Photo Courtesy Of Sunday Salvacion. Layout By Kervine Tan
Photo Courtesy Of Sunday Salvacion. Layout By Kervine Tan.

Blazing a trail: How Benilde Blazer legend Sunday Salvacion defined an era


From Rookie of the Year to NCAA Champion and MVP, Sunday Salvacion established himself as a Blazer legend. In an exclusive interview with The Benildean, he reflected on the 2000 championship and the lasting impact he made on Benildean history.


By Kobe Balderas, and Aleea Fedillaga | Thursday, 5 December 2024

When De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde joined the NCAA in 1998, they wasted no time making history. By 2000, the Benilde Blazers, led by rising star Sunday Salvacion, captured their first championship, cementing their place in collegiate basketball lore. This is the story of their meteoric rise, the trials that followed, and the enduring legacy of the Taft squad’s golden era.

 

As early as 1991, Benilde had already sent its application to join the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). After years of waiting, the institution was formally introduced as a probationary team in 1998. Despite this temporary status, the newly inducted team from Taft showed no signs of being mere observers in the league.

 

Two years after their induction, the Benilde Blazers stunned the NCAA basketball scene. In just their sophomore season, Season 76, they defied expectations and captured their first-ever championship in 2000. The team showcased grit, determination, and skill, sweeping the highly favored San Sebastian College-Recoletos (SSC-R) Stags in their best-of-three finals series. The victory was not only a statement but a testament to the young program's potential to compete at the highest level.

Dawn of a new era
Before the Taft squad's championship run, their debut season in 1999 offered a preview of what was to come for the program. At the center of this promise was a young Salvacion, a 6’3” talent hailing from Tago, Surigao del Sur. Salvacion’s raw athleticism and court vision immediately stood out, and it became clear that Benilde had found a cornerstone for their budding basketball program.

 

In NCAA Season 75, Salvacion officially announced himself as a formidable force by bagging the coveted Rookie of the Year award. His remarkable combination of size, skill, and scoring ability made him a matchup nightmare for opponents. Salvacion’s breakout performances were instrumental in solidifying the Blazers’ status as contenders in the making.

 

The Benilde Blazers opened Season 76 with sky-high expectations of truly marking themselves as contenders for the title and to further solidify their stay in the grand old league. However, those expectations had a slow start to them, as the Taft squad started the season with a 0-3 record. 

 

In an exclusive interview with The Benildean, Salvacion shared how he, his teammates, and coaches took the challenge early in the season. "First round, hirap talaga kami manalo, [kaya] ang ginawa namin noon kasama ang mga coaching staff at players, nag-usap-usap kami, nagsimula sa training, nag-bonding, kumain [kami] ng magkakasama, at ayun, nung second round sunod-sunod na yung panalo."

 

The team’s early struggle was just a matter of finding their chemistry and building their relationship as a team, a common challenge for a budding team. However, this struggle would eventually benefit the young Benilde squad, allowing them to finish the eliminations round with a 9-5 win-loss record to secure the third spot in the standings and a place in the final four. Salvacion shared how the team only aimed to make it to the final four and how they went past that expectation.

 

Ang goal lang [talaga namin] noon ay makapasok ng semifinals, kasi [alam namin na] napakalakas ng makakatapat namin doon, which is yung Perpetual, [na may] limang players na [naging players sa Philippine Basketball League] PBL.”

 

After an improbable run in the elimination round, the Blazers faced the twice-to-beat University of Perpetual Help System-DALTA (UPHSD). Despite entering the series as heavy underdogs, the Taft squad defied the odds with stellar performances from Salvacion, Jordan Salvador, and Mark Magsumbol to force a thrilling Game 3. With this victory, Benilde secured its first-ever finals appearance after just two years in the league. This set the stage for a showdown against the powerhouse San Sebastian Stags, who were aiming to extend their storied championship legacy after dominating the NCAA from 1993 to 1997.

 

After doubting themselves during their semi-finals matchup against Perpetual, Salvacion and the rest of the Blazers had a different mindset this time around.

 

Alam namin na malakas talaga ‘yung San Sebastian, pero pagkatapos ng laban sa Perpetual, tumaas na ‘yung kumpiyansa ng bawat isa sa amin. Kaya pagdating ng finals, maganda ang laban kasi [nakatalo na kami ng malakas], at iba na talaga ang labanan kapag andiyan na sa finals.”

 

The Blazers entered the finals brimming with confidence, determined to stun the powerhouse San Sebastian Stags and claim their first-ever championship. Behind the leadership of Salvacion and Magsumbol, the Taft squad delivered a commanding performance, sweeping the series and defeating the Stags in two games to secure their historic first title.

 

In the same year, the Taft neighbors of Benilde, the De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Archers also brought home the gold in Season 63 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP), setting up the ultimate championship celebration in Taft. 

 

Shadows of the past

After attaining the championship in Season 76, the last glimmer of gold for the Blazers came in 2002, when the Taft squad met the San Sebastian Stags in the finals once again. This time around, the Stags swept the Blazers in convincing fashion to bring home another title. In the same year, Salvacion earned the Most Valuable Player award, becoming the first Blazer to do so.

 

After Season 78, the Blazers found themselves in a slump, tallying a win-loss record of 6-8 in the following season and a dismal 2-12 slate in Season 80. This struggle continued for several years, resulting in a drought of Final Four appearances, a stark contrast to their promising early years in the league.

 

Inconsistent performances, player turnover, and challenges in recruitment and development hampered the team, leaving fans yearning for a resurgence. As seasons passed, the Blazers became synonymous with rebuilding, with each year carrying hopes of recapturing the glory of Season 76 but falling short of expectations.

 

The final four drought lasted for about 18 years, not until the program saw a resurgence under Coach Ty Tang and his lead assistant coach Charles Tiu that the two would flip things around for the Blazers as they would slowly build the program back where it belonged. The investment and hard work eventually reaped benefits as the Benilde Blazers found themselves back in their winning ways from Season 98 to Season 100 under the leadership of head coach Tiu. They faced back-to-back heartbreaks after losing in the Season 98 finals and then finishing third in Season 99.

 

Keep the fire of hope burning

As the Benilde Blazers return to the finals in NCAA Season 100, Salvacion continues to support the men in green and white from the sidelines in their quest to end the 24-year championship drought. 

 

Kayang kaya natin manalo. Pero nung game 1, natambakan tayo agad tapos ‘di na tayo naka-recover dahil talo tayo sa [rebounding], turnovers, and transition. Pero sigurado ako na nag-viewing sila coach at nag-training sila so may adjustment ‘yan. Sa tingin ko itong game 2, makukuha natin ‘yan. ‘Pag nakuha natin ang game 2, nasa atin ang momentum na naman,” the Blazer legend shared.

 

He also shared a message to the Benilde Blazers and the Benildean community as the team looks to keep their championship hopes alive in the do-or-die Game 2 of the finals, “Sa lahat ng players ng Benilde ngayon, ang masasabi ko lang [ay] sundin niyo lang ang game plan ni coach. ‘Tapos, pagdating natin sa court dapat mayroon tayong angas kasi [sa] nakikita ko wala eh at tsaka ‘wag kayo mag-panic. I-grab natin ang pagkakataon na nandito tayo ngayon.”

 

“Pinaghirapan niyo [ito] mula eliminations at nandito na kayo. Konti na lang. Ibigay niyo lahat ng best niyo. Kunin na natin,” he emphasized.

 

Meanwhile, he called on the Benildean community to support the Blazers by watching the games, “Sa lahat ng mga taga-Benilde, suportahan natin ang school natin. Manood tayo ng game.”

 

As Salvacion reminisced about his collegiate career, he fondly shared, “Mas masaya maglaro sa NCAA kaysa sa PBA. Kaya ‘pag nanonood ako iba talaga ang pakiramdam, iba talaga pag labanan ng school.” Despite the decades that have gone by, there is truly no love lost for his alma mater and the NCAA. 

 

With unwavering determination and the echoes of greatness guiding their way, the Benilde Blazers step into the finals not just to compete, but to honor the legacy of those who came before them. Salvacion’s impact serves as a beacon, inspiring the team to rise above challenges and push beyond their limits.

 

This is more than a game, it is an opportunity to etch their own story in a bold pursuit to cement their names in NCAA history and solidify their place among the league’s most storied teams.