MGCNL All-Stars: Guards knock down kuyas for victory; teachers hold off students after deadlock

The All-Stars Back to Play Sportsfest took place last December 4 to 5 with the ates, kuyas, and guards participating in an array of playground and basketball games.

The first day of the event took place at the MGCNL 2nd floor cafeteria and quadrangle where the school staff engaged in an afternoon of playground games such as patintero, curtain drop, and a relay race. The ates, kuyas, and guards, along with SHS teacher Mrs. Neshie Guntiñas, got a chance to win prizes from an assortment of snacks and other items all while bonding with one another. 

Project manager Bianca So shared that although the preparation for the event had its ups and downs,  it was still ultimately “very fun seeing that [the ates and kuyas] enjoyed a lot and [it was] fulfilling to see our hard work pay off as they enjoyed the games we’ve prepared.”

“Masaya tapos parang nagkaisa kaming lahat at nagtutulungan, nagkabonding rin kami,” remarked ate Aiza who participated in the playground games on day one. Meanwhile, kuya Eman, who participated in the basketball games on day two, shared, “Enjoy naman kasi masaya kami, nagkabonding yung mga ate at kuya. Masaya naman yung paglaro namin.”

On day two, the guards exacted their revenge from last year's loss, as they clinched an 86-79 win against the kuyas while the teachers nailed their title, 78-72, against the students in the MGCNLCA gym, despite a disruption from an earthquake.

The mythical five of the first game were kuyas Reymarte, Ricky, and Kurt, along with guards Razon and Jim-boy, who had churned out 13, 15, 20, 12, and 31 points, respectively.

Kuyas vs. Guards

The early part of the game was easily taken by the guards. However, it was soon foiled by the kuyas who took the score to 7-17 midway into the first quarter. 

Aiming for a comeback, kuya Ricky nabbed a two, finishing the quarter 17-25 to keep the momentum strong even as the kuyas were behind. 

The guards kept their lead guarded and consistent in the second quarter, closing at 45-34. 

Come the third quarter, the kuyas narrowed the advantage to 45-41, keeping the guards on their toes and giving them a close match.

The guards got back on their feet with a two-pointer, pushing back the six-point deficit. 

In the last minute of the quarter, kuya Rendell downed a three, bringing the score to 63-54 to boost his team’s momentum again, as they subsequently ended the quarter, 64-59, by bagging five points in the last 20 seconds. 

Mimicking the pattern of previous quarters, the guards held off the kuyas. Nonetheless, they didn’t lag with their anchors, kuyas Ricky and Reymarte, who pulled their scores up to 78-71. 

The match eventually closed at 86-79, with the guards emerging victorious from the kuyas’ attempted foil at their lead. 

Teachers vs. Students

Wesley Mambiar, an ICT teacher who participated in the following match between the students and teachers, commented that their game was “really good.”

The teachers opened the game with a 6-0 run that was broken by the students, 6-2, in the first few minutes, with Sports Coordinator Worship Acosta later nailing the teachers’ quarter-end lead at 24-10, solidifying their position in the game. 

Jack Cheng chalked up two of his ten points scored to bring the tally to 24-13. Other students fired crucial shots to catch up to the teachers, 26-20. In the last 20 seconds of the quarter, Adam Uy and Cheng posted two points each with layups to both teams’ well-fought 43-36. 

With two minutes left in the third quarter, Carlos Gubat fired three points from Sean Panganiban’s pass, knocking down the deficit to 49-48. 

The students took the lead for the first time in the game at 52-54, but the teachers’ free throws brought back their domination, 55-54. 

Deadlocks consumed the fourth quarter, starting with 56-56; Coach John Sia from the teachers broke the 58-58 tie with an underhanded layup, 60-58, but the students quickly caught up again to bring the score to 60-all.

Jedidiah Chee Ah bagged a crucial point with a free throw, 67-66, for the students. However, the coaches quickly overtook them with a bucket, 68-67. 

Like their shots, the momentum of the teachers before the game’s last minute boomed as they scored their last eight points as the students failed to make a comeback, with the game ending at 78-72. 

When asked about his view of the All-Stars games, Mambiar shared, “It’s a good way to promote also the efforts of the ates and kuyas, and a good opportunity to appreciate all of their efforts in our school.” 

All-Stars: Back to Play is the Social Impact Project of grade 11 students under the Empowerment Technology subject with the goal of recognizing and appreciating the hard work of the ates, kuyas, and guards.