More to come from MVPs of IVYBL

The San Antonio 69ers recently capped a perfect season, in which they won all seven regular season games and two playoff matches, followed by winning the 2005 Island-wide Village Youth Basketball League championship.

Many of the cagers in the squad have stressed that the biggest key in their success is the focus on teamwork.

Three big pieces to the 69ers puzzle lay on the capable hands of guards Jake Maratita and Matt Sablan and center Bill Babauta, and their presence on the court gained notice from opening day.

The last thing on Maratita and Sablan’s minds, however, were individual awards, but at the end of the 14-and-under cage fest, the two were surprised with top honors and were recognized for their relentless efforts.

For his part, Babauta was credited with being a key force in the 69ers’ championship run. He ended up being the recipient of the regular season MVP trophy after Sablan graciously presented the hardware to him.

“Most of the things…we depend on [Bill],” Sablan said during an interview. “He’s mostly getting up for the rebounds, and he can even score inside and out, and he always shares the ball, so I wanted him to take it because I didn’t expect to win it. I was sitting down thinking Bill was going to get it.”

According to league officials, Sablan’s consistency on both ends of the court and team play convinced them he was MVP material.

“Teamwork was our main thing,” Sablan said. “I really enjoy playing with my teammates and I enjoy setting up my teammates. That’s my game and all I care about is the championship.”

Maratita’s courage during the dying minutes of their title-clinching bout against the Garapan Rollers resulted in him getting the votes for playoffs MVP.

He scored 13 points in the decisive fourth quarter, stepping up soon after Babauta fouled out without even thinking of the award.

“I didn’t even think of it. They were catching up and I felt I had to try to step up, especially when Bill fouled out…he’s our main guy,” Maratita said. “I was limping but all I was thinking of was winning because it’s our last year [in IVYBL]. When it’s crunch time, it’s a win or lose situation, so I decided to step up.”

He wound up with a game-high 22 points as the 69ers defeated the G-Rollers, 64-54, last May 12 at the Garapan Basketball Court no less.

Meanwhile, Babauta led the 69ers in scoring in the regular season, finishing a close second in the scoring race after pouring in 80 points in six outings for a notable 13.3 average per game.

“I think I did pretty good helping my team out and I’m thankful they helped me too,” Babauta said. “We helped each other and did what we needed to do and we got the job done.”

The three players also credited coach Ray Duenas for their achievements.

“It’s fun having coach Ray around,” Babauta said. “He’s always telling us about his experience and what he learned when he was young, and we know we can learn a lot from him.”

All three players are now aiming at the competition in the 2005 Saipan Rotary Youth Basketball League and possibly the BANMI 25-and-under cage league next season. Maratita currently plays in the 25-and-under with brothers John and Josh Sablan in Ulloa.

Maratita also hopes to join Babauta on the Saipan Southern High School basketball team after sitting out last season, while focusing on his responsibilities as freshmen class president.

Babauta, who at 14 years of age already stands at 6’0, is setting is eyes on becoming a member of the CNMI National team in the future.

“That’s what I’ve been aiming for,” he said. “I’m just trying to make a name for myself and hopefully I can get into one of those teams.”