UP-bound Jaboneta glad to leave Ateneo Cebu with championship

MANILA, Philippines – Prior to the fourth quarter of the 2015 NBTC championship game between the Ateneo de Cebu Magis Eagles and San Beda Red Cubs, Felix Jaboneta’s head coach gave him a message loud and clear. 

“Give it all you have.”

Jaboneta was playing in the final quarter of his final game as a high school cager for the Cebu-based Ateneo school. His team was within grasp of an NBTC title, and the only thing standing in their way was a San Beda Red Cubs squad who had lost one of their best players to a knee injury.

Jaboneta delivered, scoring 18 of his game-high 27 points in the second half, including making big shot after another in the final minutes of the contest, to lead the Magis Eagles past the Red Cubs, 82-78, and to their first NBTC championship since the competition included schools from Manila.

It was, in a way, redemption for the talented 17-year-old stud who’s bound to play for the UP Fighting Maroons this upcoming UAAP basketball season, as he confirmed on Sunday, March 8.  

Throughout the NBTC tourney leading up to the finals game, he was struggling with his shot. But timing is everything, and he stepped up when his team needed it most. 

“See, during the start of the tournament, I was really off. From the first to third quarter of this game, I was off as well,” Jaboneta said to the media. “My coach told me to just make up for it in the fourth quarter because this was the last game in my high school career, and, there, I just gave it my best and my game finally showed up.” 

Jaboneta admits he might have not been as superb as he was if not for the words of encouragement from his head coach, whom, along with the rest of the coaching staff of Ateneo de Cebu, him and his teammates dedicated Sunday’s victory to. 

“We promised that, in this tournament, we would give everything we have so that we could repay our coaches for all the hard work they put in improving our games,” said Jaboneta, who dedicated the victory to Cebu City. 

“This is for all of Cebu,” he said, before adding: “It’s also for our school and for our entire community.”

Jaboneta’s stellar play should give UP fans a reason to be excited. The Fighting Maroons have won only one game in the past two UAAP seasons; firepower and talent are important needs for the club. The Maroons haven’t won a title in decades, and Jaboneta is aware of it.  

Still, he isn’t portraying himself as the institution’s basketball savior, but rather someone who just contributes in any way he can. 

“I haven’t thought about it yet,” Jaboneta said about the expectations of going to UP. “I just really want to help them.” 

“I know they’re not that big in basketball, but I will try to help and give it my all to UP.” 

While he’ll be busy on the basketball court, Jaboneta is also making it a point to have an impact in the classroom, where he’ll be majoring in Business Management, to ensure a secured future. 

“With basketball, you don’t know when it will end. You don’t know if you’ll get injured and if your career will end just like that. But your studies, that’s something you can use for your future,” said Jaboneta, who was also recruited by UE and UST. 

“I want to make it to the PBA,” he said, “But if that won’t happen, then I still get to go to UP for studies.”

Quotes of Felix Jaboneta in this article were translated from Tagalog to English. 

– Rappler.com