Tribute to Boysie

Francisco (Boysie) Henares played in only 58 games for the Concepcion Carrier team over two PBA seasons, averaging 4.5 points in 1975 and 1976 but despite the brief stint, will be always remembered for his pure love of the game, sportsmanship and dedication. He was never a PBA superstar. But making it to the PBA was a huge accomplishment in itself. Boysie lived his dream of playing in the pros and when it was time to withdraw, he did it with dignity and went on to become a successful finance man.

Boysie was 62 when he passed away last Nov. 9. He suffered a major stroke three weeks earlier and was in a coma until his death. Fans revere Boysie as a star with the Ateneo varsity for which he played multiple positions. His versatility allowed him to shift from guard to forward to center. He played four years with the Blue Eagles and as a senior, was named to the NCAA All-Star team in 1973. This was before Ateneo moved to the UAAP. A diligent student-athlete, Boysie earned a business degree at Loyola in four years.

After playing in the PBA, Boysie pursued a career in finance. He was a branch manager with Urban Bank and his last posting was as CFO of Filoil Flying V. Boysie rekindled his love for basketball with his involvement in the yearly Filoil Flying V tournament.

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During Boysie’s wake at the Santa Maria Della Strada church on Katipunan Road, one of his Ateneo teammates and former Undersecretary of Trade and Industry Tito Panlilio spoke to pay tribute. They were teammates for three seasons. Tito was a rookie in 1969 when Ateneo captured the NCAA title with a lineup that included Joy Cleofas, Marte Samson, Francis Arnaiz, Chito Afable, Jun Ross and Baby Boy Morales. Boysie joined the varsity the next year.

Just as Tito was about to speak, he noticed someone paying his respects at the wake. He was former La Salle star Lim Eng Beng. Boysie was Ateneo’s designated defender on Beng whenever the archrivals faced off during their era. For three seasons, Boysie and Beng were matched up like they were inseparable twins. “Boysie was by far the only guard who could stop Beng’s immaculate shooting sprees,” recalled Tito. “Boysie’s best guarding, however, only meant that Beng was limited to 20 points a game. If it were another player defending Beng, he would have averaged 30 just like that one NCAA game when Beng broke the record for most points with 55.”

Tito invited Beng to speak at the wake and the former Green Archer obliged. “Beng shared that Boysie visited him last year when Beng was physically down and almost out because of a debilitating liver cancer,” said Tito. “There was Boysie, healthy and hale, encouraging and motivating Beng to keep his spirits high and never to surrender in his battle against cancer. But now it was Boysie lying in state. When from the way it looked last year, Beng would have been the one lying in state.

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“Beng also shared that from being archenemies in the NCAA, they became teammates at Concepcion in the MICAA and eventually in the PBA where their friendship bloomed and matured. Beng added that when he was informed of Boysie’s passing, no one could stop him from visiting the wake despite his condition. Beng ended his tribute by bidding Boysie farewell and that even if he didn’t have a driver, he himself drove that night from his West Avenue home just to spend a final moment of respect for his friend.”

Tito said in a noble way, there were similarities between Boysie and Beng. “Both loved and served their alma mater faithfully,” he continued. “I recall that even after graduation, they gamely played pro bono in at least six Ateneo-La Salle Dream Games for charity. Boysie was a consistent player in Ateneo alumni tournaments. He, too, was an active alumnus joining his Ateneo batchmates in most of their shindigs. Boysie’s last service to the Ateneo cause was his playing stint with the Ateneo ‘Katipuneros,’ an alumni team composed of players in their 50s and 60s. This team competed at the 2009 PAL Intersport Tournament in Cebu and won runner-up honors.”

Tito played with Beng on the 1972 NCAA All-Star team that travelled and played in several ASEAN cities with Atoy Co, Miguel Bilbao, Ricky Pineda and Doy Escober. “We won all our games, thanks to the brilliant shooting of Beng and Atoy,” he said. “On the lighter side, Beng amused us with his unassuming comic wit, not to mention his unforgettable standard outfit – his short khaki pants reminiscent of the comedian Bentot’s short pants. What struck me most about Beng was his warm, friendly and humble demeanor, in and out of the court and in spite of being a superstar. Beng’s endearing presence alone and his personal touching tribute at the wake surely made Boysie happy and smiling up there in the heavens. Through a superstar’s eyes and interaction with him, Boysie’s meaning in life – his contribution to society in his lifetime – was uplifted, embellished and immortalized.”