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Ateneo and FEU's Final Four classic reminded us what High School basketball is all about

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Photo Credit: Richard Esguerra, ABS-CBN Sports

Season 79 of the UAAP Juniors Division has been more controversial than fun. That wasn't usually the case.
More often than not, scouts and analysts would be found talking about who would be the future stars come college in this batch of High School players. Instead, talk regarding the UAAP Juniors Division has been centered around the eligibility case of Adamson's Encho Serrano.

Almost immediately, fears regarding the credibility of High School basketball started to circulate around basketball circles. Just how credible are the ages of these players in the Juniors Division? Heck, is the Juniors Division still a Division for well.. Juniors? Is the age group which was previously loved because of how "pure" it was now sprinkled with the dirt which College and Pro Basketball has?

There aren't any answers for these questions just yet. But Ateneo and FEU's Final Four classic reminded us what High School Basketball truly is about. Even for just 48 minutes, we were witness to pure, unadulturated basketball. 

All of this starts with the crowd.

The crowd which surrounded the Filoil Arena wasn't the usual crowd filled with parents and bystanders. Instead, both sides were filled with students, watching their classmates play arguably the biggest game of their lives.

Crowds in amateur basketball these days are filled with complaints rather than pure passion. Comments regarding a player's age and eligibility are used to heckle opposing teams. That wasn't the case in this game. There would be booing, that's natural in any basketball game. There was heckling between the two crowds. It was just two crowds jawing against each other, backing up the gentlemen playing on the basketball court. 

For the players, one moment said it all. SJ Belangel threw up a hail mary in the hopes of salvaging the game. The ball hit the top of the board, and the FEU contingent immediately jumped for joy. This was a victory which they've been working hard for so long. IThe victory which would catapult them to their first Finals series after 4 years. It's easy to forget that FEU is a team filled with kids given how buff they are and the utter focus they show when in play. But in that one moment, the Baby Tamaraws were given the opportunity to be kids again. Young, wild, free and out on the loose. They just wanted their joy to be at the forefront of everything. Thankfully they had a crowd to share that joy with.

On the other side of the fence, as the final buzzer sounded, the Blue Eaglets immediately fell down on the floor, down-trodden. This was a loss which was tough to swallow. Their final five immediately fell down, tears rolling down their faces. The coaches could only look up the scoreboard, hoping for the score to somehow magically change. The crowd could only stare, heartbroken. As you go a few steps closer to the Blue Eaglets bench, you could immediately hear the sounds of heartbreak. This was a young team whose hearts were broken by a worthy team. Young team. In that one moment, for all their potential and monster physical tools, the Blue Eaglets showed that they're just kids who can cry. Cry because they lost a basketball game. As ridiculous as that previous sentence may sound, that basketball game was something they put their hearts out for. And what they got back in return was a heartbreaking loss.

We'll be getting NU and FEU in the Finals come Friday. The joy of FEU will have to die down a bit to prepare for the defending champions. Ateneo will have to wipe away the tears, they have long tests and quizzes to worry about. But in that one moment, the players and the crowd behind them reminded us what High School basketball truly is about. Passion. Beautiful passion. 
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