That’s why it’s a rivalry

THE DE LA Salle Green Archers may have lost Round 1 of its annual UAAP basketball dual meet with the Ateneo Blue Eagles but found a spitfire who honored the tradition of the storied rivalry with a gutsy performance.

LA Revilla, a pocket-sized point guard oozing with youthful energy, almost single handedly spoiled the Eagles’ weekend party by bringing his team back into the game after falling behind by 16 points in the second quarter. Through free throws and courageous drives to the basket, Revilla put his team on his back and transformed a potential Ateneo rout into another cardiac affair at MOA Arena.

Revilla’s rigor helped wipe out the early Ateneo edge and even gave the Taft Avenue five a brief taste of the lead in the third canto. His heroics stood out in an afternoon when La Salle’s shooting woes continued, a spillover from its less than 30 percent shooting clip in a close loss to FEU.

The Eagles went to their big men Greg Slaughter and Nico Salva in the fourth to survive La Salle’s comeback and win, 71-61. There was no meltdown like the one against UST where a 19-point spread fizzled out in the heat of a Tigers’ attack.

Despite the loss, Revilla’s 16-point performance added another tale to the already colorful rivalry of the two schools. Regardless of where the two teams are in the standings, Ateneo versus La Salle always draws out exciting virtuoso or team effort in a highly charged atmosphere. It could be a championship battle or a scenario where both squads are winless in the tournament but it wouldn’t really matter.

The rivalry may not be as intense as in the 1950s to the 70s when disdain for each other spilled over to street fights after the games or clashes in parties with comely colegialas. Thank God students can now go home without worrying about being chased or hounded by either side. More female students in both schools have lessened the need for the boys to make porma outside the campus. A shared history of standing side by side in Edsa I and II and current cooperative efforts between the two schools have also helped to diffuse the tension.

Though already subdued, the rivalry resurfaces occasionally in daily life in the corporate world or in academic competitions. Families with members who went to both schools rib each other before and after the game. Losing fans come up with intense or hilarious excuses for the defeat and why there will be vengeance next time around.

In the game itself, passions still run high because competitive juices formed by years of acknowledging each other as a rival resurface. Seeing green or blue just heats up the fire.

But the spirit of college sports should just be that: Cheering with passion and players giving their all for the honor of the school. There will always be another game in the unending debate as to who is the better team or school between the two. There will be another chance for another player to shine.

That’s why it’s called a rivalry.