San Beda Vs Ateneo: Reliving An Old Rivalry
San Beda vs. Ateneo? It’s a storied rivalry that was relived over the weekend, thanks to the organizers of the Filoil Flying V Preseason Premiere Cup, which came up...The basketball game, which was won by Ateneo, was a throwback to an era long ago, when the Red Lions were among the perennial top contenders in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) title.
Ateneo, along with La Salle, would later join the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP), and since then, college hoops aficionados have been asking, what if … ?
And so it came to pass on April 9: The Indian Yell vs. Go Ateneo, Zalabazim vs. Halikinu, the blue-and-white vs the red-and-white. The Arena in San Juan was packed with Bedan and Atenean dads, sons in tow, to cheer on their respective teams, champions in their respective regular season leagues.
The game was also the debut of their prized rookies, San Beda’s Baser Amer and Ateneo’s Kiefer Ravena.
There was more blue than red in the stands, but the Lions’ roar was more than a match for the Eagles’ screams. Alumni dads and granddads gave their kids, many of whom were not yet born at the height of the NCAA San Beda-Ateneo, a taste of the rivalry’s intensity in the days of yore—minus the brawls, of course.
Historical connection
Not too many people know the historical connection between the two schools. The story, as told by a Benedictine monk, recounts that Ateneo’s patron, St. Ignatius of Loyola, made a pilgrimage to the original Benedictine monastery in Montserrat, Spain, the monastery where the monks of San Beda hailed from. Upon reaching the monastery, Ignatius laid his sword and armor at the altar of Our Lady of Montserrat, San Beda’s patroness. After spending a night praying before the image, he began his new life and founded the Jesuits.
Where was the babble?
The absence of the Blue Babble Battalion was strongly felt, so the blues had to borrow drums from the greens, another arch-rival, La Salle, who was playing UST in the next game. They even had to pick out alumni cheerleaders from their crowd to do an impromptu halftime performance, led by a dad obviously past his cheerleading days. Then, the blues just cheered on the game a cappella, shouting a deafening, “One big fight.”
The Blue Eagles won by three, but even for Bedans, it was a game worth reliving. The most poignant moment was when each side stood up and applauded as the other sang its hymn, Ateneo’s “Song for Mary” and the “Bedan Hymn.” No one really lost. It was a great game. Until we meet again …
As posted in the Inquirer 2bU section.
Thank you to: Luis San Juan
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