Sporting Chance - By Joaquin M. Henson

Shield of green and white

In La Salle’s alma mater hymn, there’s a reference to a shield of green and white. "Hail, to thee, our alma mater, hail to De La Salle, we’ll hold your banner high and bright, a shield of green and white, we’ll fight to keep your honor bright, and never shall we fail, hail to thee, our alma mater, hail, hail, hail."

That shield proved to be tough to crack in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) seniors basketball tournament this year. In fact, the shield has held up the last three seasons as the Green Archers’ armor shone brightly in a three-peat engineered by coach Franz Pumaren.

If you ask Pumaren, the third victory to complete the hattrick had to be the sweetest. La Salle wasn’t picked to figure in the finals because Don Allado and Dino Aldeguer–the Archers who were chiefly responsible for the 1998 and 1999 crowns – had gone to the pros. And there was the stigma of La Salle’s botched three-peat in 1991, foiled by a boardroom ruling that the Archers couldn’t accept as a matter of principle. The chance for vindication had finally come.

"I’ll admit that this year’s lineup can’t compare to our teams the last two seasons," said Pumaren. "We’re not as talented. At the start of the season, we were ranked No. 4 or No. 5 – nobody expected us to reach the finals. But that was our motivation. The guys work as a team – they’re disciplined and dedicated. We’re not a dominant team but we know how to maximize our strengths."

Throughout the tournament, La Salle was beset by injury problems. RenRen Ritualo banged up his hand and sat out five games. B.J. Manalo missed the entire Final Four with a recurring stress fracture in his left shin. Adonis Sta. Maria struggled through pain in his foot and had undergone surgery in the offseason. But the Archers wouldn’t break down.

Pumaren, who graduated at La Salle as a Marketing major in 1986, said the team just couldn’t let Bro. Rolly Dizon down. "He never lost faith," said Pumaren, referring to the La Salle President. "From the start, he was convinced we were going to win. When RenRen got hurt, Bro. Rolly told me we’d still win it. When B.J. got hurt, he told me the same thing. He was our inspiration–he believed in us then we learned to believe in ourselves."

Pumaren, 37, said it’s always special to win for La Salle. "I have a lot to be thankful for to La Salle–my education, my basketball career," he noted. "It’s like returning the favor. I played on the last La Salle team in the NCAA and the first La Salle team in the UAAP. Since I began coaching La Salle in 1998, I’ve seen a big transformation in the attitude of students and alumni who support the team. In the past, they’d stop cheering and begin to leave the stadium when the game is close–it’s like they knew we couldn’t win the close games. But now, they believe in us–that we can win close games. The people who support us–Bro. Rolly, Bro. Benedict, the alumni, the Fat Boys, our team manager Terry Capistrano, our assistant team manager Manny Salgado, the faculty, the school staff, the fans, the students–they’re our X-factor."

The Fat Boys, incidentally, are La Salle graduates who are probably the Archers’ staunchest supporters. They go to every game, not just the critical ones, and give their all to the boys. Among the Fat (and not-so-fat) Boys are Bobby de Ocampo, Herman Jugo, Chito Bautista, Tony Lim, Danding Lucero, Jing Olivares, Justice Reyes and Lito Tanjuatco.

Pumaren said the players, not him, deserve to be in the spotlight for overcoming the odds to beat Far Eastern University (FEU) this year.

"Let’s start with RenRen," he went on. "We’re really proud of his development. He’s become a great all-around player. At crunch time, he wants the ball, he’s willing to take the big shot. And he’s improved on his defense. There’s Mon Jose, our anchor–he led the league in steals. We’ll miss him next year. Adonis stepped up for us. Last year, he was eligible to play but sat out because of grades–our priority, of course, is academics. He was the MVP in the NCRAA and despite injuries, came through for us. Ronald Cuan is probably our most underrated player and he always delivers. Mike Cortez deserves all the raves he’s getting. He gives us added luxury at point guard. B.J. was so excited to play, he didn’t mind the pain in his leg. The pain got to be so bad that doctors advised him to sit out. He’s definitely a pro prospect and we expect big things from him next year. The other guys–Alvin Castro, Magsi Magsumbol, Willie Wilson, Vince San Diego, Mike Gozum, Many Ramos, Janon Bunyi – also contributed in a big way either at practice or during games."

Pumaren said when it was all over, he thanked the Lord for His blessings. "We owe it to God–He kept us together all year," he continued. "I thank my wife Odette for being so supportive and our kids Luigi and Nico. Of course, we wouldn’t have won without my brother Derick who’s our consultant and my other brother Dindo who would come to practice and give our guys pointers. My dad (Pilo) and my mom (Marietta) were also with us all the way."

Pumaren, who played 12 years in the Philippine Basketball Association and is a Sta. Lucia assistant coach, said it’s harder to coach in college than in the pros. "In the UAAP, we deal with young kids in school, not pros playing for a living," he said. "We prepare a lot more because we can play any kind of defense. We prepare for the zone and there are different kinds of zone defense. We prepare for the press, for the sag. In the pros, you choose players who are ready to play. In college, you recruit high school players some of whom, you find out later, will never be able to adjust to playing for a big university. I enjoy coaching at either level. In college, there is a lot of satisfaction because you mold young kids and turn them into finished products. Do I like coaching more than playing? As a coach, ako ang sumisigaw. As a player, ako ang nasisigawan. Kaya, I think I like coaching more."

Pumaren credited FEU coach Enrico (Coy) Banal for his efforts in taking the Tamaraws to the finals. "Coy did wonders for his team–he’s turned FEU around," said Pumaren. "I always knew they’d be a factor because they’ve got veteran players." FEU and Ateneo were the only teams that beat La Salle this season.

On losing to Ateneo, Pumaren shrugged it off. "Since I started coaching La Salle, Ateneo has beaten us twice in six games," he said. "Last year, Ateneo beat us by scoring over 30 points from the line on about 44 fouls. This year, they scored 26 points from free throws on 43 fouls when they beat us. You draw your own conclusions."

La Salle will lose Cuan, Jose, Castro, Magsumbol, and San Diego next year but Pumaren said a talented batch of newcomers is waiting to hop aboard the championship bandwagon. "There’s Carlos Sharma from San Sebastian–he’s 6-6 and he passed the entrance exams without help," gushed Pumaren. "There’s Andrew Saldaña who’s now a senior at Zobel. There’s Gavino from Greenhills, Villanueva from San Agustin, the Cabatu brothers, Tenorio from San Beda, and guys from Xavier. We’ll miss Mon, Alvin, Ronald, Magsi and Vince but we’ve got to move forward."

Indeed, the future looks good and green for La Salle.