How sweep it is

The Ateneo Blue Eaglets (14-0) swept the elimination round of the ongoing UAAP High School basketball tourney by routing the defending champion NU Bullpups yesterday. That meant getting an automatic pass to the Finals, as well as having a thrice-to-beat advantage.

I'm not trying to guarantee anything but it seems the Eaglets are well on their way to getting back what always belonged in Katipunan -- the UAAP Juniors Basketball crown.

Growing up in the 1990s, the Ateneo HS basketball team used to always be in the Finals, most seasons as champions, while other times as runners-up. That run continued until the 2000s. They were simply the most dominant HS basketball program in the UAAP, and maybe even the country.

Then it all changed in 2011. Ateneo, coming from three consecutive HS championships, lost long-time coach Jamike Jarin to the pro league while superstar guard Kiefer Ravena graduated and moved on to the college ranks. There have been whispers that Coach Jarin knew that the succeeding teams won't be as good as his prior ones, so he wanted to move on before that happens.

True enough, the Blue Eaglets have been less than stellar from 2011 until 2013. They reached the Finals in 2013 only to be swept by NU.

Now, it seems like they're on a mission to regain what is rightfully ours. Here's to hoping this is the start of another decade or so of HS basketball dominance.

Kudos to my HS/college batchmate, coach Joe Silva (and his staff) for weathering a few years of mediocrity (comparing them to Ateneo High's high standards) and bringing back the team to the top of the UAAP Juniors basketball food chain.