3-peat for MHS boys basketball team

The Marianas High School Dolphins have cemented their dynasty with three consecutive championships in the IT&E Interscholastic Boys' High School Basketball League, bouncing back against formidable rivals, the Saipan Southern High School Manta Rays, in a double-elimination tournament that had the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium rocking with cheers from their supporters.

The entire gym trembled with the intensity of cheers from all sides as supporters from both schools filled the stands with their screams, banners, and chants. The drama and excitement mirrored what was happening on the court, as MHS vied for the title on Friday night and as SSHS fought for a shot at a second and final game last Saturday.

The Manta Rays forced a do-or-die final game after winning the first game, 50-44, last Friday night. The rematch last Saturday morning could have gone either way, but the Dolphins sealed the win in a hotly contested showdown, 48-46.

The final clash on Saturday began much like Friday's game, with SSHS building an early lead over MHS in the first few minutes. The Dolphins struggled to keep up as they watched the scoreboard shift in favor of the Manta Rays, who led 9-1 after open buckets from Jezpher Navarro, Kian Helgen, and Matthew Peters.

However, the Dolphins' starting five, including Carl Sanchez, found their rhythm, scoring 6 straight points to close the gap to 7-9 with 14 minutes left in the first half. It was now the Manta Rays' turn to falter, as they were stuck at 9 points with just four minutes left while MHS capitalized on their momentum, ending the half with a 29-16 lead.

In the second half, the Manta Rays came out with renewed vigor, determined not to let their efforts from Friday go to waste. Despite MHS holding a solid 36-22 lead midway through the last half, Navarro found open space and hit consecutive 3-pointers to narrow the deficit. However, MHS responded with each shot, just narrowly extending their lead by a few points.

A late rally from SSHS made for a tense finish, with each possession met with bated breath by the crowd and the teams. Danny Defang hit a desperation 3-pointer with just seconds left, but it was too little, too late. As the final buzzer sounded, MHS clinched their third consecutive championship by just two points, 48-46.

In Friday night’s game, the Manta Rays started it off with an early advantage as they led the Dolphins, 14-7, but execution from inside the paint allowed MHS to bounce back and reclaim the lead later in the game. At the end of the first half, the Dolphins sat with just a 2-point margin, 26-24.

MHS then maintained a 10-point advantage in the second half, thanks to back-to-back 3s by Kenny Laquian and contributions from Carl Sanchez that had SSHS reeling and barely holding on. However, MHS lost their groove, attempting too many 3-pointers that went nowhere, while the Manta Rays took advantage, chipping away at the lead with sure plays.

If it wasn’t a mad scramble before, it became one with less than five minutes left as MHS tried to regain control of the game and widen their lead. However, it was too little, too late. SSHS' momentum, drive, and determination for another shot at the trophy were fueled by their screaming supporters, who were all on their feet.

Time seemed to slow as the game clock wound down, but the action on the court never let up. Heman Addy turned the tables to retake the lead, and their defense didn’t allow another shot from MHS. Kian Helgen then took matters into his own hands, securing the final points with consecutive free throws to win by six.

The championship team included Kenny Laquian, Rance Surla, Dereck Rangamar, Webb Alano, Nolan Cultura, Elijah Ye, Joseph Pangelinan, Jayvan Johnny, Marc Tengco, Tyler Omelau, Paul Lizama, Carl Sanchez, Evan Cabrera, Rusty Santos, and Dane Tibayan.

MHS head coach Dan Wollak said of their third straight championship after the awards ceremony, “it feels incredible just seeing all their hard work put in pay off. We had a lot of turnover from last year so it’s a very different team, but this was an awesome journey with these boys and I’m so proud of them.”

After SSHS took the first win on Friday, Wollak was asked if he had any doubt in his team’s ability to bounce back and claim the championship. He said, “I’m not going to lie that 9-1 start was worrying—not just the score but just how they were playing. They were just playing tight, but then we got a couple buckets and you could just see their spirits left and they got right back into it and played Dolphin basketball. When they play Dolphin basketball, we’re one heck of a team.”

On playing the Manta Rays in this year’s finals once again, he said, “every year, they’re a tough opponent… They play hard, they play tough, and they play physical… That’s also my former school—my wife works there, so it’s kind of extra special every time we play Southern.”

For Tengco, an MHS junior and a starter in the team, he said, “we were really excited to play and we knew it was going to be a tough game. But we pulled through and we were just really excited about that.”