Carvajal's big game

Since news broke out that former Crispa cager Ed Carvajal is alive despite paralysis from the neck down after undergoing surgery to remove a tumor in the brain in 1975, calls and texts from well-wishers have eased the family’s burden.

A Redmanizer fan phoned to offer money. When informed it wasn’t necessary, the fan said she would ask Carvajal’s older brother Lito how her gang of Crispa fans could help. She hadn’t forgotten about Carvajal who played on three Crispa title squads in 1974. But she often wondered whatever happened to him. Now, Crispa fans can rally to pray for the stricken cager.

Pet Bautista sent this text: “Beautiful, beautiful story on Ed Carvajal. Truly inspiring story with my utmost respect for Lito.”

Martin Gregorio, whose three sons (Pato, Ryan and Allan) are involved in sports, also sent a text: “Ed Carvajal – the original Filipino giant idol of the hardcourt. A lot of speculation when he underwent that emergency operation. One was that he accidentally bumped his head against the low (for giants) concrete ceiling while leaving the court at Rizal Coliseum. I recall Dr. Victor Reyes, one of the country’s best neurosurgeons ever, telling me some 25 years later about that surgery. He was a member of the UP Board of Regents and I was the Board secretary. Pang telenovela ang article mo. Nakakabagbag damdamin talaga. I hope his daughter reads the story and visits her father. After all, she only has one father.”

Gloria Garcia, whose son Caloy coaches Rain Or Shine in the PBA, sent this text: “A million thanks for a beautiful article. Now I pray that the Holy Spirit touches their hearts (Carvajal’s wife and daughter who left him 30 years ago to live in the US) and give him one more chance to embrace his family.”

One of Carvajal’s best games was when he led Jose Rizal College to a 91-89 win over La Salle in a “dream game” between two NCAA champions at the Green Archers gym on Taft Avenue in 1973. La Salle won the title in 1971 and Jose Rizal, 1972. The contest was organized by the De La Salle Alumni Association to generate scholarship funds. It hardly received media attention but I was a witness in the stands. I was then a La Salle student.

Carvajal, a 6-6 center, was joined in the Jose Rizal squad by the Cezar brothers Philip and David, Jess Sta. Maria, Cris Calilan, Melchor Rabadon and Rafael Lopez. The Archers lineup included Lim Eng Beng, Doy Escober, Pitloy Mirasol, Miguel Bilbao, Alex Malixi and Sonny Dizon.

La Salle raced to an 8-0 lead but the Bombers battled back to tie it, 12-all. Carvajal hit three consecutive jumpers to fuel Jose Rizal’s surge. The Archers, however, stayed in control and opened a nine-point lead at 40-31. La Salle led, 46-42, at the half with Carvajal and Beng showing the way with 10 points apiece.

Jose Rizal went on top, 64-63, midway the second half as the Cezar brothers took charge. There were eight deadlocks from 70 to 84-all. With a minute to go, Bilbao knocked down a 20-footer as La Salle moved ahead, 89-88. But David Cezar countered to make it 90-89 for Jose Rizal.

Time was down to 45 ticks when Beng flubbed two free throws. Calilan was fouled in the next play and sank one of two foul shots as the Bombers went up, 91-89. Bilbao drove in for a layup but Carvajal blocked it off the back iron. Jose Rizal won in a cliffhanger.

Carvajal finished with 20 points in a dominating performance. His block in the dying seconds preserved the Bombers’ victory. It was a shining moment in Carvajal’s storybook career. He never made it to the PBA. At 24, Carvajal underwent brain surgery and ended his basketball story about a month before the PBA was launched.

Thanks to La Salle alumni Bambi Guevarra and Marc Cabrera for providing insights and stats of the “forgotten” game.

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For the record, the non-Metro Manila qualifiers for the Powerade Batang PBA national finals were the La Salle Titans from Bacolod, University of San Carlos South from Cebu, Ateneo from Davao, Blue Team from Zamboanga, Kubong Sawali All-Stars from Baguio and St. Bridget from Batangas. The Bacolod, Zamboanga and Baguio legs pulled in 10 teams each.

In the end, Talk ‘N’ Text-Quezon City clinched its fourth title overall in seven stagings of Batang PBA. Coach Mark Herrera’s Tropang Texters beat B-Meg-Caloocan, 92-68, for the championship as Jolo Mendoza, bagging his second MVP trophy, scored 29 points. Dating back to the Metro Manila leg, Talk ‘N’ Text won 11 in a row. In a previous game, Mendoza hit 46 to lead Talk ‘N’ Text to a 97-75 victory over Bacolod. The Texters downed Cebu, 97-39, behind Mendoza’s 30 points in the semifinals.

Bacolod settled for third place, upending Cebu, 69-56, in a playoff.

The standouts from the non-Metro Manila teams were Jose Frederick Antiporda and Scott Aying of Cebu who joined Mendoza, Talk ‘N’ Text’s John Vincent Gallego and B-Meg’s Junel Nacpil in the mythical five selection. Other promising provincial players were Mark Berame of Cebu, Joey Oria of Bacolod and Vince Louie Oga of Zamboanga.