CESAFI MVP Rey Anthony Suerte (left photo), and the rest of the UV Green Lancers, believe hard work and perseverance are the keys to their success this year.
His family name may be Suerte but truth be told, luck had nothing to do with the success of the so-called “Flying Carpet” of the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi), the University of the Visayas’ (UV) Rey Anthony Suerte.
Hard work, perseverance and humility were the determining factors, says Suerte, that allowed them to win the 2016 Cesafi men’s basketball crown on Saturday with a 3-1 series win over the erstwhile titleholder, the University of San Carlos (USC) Warriors.
Suerte had averages of 12.3 points per game, 4.5 rebounds per game, 1.5 assists per game and 1.5 steals per game in the Finals.
Adding even more glitter to gold was the Most Valuable Player award that Suerte bagged, his second in as many tournaments.
“We’re just happy that our hard work paid off with a championship,” the high-leaping 6-foot-2 wingman who was recruited from Monkayo, Compostela Valley said, moments after their title-clinching win.
Every single squad that is aspiring for a title has tales to tell of the daily grit and grind of training to achieve excellence. UV has plenty said Suerte.
“Every morning, we run starting from the back gate of UV all the way to Tops. We do that on top of our training in the afternoon,” related Suerte of their daily routine, which includes the aforementioned treacherous climb to the popular tourist spot atop the mountains of Cebu.
The victory was sweet revenge for Suerte and the rest of his Green Lancers mates, who had to endure a bitter Game 5 loss at the hands of USC in last year’s championship series.
“They’re now feeling what we felt after the game last year. That was pretty hard to endure,” said Suerte.
The 22-year old, though, chose to deflect credit for the clinching win in spite leading the team in scoring with 14 points in Game Four. After spraining his ankle in the third period, the rest of the Green Lancers stepped up to take the cudgels in Suerte’s absence.
“I am just thankful for my teammates that they stepped up when I couldn’t play any more. They’re in fact, always ready when called upon,” Suerte shared.
With a second MVP across his name, one would think that Suerte would be taking his act to the next level. However, he said that he has better plans in store.
“My first priority is to finish school and to graduate with a degree. I will still play next year,” assured Suerte.