Another Aggies debacle

WITH both teams hungry to be called the champions, what else the best avenue to settle the issue but the 2012 Xavier University Intramurals.

Already sidestepping reigning titlist College of Engineering in the semifinals, three-time finalist College of Agriculture looks like in a better position to end its title-drought against the College of Arts and Sciences in the finals.

And it seems the Aggies’ dreams will finally come to fore when they immediately raced to an 8-point spread in the opening salvo. But the explosive tandem of Michael Lee Paayas and Alain Villanueva keyed a scorching run to lead the Artscies to an 83-70 finish and snap a four-year jinx in their quest for the XU intramurals’ basketball glory.

Known as a sky-scraper, the beanpole Paayas instead held his ground in the rainbow sphere unloading six 3-pointers in the first half action alone and Villanueva followed suit with his slashing moves to the basket as team captain Aldrich Barba joined in the fray to sustain the Aggies’ debacle in the finals.

The Artscies earlier disposed of the College of Computer Studies, 65-48 in the other half of the crossover matches.

“With their run and gun tactics and toughness in physical match-up, it’s really difficult to play with the Aggies team of coach Reynold Dangcal. But months of preparation and the chance to play in the finals gave our boys the much needed confidence,” said Artscies’ head coach Jay Anthony Cortes.

Coincidentally, both Cortes -- former slotman of XU Senior Crusaders and the now wheelchair-aided Dangcal -- erstwhile mainstay of the Letran Knights in the NCAA League -- were once part of the Corpus Christi high school varsity program under legendary coach Hermogenes Anciado.

Cortes also acknowledged assistant coach Derek dela Serna and the able support of fellow CCS Knights Boning Biongcog, Kentoy Cabanes, Marco Villalba and Aran Jamaca for the victory.

“He always told the boys that ‘let’s not wait next year, you asked for this and worked for it so let's go get it now’,” Cortes said of dela Serna, a former shooting guard from Silliman University.

"Hardwork and Sacrifice," added Biongcog, best remembered as the Senior Crusaders’ acrobatic guard, who now plays for Misamis Oriental’s executive team.

To Cortes and company’s great delight, the Artscies also went on to capture the overall supremacy of the exciting XU Intramurals. (LLS)