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One down, one to go

Dondon Monteverde

It wasn’t supposed to be like this. The University of the East Red Warriors practically toyed with the competition throughout the whole UAAP tournament, en route to an unblemished 14-0 record.

The Red Warriors looked sharp going into the championship round, sitting pretty as three other tough collegiate teams embarked on their own missions to reach the finals.

The defending champions, the University of Sto. Tomas were out to prove that their win last year was no fluke. They were determined to show that despite being touted as a young team, they had the experience to repeat the valiant showing they displayed during the last tournament. Sadly, the run of the Growling Tigers ended run after one year at the top, with their playoff loss to the Ateneo De Manila Blue Eagles.

The Eagles know all about heartbreak, especially after last year’s heart wrenching loss to the Growling Tigers in the finals, making their victory over them this year twice as sweet. The Blue Eagles were consistently near the top of the standings all year, before losing to the De La Salle Green Archer’s in a critical game that would determine who would get the twice to beat advantage. The loss setup the Eagle’s rematch with the Tigers, and the right to face La Salle for the last finals berth.

Though La Salle gained the twice to beat advantage, the Eagles handed them two losses during the preliminary round. The Archers, however, won the two games that mattered most. On a mission of their own, the Archers proved that their one year absence did not slow them down one bit, and are still as formidable as they once were. Despite losing the first game in their attempt to enter the finals, The La Salle Green marched into the championship round with a convincing win over their long time nemesis, where the seemingly invincible UE Red Warriors awaited them.

Facing the Red Warriors would prove to be a daunting task. The Red Warriors were brimming with confidence knowing that they were the highly touted favorites. The Archers had already lost to the Warriors twice already, including a lopsided win in the first round but were riding high on the momentum they gained from their victory over the Eagles.

But once again with their backs to the wall, the Green Archer’s aim remained true. After handing the Red Warriors their first defeat of the season, the Archers are now one win away from winning the 2007 UAAP title. Will the UE Red Warriors bounce back and reclaim their place as title favorites, or will they fall in the same position as last year’s Dallas Mavericks, that lost in the playoffs after breezing through the regular season? The Red Warriors have never been the underdog this season, so they are now put in an unfamiliar position at the worst possible time. It’s time for them to rise to the occasion and prove to all that they are for real.

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