Dwayne Nonato has played a pivotal role in San Beda–Rizal’s resurgence in the NCAA Season 102 Juniors’ Basketball Tournament.
It has been a rollercoaster season for the prestigious high school program, which struggled throughout the first half of the eliminations.
The Red Cubs found themselves with a 1-7 record after eight games, seemingly on course for one of the worst finishes in the program’s storied history.
But Nonato, playing his final season under head coach Britt Reroma at the Taytay, Rizal campus, made sure San Beda would not go down without a fight.
He spearheaded the Red Cubs’ late-season revival, leading them to a 4-1 record to close out the eliminations.
The victories included upsets over some of the NCAA’s top teams, including Group A leaders José Rizal University and second-seeded La Salle Green Hills, as well as Group B’s second-placed Emilio Aguinaldo College.
Their only defeat during that stretch came at the hands of Mapúa-Malayan in a narrow 71-73 loss.
Over his last five games, the senior guard averaged 17.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists while shouldering heavy minutes.
“Masasabi ko lang na ginagawa ko naman yung best ko palagi para mapaganda yung team namin,” the 18-year-old from Cabuyao, Laguna said.
Unfortunately for the Red Cubs, the point guard from Cabuyao, Laguna, sustained an injury in their final elimination-round game against LSGH.
In what was supposed to be a play-in matchup heavily favoring San Beda, which had beaten the winless Lyceum of the Philippines University twice during the eliminations, Nonato’s leg injury proved costly.
Still, he fought through the pain to help his team in its bid to secure a quarterfinal berth on Thursday.
Despite being limited to just 14 minutes of action against the Junior Pirates, Nonato still managed to put up 10 points and three assists.
However, his efforts were not enough as LPU claimed its first win of the season with a 68-67 squeaker at the Filoil Centre, forcing a do-or-die matchup on Saturday.
Nonato was seen in tears after the game, fully aware of how much this season meant to him, particularly with his final year in the program nearing its end and his significant role in the team’s campaign.
“Pina-pray ko na mas mabilis ako maka-recover para makalaro pa ako sa Sabado nang maayos at mas maraming playing time,” he shared.
He also reflected on the long journey that brought him to this point, having started playing basketball as a young boy before going through Colegio San Agustin–Biñan, LSGH, and eventually finding his way to San Beda.
The 6-foot-1 guard recognizes that this season could become one of the biggest blemishes in recent memory for a Red Cubs program long regarded as one of the best in the country.
Still, he is no stranger to success, having been part of the San Beda junior high school squad that finished as silver medalists in the NCAA Season 99 Kiddies Basketball Tournament.
As he hopes to bring that winning experience to the senior high school team before his final year comes to a close, Nonato remains grateful for the opportunity to represent the Red Cubs.
“Syempre, thankful ako dahil binigyan ako ng ganitong opportunity, and every day ko talaga pinaghahandaan,” he added.
The Red Cubs will get one last shot at the Junior Pirates on November 14 at the same venue, with a quarterfinal berth on the line.
