THE HEART AND SOUL OF THE ATENEO BLUE EAGLES!!!

LA Story
By Jason Inocencio




It's all on him now. No Rico Villanueva to clog the lane. No Rich Alvarez or Paolo Bugia to snatch the rebound. No Larry Fonacier to command a double team. If there ever was a time that all eyes would be focused on Lewis Alfred V. Tenorio, the 68th season of the UAAP would be that time. The good news is, L.A. got a head start in preparing for this season during last year's campaign.

When team captain Larry Fonacier went down with a season-ending ACL injury in the first round of eliminations, L.A. took it upon himself to hoist the Blue Eagles on his back. The result was nothing less than a phenomenal run that saw L.A. taking the big shots for the Ateneo, and nailing them with impunity. Ateneo ran up an impressive 7-0 run before the inevitable fall back down to earth. "Medyo nagulat ako noon siyempre," L.A. begins. "Kasi, biglang focal point ako ng team. Iba kasi dapat mindset mo pag ganoon ang nangyayari eh." From a pass-first mentality, L.A. was forced to look to score more as Ateneo barely missed out on a fourth straight UAAP Finals appearance.



"Ngayon, mas prepared na ako. Even though mas nadagdag ang pressure sa akin, I really have to step up," he says with confidence. For this fifth-year point guard, the time to excel is now. He's eagerly anticipating graduating this coming October with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, and relishes the challenge of being a co-captain of the Blue Eagles. Sharing the captaincy with Magnum Membrere may ease the burden on such a small frame, but the responsibility of playing the point for thousands of screaming Ateneans is ever on L.A.'s mind.

Addressing the rumors that he wanted out of the Ateneo lineup after clashing with former coach Sandy Arespacochaga, L.A. stated that, "Wala kaming problema ni Coach Sandy." Now back as an assistant to Coach Black, Arespacochaga confirmed as much in an earlier interview. Credit the rumor to bitter Ateneans looking for a scapegoat for last year's disappointment.

"Hindi ko naman iiwan ang Ateneo," is how he responds to a question that caused panic in many an Atenean's mind when Season 67 ended. The question: Is L.A. Tenorio going pro after clashing with Sandy Arespacochaga? "During last year kasi, nakita ko na baka may chance (mag-PBA), pero bata pa naman ako eh." L.A. went on to say that new Blue Eagle coach Norman Black played a part in keeping him in blue and white for 2005. "In-encourage kasi ako ni Coach Norman to play for him on my last year, na mag-stay muna," he relates. Besides, L.A. added that, "The PBA will always be there."



Despite the loss to archrivals De La Salle on opening day, L.A. says that team morale is still high in Loyola Heights. "Iba ang dating ni Coach Norman eh. Di nagagalit, di siya loud kung pagsabihan ka," L.A. recounts. All those PBA championships with San Miguel and Sta. Lucia certainly helped in solidifying Coach Black's status among the current Blue Eagles. "He's very professional and he always tells us about his championship experiences."

"This season will be tough for us but we'll fight till the end," he promises. Though opening day has come and gone, losing to La Salle is never an easy thing to swallow. Still, L.A. reiterates that Ateneo will compete. "'Yung maximum level of intensity naming ang makikita niyo. We will play as a team," he says.

As the main cog for the Blue Eagles this year, it's inevitable that the talk of winning the Most Valuable Player plum is brought up. L.A. though is focused on something else as he relates that, "Honestly, bonus na lang 'yon for me." The speedy spitfire wearing the big blue and white "6" adds that "Gusto ko lang talaga ay championship. Iba kasi ang feeling na buhat-buhat niyo ng team 'yung championship trophy. Halos tatlong MVP 'yon para sa akin." Eyes on the prize? You better believe it. Don't let that opening day debacle fool you. L.A. Tenorio is the best point guard in the UAAP today. Think otherwise and underestimate L.A. at your own peril.