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A few images from Feb.14, 16, 17 & 19

Blood, Sweat & Tears

I will put my post on the NU-Ateneo Game Two UAAP Baseball Finals Match on hold to give way to this feat [even though there are a few images here from the said NU-Ateneo match and there are number of reposts too]. 

Louis Smolka [3 images below] was horribly bloodied and battered
 during his bout vs Alvin Cacdac

at the Pacific Extreme MMA Event last Saturday, Feb.16

yet he eventually won the match.
Talk about gutting it out  !!!
Yes, Smolka's alias is "The Last Samurai"

 Green Archer Anton Celdran [rookie]

Blue Eagle Carlo Liay [Rookie of the Year contender]

Veteran Keeper Patrick Deyto,  aka "Deyts", couldn't believe he had to end his UAAP career [last Valentine's day], failing to clear [it happens to the best of them] Atenean Jico Noel's Game Deciding Penalty Kick [which eliminated DLSU from the race].  I started shooting UAAP Football way back 2009, when Patrick was just a rookie.  I've seen him through the past five years of his UAAP odyssey. [Got tons of great images of the guy] No doubt, he should be remembered as one of college football's best.

Real Men Do Cry

[photo above and below]

 UP Fighting Maroon sophomore Gabe Mendoza [left] sheds tears of joy.

Mendoza's 2nd half Goal brings UP to the UAAP Mens' Football Finals for the 3rd straight year.

The Unshed, the Unsaid

I've been witness to it, time and again [up close and personal,even] athletes tasting the bitter bitterness of defeat.  Woulda, Couldda, Shouldda, doubt, depression, disappointment, regret ? - Defeat shreds one's psyche, crushes one's ego - whatever  - the end result is just this - [sorry, I can't really empathize - I'm no jock] horrible [crappy] [helpless?] feeling that can make one "cry" [without actually shedding a tear] or gets one so so stupefied [be in a zombie-like state?] that there are simply no words to say and that there's nothing one can do to alleviate the hurt.

DLSU booter Nace Gonzales

ADM batter

The Ateneo Blue Batters entered the 9th inning of Game Two of the UAAP Baseball Finals leading NU by two [8-6] - Everybody in the Ateneo gallery was all set to whoop it up, yet, Somehow, the undaunted NU batters managed to score 3 points on the bottom of the 9th to complete a most dramatic comeback Win !!! The Final Tally was [NU-9  ADM-8].  With the Finals series tied at 1 all, the Eagles and Bulldogs will clash in a final Winner-Take-All 3rd Match on Friday, Feb.22, at the Rizal Stadium [Game Time is 12 noon].

ADM 2nd baseman Kevin Ramos is dumbfounded.

 So Near Yet So Far
The Green Archers feel the bitterness of being elimenated in the Semis.

The FEU Tamaraws' hopes of entering the Finals are shattered by 
the UP Fighting Maroons.

 Anto Gonzales hugs UP frontliner Jinggoy Valmayor.

Coming through the back door, UP earns a chance to achieve a Three-Peat.

[This  rare feat was last achieved by the Ateneo Blue Eagles]

brosi gonzales