why everyone seems so sluggish lately. This heat just takes a lot out of you. :(

As usual, I'm typing a blog post again to jump-start the creative side of my brain in n attempt to overcome yet another persistent writer's block which has always been my nemesis whenever I have something important to do..

I took advantage of the recent long election weekend to get some much needed R&R via a staycation which resulted in buying a new basketball and getting the opportunity to shoot a few hoops with brother in XS. :) It was really nice to go back to the old school with brother, to finally be able to shoot hoops with him at a proper court! The experience was great, but it made me realize how terribly out of shape I was, And my legs hurt like hell from al the running and jumping.. to think that it was only just a shootaround with no real game taking place! :P

Barbero ka naman eh!

I'm currently waiting for my turn here at the barbershop. Having a little bit of free time because of the change in.rotations, I've decided to make the most of it and get my monthly trim.

A part of me says that I should have gone straight home instead, since today is Game 2 of the UAAP Finals featuring DLSU vs UST, pitting both Teng brothers against each other for the very last time at the collegiate level, with Jeric graduating after the season.

With that being said, its just so remarkable how far Xavier basketball has gone since the days of the King Stallion Eric Yao who inspired a generation to aspire for hoops greatness, Blue and Gold style.

I'm still on the road to recovery after the heartache I went through a few months back, but I guess you could say things are going as well as they could, given the present circumstances. No, I'm still not attached, and no, the girl I was raving about wasn't really that into me. It's really been just a process of moving on, and not really expecting anything anymore..

As I prepare for what would (hopefully) be my senior and final year at the hospital,,I think I'm starting to feel a bit of optimism shine back in my life.. I guess training really does that to you. It saps you to your very core, and sometimes leaves you clawing around in despair. There were still moments of desolation, especially when the things start to get rough, but I managed to pull through (with a lot of help from the BIg Guy Upstairs). :D

Now I find myself at the beginning of transition month, with the juniors starting to have their first tastes of the ER while our seniors teach us the intricacies of manning the ICU. Its a lot more responsibility, I know, but I would prefer sitting and thinking rather than staying up manning the ER any day. :P

Oops, there's my barber! I'l leave things as is for now.

On the Retreat

Just came home this afternoon from a retreat held in Tagaytay for the XS Alumni. This was probably one of the best decisions I ever made, and will hopefully have a long-term impact on my life..

It was a Silent Retreat, which was in the Ignatian contemplative tradition. I went there not really knowing what to expect besides some quiet time to pray and reflect, with occasional lectures and masses on the side. Little did I know that after going there, my life would probably never be the same (I hope!)

*the entries below were written at the retreat house after I had finished with my daily reflections

Day 1: August 13, 2010  9:30 PM

Well, here I am..

I'm presently at St. Scholastica's Center for Spirituality here in Tagaytay on a 3-day Ignatian Silent Retreat put together by Fr. Zuloaga for the alumni.

My room

According to dad, there was this teaching in Xavier (which I hardly recall ever learning) that "God is in the silence". Hopefully this retreat will allow me to reconnect with God on a more deeper level.

Day 2: August 14, 2010  9:30 PM

Day 2 is finally over.

Chapel exterior

After a series of talks by Fr. Manoling Francisco, SJ interspersed between 3 full meals and 2 snacktime breaks, the main day of my silent retreat is over. Apart from the talks/sessions, we had time set aside for confessions/consultations with the priests, as well as the celebration of the Holy Eucharist and time for adoration.

side view of the chapel

I won't get all "churchy" here in my blog, but I have to say that I have learned a lot about my faith over this weekend, which far exceeded whatever expectations I may initially have had. Sad to say, but the Christian Life Education we receive as a grade school or high school student is woefully inadequate, as most colleges don't really teach in-depth theology (save for a select few, or if your course IS Theology). Having time to reflect on scripture and how it affects our daily lives has been such an eye-opener for me, as I previously couldn't comprehend what people get out of all these "bible study" groups. Heck, I didn't even understand what people got out of daily Scripture reading on their own.

Solitude

I would highly recommend going on retreats like this as it serves not only to "deepen your faith" or some other similar abstract concept we can hardly wrap our minds around, but I guess it helps fill this a certain emptiness inside of you especially if you seem to have lost your way..

St. Benedict reading in the garden

The same way that learning feeds the mind and eating feeds the body, reading scripture feeds the soul. I'm really grateful for the wonderful opportunity to experience this unique way of looking at our faith, and I will definitely go on another retreat when the opportunity would next present itself. :D

Response to: Philippine College Confidentials

A little while back, I chanced upon the website of Stallion, The Official Publication of Xavier High School. One of the Features articles was entitled "Philippine College Confidentials" Written by a senior (whom I presume to be the section editor), he talks about the "Big Three" universities here in the Philippines (UP, ADMU, DLSU) based on information he gathered from friends studying in the said institutions.

Reading the article kinda struck a nerve since I felt that UST was unfairly excluded. This got me so fired up that I wrote a "comment" which in retrospect seems like it could stand alone as an independent article by itself. It wasn't the kid's fault, since I myself used to consider UST just as an alternative to my personal "BIg Two" (UP and ADMU). Fortunately, I think I made the smarter choice which opened my mind and did me a lot better in the long run. So, here it is in its entirety for your reading pleasure. :D

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BrainiaxMD says:

July 21, 2010 at 12:08 am

It is indeed true that most of our graduates end up in these “Big Three” schools, with ADMU and DLSU obviously taking bigger numbers. I’d like to share with you my experiences coming from a “fourth” university. Admittedly not as popular with Xaverians like the three you’ve mentioned, but it is no less in stature as an academic institution. I’m talking about the University of Santo Tomas.

I earned both my pre-med and medical degrees from UST. Situated in the Sampaloc district of Manila, the university is easily accessible via commute as it lies along the path Espana boulevard, one of the main arteries stretching from QC to Manila.

It has a proud and rich history, with the University celebrating it’s quadricentennial (400th) year on 2011.

Now I can’t really give you the lowdown on physical facilities being state of the art or anything, as it’s been quite a while since I graduated, but a lot of infrastructure has been going up during the past few years, with new buildings being erected and brand equipment being brought in. Oh, and there’s also the UST research center, but I digress..

As far as I know, enrollment procedures in UST has been greatly improved to be more efficient that what I encountered before. I won’t expound on specifics since enrollment is just one day every semester and does not necessarily define one’s college life.

I’ll now give a brief rundown on the stuff I feel will be relevant to you guys when you scout around for schools.

UNIFORMS

Yup, read it and weep gentlemen. UST has uniforms for each and every course it has. A far cry from the supposed “freedom” you guys yearn for when you bust out of Xavier, but look on the flipside. Having uniforms mean you won’t be hassled with what to wear to school every day, and won’t be pressured to keep up with fashion trends (although the latter seems to appeal more to the ladies).

COURSES

UST offers a very wide variety of undergraduate courses, like Accountancy, Biology, Business Administration, Education, the different Engineering courses, Legal Management, Physical Therapy, Psychology, Medical Technology, Music, Nursing, Travel Management, just to name a few..

I’ll have to admit that there are some “specialty” courses that UST is better known for (similar what the Computer courses are to DLSU), and that some others are best taken up elsewhere if you can help it. I’m not in a position to talk about all the courses in question, but the pre-med courses are pretty good (especially the pre-professional ones like MedTech or PT). It all boils down to getting the school you prefer that has the course you like.

ENVIRONMENT

UST is nestled in the heart of the busy metropolis. Once inside though, it’s actually quite peaceful and tranquil. It’s also pretty safe, since you’re literally surrounded by four walls with guards monitoring the flow of human traffic streaming through. Although it’s not exactly the huge sprawling campus that characterizes UP or even ADMU, it does not suffer for want of greenery. There are a lot spots to hang out around campus, but I think most people prefer waiting in the classrooms in between classes since most are air-conditioned anyway.

CHANGING CLASSROOMS (?)

In UST, each College/Faculty functions independently of one another, and are housed in their own buildings, which basically contains everything their studentry needs. There’s not much running from building to building here folks. The worst that can happen is that you have to go up to the top floor for laboratory subjects, then rush back down for the next subject’s lecture.

PEOPLE

In my opinion, UST seems to be a kind of “middle ground”, where you have a good mix of people from all walks of life (and not so much of the “crazies”, but that’s just my opinion). This is a far cry from Xavier where most kids are rich, or uber rich. During my time, I’d say most of my classmates were from lower middle class, with a few others coming from either end of the spectrum. The population mix varies from course to course, but generally, it’s a good place to learn how to get along with different kinds of people in a relatively safe environment.

SCHEDULING

No doubt you guys have heard about how in college you’ll be able to fix your class sched as you please. Well in UST, the rules are a little different. For the most part, “Block sections” are implemented, meaning that when you enroll and get assigned to a particular “block” (or section as we’d call it in high school), you’ll be following that particular block’s schedule for the semester. Example: if you’re in 1A-MedTech, you follow your class’ sked and get whatever professors who will be teaching your block’s subjects. In college there were the ones we call “irregulars” who for one reason or another (athletes, guys who failed last sem, etc) must pick their subjects to fix their sched.

FOOD AND ENTERTAINMENT

All around UST you’ll be able to find eateries ranging from your basic carinderia to established fastfood joints like KFC or McDonalds. There are even food options within the campus found within the carpark building fronting the hospital. There’s also a nearby mall (SM San Lazaro) which is a short jeep ride away. For the more adventurous, you could ride the jeep going Taft to hang out at the Robinson’s Place mall there near UP Manila (which, by the way, houses most of their medically-related courses and where some of my XS batchmates took their pre-med).

FLOODING

If there’s one thing UST is infamous for, its probably the flooding. It still does flood OUTSIDE the university from time to time, since the Sampaloc area is basically a converted swampland according to historical records, but the campus itself stays high and dry, occasionally becoming an island amidst the floodwaters when the storms come down really hard. Lately though, there has been much roadwork going on to help alleviate this flooding problem.

Well, that’s my little addendum to your article. Hope this helps you guys in deciding the next step in your education. (Sorry to have made a mini-blog out of this..)

I didn’t include the postgrad stuff( Med school, Law school, Master’s degrees, etc) since that’s an entirely different story altogether. Take things one step at a time. 

For more info and specifics, you guys can check out the UST website at http://www.ust.edu.ph

Luceat Lux!

-BrainiaxMD (XS’99)

Shoot-em-up

I just came from the "old school", having been given the opportunity to pick up the basketball again and just shoot at will. I was in no shape to run the floor so I politely declined when my friends asked me to join them. I was content to just hold the ball in my hands and squeeze in a few shots while the players were at the other end of the floor.

The TV commentators say that one way to get a shooter going is to get him to the line and make free throws, as the psychological edge of seeing your shots go in would presumably help them get back in rhythm. I guess that can apply to anyone else who has ever picked up a basketball. Whether its at practice or at an actual game situation, seeing your shots go in gives one a momentary high (ok, so maybe I'm exaggerating here, but it does feel good, right?). Despite not having touched a basketball for about a year, my free throws still fall for me, and I was able to make a pair of threes as well. :P

I went there not only for the hoops, but also to be in the company of friends and batchmates. Iba pa din yung kasama mong lumaki eh.. In the midst of our conversation, Jonas told me that "Pag nandito ka sa Xavier, makakalimutan mo lahat ng problema sa asawa, girlfriend, trabaho, etc. Talagang basketball lang.." (or something like that) You know what, I'm inclined to believe him. When you're there, you just PLAY, without a care in the world.. For those brief hours of release, the worries of the world do not bother you, as you immerse yourself in the purity of the sport..

Two statements ring true here today:

1) Basketball is Brotherhood

AND

2) There's no place like HOME

:D

One Pride, One Glory

I know this is WAAAAY overdue, but here goes...

Xavier Juniors in prayer after (?) game 2...

Xavier wins the Tiong Lian Championship AGAIN!!! and in BOTH divisions (AGAIN)!! :D

Congratulations to the Juniors and Aspirants for a job well done!! It was good to hear that the home court was being used for the championship for a change.. Maybe I'll be able to drop by next year if time allows. :D Also, kudos to the "thunder" of Xavier, the hard-working X-Squad who keep the cheers going and the drums booming!

And now for the game recap, courtesy of Mr. Henry Liao (XS '72)...

*lifted from the Xavier homepage at http://www.xs.edu.ph

Xavier Juniors Score TL Title Three-Peat!

Xavier School downed St. Jude Catholic School, 83-75, Thursday night (February 18), to complete  a two-game sweep of the best-of-three Juniors Division finals in the 40th Metro Manila Tiong Lian Basketball Association tournament at the Chiang Kai Shek gym in Tondo.
In the title-series opener last February 15 at the Jacinto Tiu Competition Court inside the Xavier School campus, the Golden Stallions defeated the Judenites, 82-77. With the twin victories, Xavier School romped away with its third consecutive championship, joining Chiang Kai Shek College (1978-80 and 1990-92) as the only teams in Tiong Lian history to register three straight titles on two occasions.

Xavier School, which won the Juniors title for a seventh time in the past 10 seasons, also topped the tournament from 2001 to 2003 behind the terrific trio of JosephYeo, Tyrone (TY) Tang and Chris Tiu.

In last Thursday’s Game Two of the 2010 finals, first-year head coach Jonathan (Budds) Reyes’ troops gave up the game’s first two points (a Kim Lo follow-up) before knocking in 14 straight points, including back-to-back triples by Donal Ong and seven points by Jose Anton (Jett) Manuel, to go ahead, 14-2. The Gold and Blue never trailed thereafter and took the first 10-minute quarter, 23-14, on a three-point play by sophomore Jeron Teng, who did not start the game following an ankle sprain injury he suffered in the early minutes of  the series opener.

Xavier School grabbed a 32-14 advantage – the biggest in the entire contest – after scoring 16 straight markers (from 16-14) bridging the first and second quarters. Manuel, a senior, was forced to the sidelines with three fouls (two in the first quarter) in the first 20 minutes but Teng’s 11 second-quarter points gave the Jesuits-run school a 40-30 lead at halftime.

Despite Manuel sitting on the bench for the entire third quarter, St. Jude was unable to make any headway as Teng kept the pressure by muscling his way for eight  of Xavier’s 18 points for a 58-46 edge by the Stallions after three quarters. Xavier was still ahead by double digits, 64-50, when the Judenites – like in Game One – came roaring back midway through the fourth quarter behind the outside bombs of top gun Jason Ligad, who scattered a dozen markers during the final 10-minute frame.

Ligad and Kim Lo sparked a 7-0 run that trimmed their team’s deficit to seven points, 64-57, at the 4:49 mark. However, Harold Ng completed a three-point play and Donal Ong connected on his third three-pointer to give the Xaverians a 70-57 edge, time down to 3:22.

After the Gold and Blue team went ahead, 74-60, on a Manuel basket, St. Jude threatened again and came within eight, 76-68, with less than a minute to play.  Ng, who scored seven points in the last quarter, knocked in a fielder with 31.5 seconds left for a 78-68 Xavier lead that finally broke the backs of the two-time runner-up Judenites.

Teng, the tournament’s No. 1 scorer (23.3 ppg) and No. 3 rebounder (11.6 rpg), finished with 25 points (on 10-for-19 field-goal shooting), 11 rebounds, four assists and two steals in 35 minutes and was voted the league’s Most Valuable Player. Manuel, who hit at a second-best 20.1-point clip for the entire competitions, collected 15 points and two rebounds in just 16 minutes.

Ng tallied 12 and Kevin Lim, Donal Ong and Bryan Tan each had nine points.  Lim also grabbed 11 boards for Xavier, which scored 23 points off St. Jude’s 23 turnovers. Ligad, a junior, wound up with 22 points (including 4-for-8 from the three-point area), seven rebounds and two steals for St. Jude, who for the second straight game won the rebounding race, 50-44. Lo, the tournament’s leading rebounder at 11.9 rpg, chalked up 16 points, 15 rebounds, four assists and two blocks. Stocky guard Derrence Lam totaled 14 points and hardworking forward Justin Uy had 11 points and seven reebies for the losers.

Xavier School finished the 2010 season with a perfect 9-0 record and an overall 19-game winning streak over three seasons (including Game Three of the 2008 finals and 9-0 in 2009).

Luceat Lux!!

Missing C.A.T.

I remember those days in high school when I became part of the Medics in CAT. The summer before 4th year (when we had our training) is probably the most memorable summer I ever had as a student in XS.. In fact, I think that was one of the very few bright spots during my entire high school life..

Boot camp was a barrel of laughs! :P Under the command of our fellow batchmate officers, we marched around, did pushups by the hundreds, and jogged around the Greenhills shopping complex singing lewd soldier songs in while running in cadence (after which we'd commandeer the party area of the local McDonalds for a soldier's breakfast). :P We also when through a basic first aid course and learned how to assemble and disassemble rifles under the watchful eyes of our commandant. :D

I also recall those duties we had to go to like the homecoming, acquaintance party, fun run, and even the Pinaglabanan parade (where we thought we would win it but everything fell apart when we got to the grandstand.. those rifles are HEAVY!! :P) Oh yeah, I think ICA won that one :P

I miss the camaraderie and the "coolness" of being part of an "elite" unit. Although people laughed at us for being too "hardcore" in CAT, we didn't really care. We were the Medics, and together with the officers and MPs (who trained alongside us during the summer), we were having the time of our lives. :P

STALLION PRIDE: Official 2009 Championship Report

Xavier Dominates Tiong Lian Cagefest

February 23rd, 2009

by Henry Liao for gameface.ph (02/22/09)

High-school powerhouse Xavier School made history in the just-concluded 39th Metro Manila Tiong Lian Basketball Association tournament after annexing the Aspirants and Juniors Division titles this season.

The Golden Stallions became the first team in Tiong Lian annals to capture both championships in the same campaign in two consecutive years.

Overall, it marked the fifth time that there was a double-championship winner. Chiang Kai Shek College was the first to accomplish the feat in 1991 and Xavier School also turned in the same trick in 2003, 2006, 2008 and this year.

Xavier School won its second straight title – and third championship in four years – in the Juniors Division (for players age 15 and above) after outclassing St. Jude Catholic School, 116-74 and 83-69, in the best-of-three finals.

Newly-appointed Philippines Sports Commission chair Harry Ang Ping, a Xavier alumnus, showed up for the finals’ Game One at the Uno Gym.

Former Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) No. 1 overall draft selections Joe Devance (2007, now with Alaska) and Gabe Norwood (2008, now with Rain or Shine) and several members of the De La Salle women’s college basketball team also were in attendance in Game Two.

In the series-ending Game Two, Xavier led nearly throughout. The Golden Stallions trailed only in the first few minutes, falling behind 7-4 before knocking in seven straight points to move ahead, 11-7. Xavier never trailed thereafter. Quarter scores: 14-11, 31-21, 61-44 and 83-69.

St. Jude came no closer than six points in the second half, putting together a 7-0 run (from 41-28) early in the third quarter to come within 41-35. Xavier, though, outscored the Judenites, 20-9, for the rest of the third quarter to enjoy a 61-44 advantage entering the payoff period.

Xavier was ahead by at least 10 points in the entire fourth quarter and led by as much as 21 on two occasions (73-52 and 75-54).

Prolific Jeric Teng collected 31 points (8-27 FG, 14-18 FT shooting), 13 rebounds and three assists for Xavier. Ian Umali, a senior like Teng, got 19 points. Jeron Teng, the younger son of former PBA frontliner Alvin Teng, added 13 markers (all in the second half) and 10 boards for the Golden Stallions.

Kim Lo, a junior forward-center, had a monstrous performance for St. Jude with 22 points and 21 boards. Reed-thin guard Jason Ligad connected on five three pointers and totaled 19 points for the first-time Tiong Lian finalists. Derrence Lam was limited to nine markers.

The Golden Stallions also maintained its title stranglehold in the Aspirants Division (for players age 14 and under), collecting its seventh consecutive crown with a 2-1 decision over elimination-round frontliner Chiang Kai Shek College in the best-of-three finals.

In the decisive third contest, Xavier registered a 74-65 decision over CKSC. Xavier took the series opener, 82-76, but CKSC bounced back to take Game Two, 76-70.

Stallions skipper Kyle Lao, a 5-10, seventh-grader, averaged a tournament-best 25.9 points in nine games. The 13-year-old Lao was named the league’s Most Valuable Player in the Aspirants Division.

In the Girls’ High School Division, Chiang Kai Shek College retained the title against host Uno High School.

In the Cheerleading competitions, St. Jude catholic School emerged as the champion for the fourth consecutive year.

For Xavier, the Juniors title was its eighth overall following title successes in 1972, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006 and 2008. The Gold and Blue thus equalled St. Stephen’s High School for the second most number of championships in Tiong Lian history. Chiang Kai Shek College, with 14, is tops on the all-time list.

Two-time TL scoring leader Jeric Teng scored 31 points in each of the two championship-series games against St. Jude Catholic School. The son of former PBA strongman Alvin Teng subsequently was voted the league’s MVP after hitting at a 39.3-point clip during the tournament.

Coach Joselito Vergara’s troops won all their nine assignments in the seven-school competitions, duplicating the feat of their 2006 counterparts who also went 9 0 behind Woody Co, who’s now with the University of the Philippines Maroons in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP).

It was a very rewarding 2008-09 campaign for the Xavier Juniors, which earlier grabbed a third straight title in the San Juan Inter-High School tournament and secured the Philippine Athletic Youth Association (PAYA) crown for the third year in a row.

The 6-1 Teng also was a back-to-back MVP awardee in the San Juan tourney. A senior, the son of former PBA strongman Alvin Teng is reportedly headed to either University of Santo Tomas or Ateneo de Manila University in the UAAP in July this year.

Another reason why taking this year off was such a GOOD idea...

My body aches, and my voice is hoarse from all the shouting, but....

WOOOHOOOOO!!!! CHAMPION ULIT!!!!!!!

Xavier Juniors - 2-peat!!

Xavier Aspirants - 7-peat!!!

YEAAAAH!!!!!!! :D

Hats off to the St. Jude juniors team. You guys put up a very good fight, and I really respect your team. (in fact, I think you're the opponent I respect the most in the league) No smack, and all business and hard work. You guys clawed your way from last (?) place to set up a match with us in the finals. To Kim Lo, pare you're a really great player, and for you, the sky's the limit. To think that you're still a junior only.. We'll see you again next year...

Once again, my Stallions didn't disappoint, although a lot of errors kept me tense for almost the entire game. =P To the outgoing King Stallion Jeric, you've had a very good run throughout your juniors career, bagging 2 championships for the beloved blue and gold. Thanks for the championships, and i hope you continue your winning ways when you move on to the Ateneo. To his not-so-little bro Jeron. Dude, I was really impressed with the way you play with the big boys. Now I understand why you left the Aspirants. To keep you there was just so damn unfair to the other teams! :D You're just a freshman!! We'll be expecting great things from you in the years to come. Study hard to keep your place in the team, and don't go off running to those OTHER SCHOOLS who STEAL players by enticing with scholarships and such to get them to play for their juniors teams and hopefully groom them as superstars once they reach the collegiate ranks. (READ: Involved schools. You know who you are.. I really HATE your dirty tricks! LEAVE OUR JUNIORS ALONE!! You can squabble over them all you want when thery graduate, but while they wear the Blue and Gold, THEY STAY WITH US!!) Sorry, just had to get that out of my system...

To the awesome DANCE X, good Lord, you guys are EXCELLENT!!!!

To the hardworking members and alumni of the X-SQUAD, I salute you! I know now the squad is composed primarily of grade school kids. You're doing a great thing for the school. Keep our drums blazing and our banner flying high!!

As usual, official championship report to follow..

You can watch the replay tomorrow at around 5pm on Makisig Ch. 76 on Sky Cable.

LUCEAT LUX!!!

"Say what??..... XAVIER!!!!!!!"

STALLION PRIDE: 2009 Game 1 Official Championship Report

Taken from a post at the AAXS website..

Xavier guns for TIONG LIAN Juniors crown

February 18th, 2009

By: Henry Liao, YEHEY! Contributors
18 February 2009, 9:35 AM

Powerhouse Xavier School goes for the jugular Friday night (Feb. 20) in Game 2 of the best-of-three Juniors Division finals in the 39th Metro Manila Basketball Association high school tournament at the Uno Gym in Tondo, Manila.

Unblemished with an 8-0 record, the Golden Stallions grabbed the championship series opener against upset-conscious St. Jude Catholic School Tuesday night (Feb. 17) with a smashing 116-74 triumph.

Xavier School is bidding to capture its second consecutive crown and third title in four years. Overall, coach Joselito Vergara’s troops are gunning for the eighth championship in their Tong Lian history.

With a 4-6 win-loss mark in the tournament, St. Jude seeks to win on Friday and extend the finals to a third game on Monday (Feb. 23) but its chances are slim.

St. Jude, which reached the finals for the first time ever, is hard-pressed to find an antidote to Xavier’s dizzying trapping defense that resulted in 37 turnovers in Game 1. The Gold and Blue collected 33 points off those miscues.

The Judenites must not allow itself to play into Xavier’s much-vaunted running game. There’s little chance they can keep in pace with the Stallions, let alone outrun them for 40 minutes. Playing to a crawl – a slowdown game – may just work. Milk the 24-second shot clock to the fullest and try to keep the game score low and close until the fourth quarter for a chance at victory.

How to contain the offensive production of two-time Tiong Lian scoring king Jeric Teng, who’s averaging 40.4 ppg in the tournament so far, is a major problem as much as limiting the production of his teammates is.

In the series opener, Teng hoisted just four field goal attempts and made five points in the first quarter, which St. Jude took by a point, 22-21.

However, Jeric’s teammates stepped up in the second quarter. Xavier grabbed a 56-41 lead at halftime as Jeric’s younger brother Jeron Teng (13), Ian Umali (11) and Jose Anton “Jett” Manuel (7) backed up Jeric’s 15 points with a combined 31.

The Stallions were ahead by double digits throughout the second half. They outscored the Judenites, 38-19, in the third quarter and entered the payoff period with an insurmountable 94-60 advantage. Xavier secured its biggest lead of 43 points on three occasions, 112-69, 114-71 and 116-73.

Despite some leech-like defense against him in the early goings, the 6-1 Jeric Teng still finished with 31 points (on 10-20 FG, 7-8 FT shooting, four three-pointers) along with six rebounds and three assists. Also scoring in twin digits for Xavier were Umali, 17; Jeron Teng, 17 (along with 10 boards); and Manuel, 16 (along with seven assists). Pesky guard Bryan Tan marked his 16th birthday with eight markers (including 6-for-6 from the foul line). Twelve players tallied at least two points for the Stallions.

St. Jude’s star frontliner, Kim Lo, who was averaging 19.7 points and 21.0 rebounds in three previous playoff games, was plagued by foul trouble and held to 16 points (only four in the second half) and nine rebounds. Three-point bomber Derrence Lam knocked in 15 points but nine of them came from the charity stripes (9-for-11).

Martin Go contributed 10 points and Perry Lee added eight for the losers. Long-tom artist Jason Ligad was limited to six markers and like Lam, he failed to make a three-pointer.

History repeats itself.

In Xavier School’s 118-73 shellacking of St. Jude Catholic School during an elimination-round contest last Jan. 30, the Judenites were ahead, 18-14, after the first quarter. In the title series opener, St. Jude was up by a point, 22-21, after the first 10 minutes.

In the Jan. 30 game against St. Jude, Jeric Teng completed a four-point play (a three-pointer plus a free throw following a foul) in the second quarter for Xavier. In Game 1 of the finals, Teng also registered another four-point play (27-25 to 31-25, Xavier ahead) in the second quarter.

Only Teng has had a completed four-point play in the tournament so far. And the son of former PBA Robocop Alvin Teng owns a pair.

STALLION PRIDE: MMTLBA 2009 Juniors finals Game 1

XS 116 - SJCS 74  YEAH BABY!!!!!

One down, one to go!!

See you on Friday!!!!

Official championship report to follow..

"We are... XAVIER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

STALLION PRIDE: And so the hunt begins once again....

Taken from the AAXS website

I smell another championship looming... :D See you on the court...

*Note that King Stallion Jeric Teng outscored the entire opposing team, 52-43!!

Luceat Lux!!

Xavier wins in Tiong Lian Opener

12 January 2009 | 1:11 PM
culled from YEHEY.com

Xavier School opened its title-retention bid in the Juniors Division of the 39th Metro Manila Tiong Lian Basketball Association tournament with a lopsided 120-43 victory over Hope Christian High School Saturday night (Jan. 10) at the Uno Gym.

It was so hard to create an interesting story line to this (mis)match. The revenge factor was not even an afterthought, even if some would like to believe it was a payback for the Golden Stallions’ loss to Hope Christian during the Coca-Cola Summer league some months ago.

Xavier went full throttle with its full-court trapping defense from start to finish, resulting in numerous Hope turnovers and easy fastbreak baskets by the Gold and Blue.

Xavier got off to a 5-0 start and never trailed thereafter. It grabbed a 29-7 lead after the first 10-minute quarter and enjoyed a 66-22 advantage at halftime.

If this were a baseball contest, the game would have been called off right then and there (without the second half) under the “mercy” rule. Hope, after all, scored only 43 points for the entire game and Xavier surpassed that mark as early as midway through the second quarter.

The game, played like those in the playgrounds with a lot of running and gunning, thus went on and Xavier owned a 93-32 edge at the end of the third quarter.

Xavier hit the century mark, 101-35, on a pair of free throws by prolific-scoring Jeric Teng, and took its biggest lead, 80 points (120-40), with a minute and 40 seconds remaining on a three-pointer by Teng.

Jeric, the reigning Tiong Lian scoring champion in the Juniors Division, wound up with 52 points, 13 rebounds and five assists. He went 6-for-16 beyond the three-point arc in the freewheeling game that was completed in less than 80 minutes.

Two other Xaverians finished with double-digit scores – Ian Umali, 16, and Jose Anton Manuel, 12. Nel Lim had nine.

Jeron Teng, Jeric’s younger brother, contributed eight markers while Donal Ong added seven.

Jeron, who was elevated to the Juniors ranks after a sterling performance in the Aspirants Division a year ago during which he powered the school past Chiang Kai Shek College for its sixth consecutive championship while averaging a whopping 34.1 points a game, including a high of 55 against St. Stephen’s High School, was inserted into the starting lineup alongside Jeric.

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*GO, XAVERIANS!! GO GO XAVERIANS GO!!!!!

Stallions MD: Congratulations!!!!!!

Taken from a post at the Xavier School website (www.xs.edu.ph)

Two Xaverians Top Medical Board Exam

August 2006 Boards Produces Ten New Doctors

Cesareo U. Tongco II (XS ’97)

The Physician Licensure Examination in August 2006 was topped by two Xaverians. Patrick Leonard G. Co (XS ’96) bested 2,696 examinees from all over the country to emerge as the board topnotcher, #1 overall. Nathaniel L. Yu Chua (XS ’97) also made it to the top ten, he tied for #8 overall. This is probably the first time that a Xaverian has become the #1 board topnotcher, and certainly the first time that two of our own have made it into the top ten.

Eight other Xaverians were among the 1,491 new doctors. These are Ishmael Christian D. Ching (XS ’97), Vicente Francisco Q. Firmalo (XS ’97), Patrick H. How (XS ’96), Rey Emmanuel S. Lu (XS ’97), Fernando A. Melendres Jr. (XS ’97), John Eric N. Tan (XS ’97), Kimberson C. Tanco (XS ’98), and Cesareo Amadeo U. Tongco II (XS ’97). The Oathtaking of the New Physicians was held on Sunday, September 17, 2006 at the PICC Plenary Hall.

Both topnotchers, Patrick Co and Nathaniel Yu Chua, were from UST, as was Kimberson Tanco. Ishmael Ching, Vicente Firmalo, Patrick How, Rey Lu, and Cesareo Tongco II, took Medicine in UERM-MMC. John Eric Tan was from De La Salle - Dasmariñas, while Fernando Melendres studied at UP-PGH.

Luceat Lux!!!