Loveofthegame

I came to like basketball game when I was about
nine years young. On several occasion while playing at
the Tigbauan plaza, I see big, tall players among them
were Jose Hilado, Salvado Hilado, Ramon Tueres, Sr.,
Jose Canto Sr., Rafael Canto, Leopoldo Travina Sr.,
Enrique Tavarro. That was long time ago about the years
of the late fifties. During those years there were no hook
shots, no back dribble.

In front of the present Tigbauan municipal building
there used to be a rough and dusty basketball court.
Two coconut posts were planted north and south about
25 yards between each post. The boards were made of
wood and painted white with three capital letters
written in black paint, "TAC" meaning Tigbauan Athle-
tic Club. According to former Tigbauan Mayor Celso
Ledesma, the TAC organization was founded in 1936
and the founders were Manuel Tabalada Sr., Leopoldo
Travina Sr., Epifanio Tuclaud, Ramon Tueres Sr.,
Salvador Hilado, and Enrique Tavarro.

In the early fifties, talented young players from Tigba-
uan High School (THS) emerged. Among the stars that
shines very brightly were; Jose Trasporto, Alex Gaya-
mat, Rudy Talaiba, Jhonny Hilado, and Antonio Aldon.
These players captured the Championship Trophy,
" SWIPSAL" meet- South Western Iloilo Public Schools
Athletic League, now called FCDSA-First Congressional.

Since that time, THS Championship Trophy, became the
inspiration of young tigbauan players. As the towns
of Miagao, and Oton were trying their best to improve
their players, more talented players in Tigbauan were
also on their way up giving more power defending the
championship crown. The stars of this THS team were
Fermin Trofeo Jr., Manuel Titular, Pater Torrecampo,
Ernesto Hilado, Rufino Tueres, and Tomas Torrato.
These guys were equipped with shooting accuracy
and power rebounds that posed a great threat to the
opposing teams. These guys also started another game
style, fast breaks, accurate passing and rebounds.
This team also led to the formation of the "Crusaders"
a Roman Catholic basketball team administered by
"Father Garzon" parish priest of Tigbauan during that
time. The team was however, dismantled when Father
Garzon left the Tigbauan parish and transferred to
another assignment.

While Tigbauan basketball stars continue to shine in
the province of Iloilo, there were teams from other
towns that visits our place on weekends. I can still
remember a team from Fundidor, Iloilo which mostly
on every other weekends comes to Tigbauan to play
against our TAC" Our Fathers team-TAC Seniors. One
of the players from Fundidor can shoot and sink the
ball into the basket without looking at the board or
the ring. His name was "MOWHAT". One day, one of our
TAC player "Piniano Teruel", tried to imitate the Fundi-
dor player shooting the ball without looking at the ring,
fotunately, Piniano Teruel sank the ball to the basket.
That led to naming Piniano Teruel as (Piniano MOWHAT
Teruel). At the present time, you can see Mowhat Teruel
not in the basketball court but as referee in the cock-
fighting arena (Bulangan) in Tigbauan.

During the mid-fifties, Tigbauan High School team
continues to dominate the entire first district of
Iloilo. At the provincial meet in Iloilo, the towns of
Tigbauan, Dumangas, and the Iloilo Provincial High
School, were the top contenders every year. Those
were the times of the famous great Iloilo player "Mike
Buenaflor" of the Iloilo Provincial High School.

"Mike Buenaflor", a mascular, heavy, tall player,
controls the entire ballgame with lots of power in the
rebounds and shooting inside the paint areas. He was
an MVP type of a player.

Tigbauan team sometimes beat Dumangas, but never got a
chance to beat the Provincial High. Our players did not give up
hope for a provincial championship, they however tried and
tried every year but to no avail.

Our players graduated from THS with high hope that some-
day Tigbauan can beat them. Fermin Trofeo Jr. was admit-
ted to ISAT school of arts and trade, Antonio Aldon went
to Manila, Ernesto Hilado, to Davao City, Pater Torrecampo
went somewhere in Iloilo, Rufino Tueres joined the Phil.
Air Force, while Manuel Titular, stayed in Tigbauan.

TAC organization produced three more good players with
potentials for collegiate basketball. "Mario Tugado", a
langky 5'11 Center, Pedro Titular, 5'10 Guard, and Piniano
Mowhat Teruel, 5'10 forward. These three players were
among the top names for college varsity basketball.
Piniano Mowhat Teruel was offered a job at 7up bottling
Co. which he accepted but later resigned and went some-
where out of Iloilo. Mario Tugado and Pedro Titular, be-
came varsity players of (CPU) Jaro- Central Philippine Uni-
versity. Years later they landed on playing with one of the
Sugar Centrals in Negros Occidental.

TAC, made a lot of progress in developing more players
like Bienvenido Trofeo, Reynaldo (Bodoy) Librodo, Rolan-
do Tavarro, Remegio (Meme) Calasara, Benjamin Segovia,
Ramon Tauro Tueres, Romeo Aldon, Serafin Teruel, Luis
Teruel Gonzales, Luis Aldon, Nestor Taleon, Ermilo Tuvida,
Rolando Trillana, Joselito Tejiro, Rodolfo (Ompo) Torrato,
Miguel De Los Santos, and many other players with college
varsity potentials. "Remegio (Meme) Calasara was offered
to play for VCC-Visayan Central College, in Iloilo for the
PRISAA leauge. He accepted the offer but was not able to
play due to residence status. Upon graduation from Tigbauan
High School, some of the players went to college, others
joined the Philippine Air Force. "Rolando Tavarro " was
accepted at UP Iloilo varsity team, Serafin Teruel to CPU
varsity team, Bodoy Librodo to ICC Engineering Team, Nestor
Taleon to San Agustin Iloilo College of Commerce, Miguel
De Los Santos, Rodolfo (Ompo) Torrato, Luis Teruel Gonzales,
joined the Philippine Air Force.

The most admiring progress made by the TAC organization
was by keeping the players of Tigbauan informed that the
Municipality of Tigbauan is one among of the best towns
in the province of Iloilo with regards to producing good bas-
ketball players.

After the players of the early fifties left Tigbauan, a new
breed of junior players emerged again . These players were
concentrated with a new style of playing particularly team
coordination, team work and play. They called themselves
"The Group", and their team captain, the "eagle-eyed, Nelson
(Doding) Taleon. The team memebers were: Ernesto Gonzales,
Isidoro Tumimbang, Romeo Cayetano, Donato (Kaisek) Dy Jr.,
Ner Torrilla, Bernie Hilado, Edgardo Velez, and Armando
Camandillo. I was at that time in a different team team with
Nestor Ledesma, Nestor Tenefrancia, Ticoy Titular, and Adan
Tuvilla. Our team cannot get any win in every game we play
against the "Group Team". One summer time, a team from
Iloilo City "Columbian Squires", came to Tigbauan to play
against our midgets team. Tigbauan selection for Midgets
team was conducted before the game that day luckily I was
one of the players selected along with the "Group Team",
Pedro Titular was named Coach for the selection. We
played against the Iloilo and we won. That was one of my
memorable moments in my basketball experience.