Zobel Junior Archers - History With The UAAP

History With The UAAP

The Junior Archers, together with the De La Salle Green Archers, joined the University Athletic Association of the Philippines in 1986, when De La Salle University picked De La Salle-Santiago Zobel School to be its representative in the Junior (High School) division. De La Salle Zobel was chosen, in spite of La Salle Green Hills being DLSU's junior representative in the NCAA from 1968 to 1981, because the NCAA rejected LSGH's entry due to riots sparked in the past.

From the time that the Junior Archers joined the UAAP in 1986 until it won its very first basketball championship in Season 68 (2005-06), the Junior Archers' achievements were considered to be moderate at best. The team never finished last.

During UAAP Season 68 (2005-06), the Junior Archers won its first UAAP Juniors basketball title when it swept the UPIS Junior Maroons, 2-0. It was also De La Salle's first Juniors title in either the NCAA or the UAAP since 1955, when the De La Salle Greenies of the then existing De La Salle College High School in Taft Avenue, Manila led by De La Salle basketball great—Kurt Bachmann, won 1955 NCAA Junior Basketball championship.

After its year-long suspension in UAAP Season 69 (2006-07) due to the ineligibility scandal that rocked the whole Lasallian community, the Junior Archers, together with their seniors counterparts the De La Salle Green Archers, won the "double championship" in men's basketball the next season. The Junior Archers swept the defending champions Ateneo de Manila Blue Eaglets to claim their second juniors basketball title in three years.

In the Season 71 of the UAAP, the Junior Archers were the favorites to win their third straight UAAP Juniors Basketball Championship. DLSZ finished second in the standings behind the Ateneo de Manila Blue Eaglets and gained a twice-to-beat advantage and to face the FEU-FERN Baby Tamaraws. Unfortunately, the Baby Tamaraws surprised and swept the two-time defending champions eliminating them as they failed to defend their crown.

The Junior Archers would return to the finals in Season 72, finishing atop the team standings with a 12-2 record and then avenged last year's final four loss to the Baby Tamaraws. However, in the finals, they fell in a hard-fought three-game series to the defending champions Ateneo Blue Eaglets.

Despite having a young roster for Season 73, the Junior Archers still overachieved with a 7-7 record, finishing in a tie for fourth. They would defeat the FEU-FERN Baby Tamaraws in the fourth-place playoff to qualify for the step-ladder phase (the Blue Eaglets finished the season undefeated after 14 games). They then upset the NU Bullpups in a low-scoring affair before bowing to the UST Tiger Cubs in the second step-ladder phase.

In the spirit of De La Salle Philippines's "One La Salle"(all 18-La Salle campuses in the Philippines are under De La Salle Philippines. Inc. headed by Brother Armin Luistro FSC who is also concurrently the President of De La Salle University-Manila), the La Salle Greenies are currently CSB's juniors reps in the NCAA while the Zobel Junior Archers are DLSU's juniors reps in the UAAP.

(2012) After acquiring top high school recruits Renzo Subido, Alfred Sajulga and Aleck Melecio from Lourdes School Mandaluyong and the following year Alexandre Saubier, Justin Wieneke and Emilio Tuason, Kyle Brent Quintos from Colegio San Augustin Makati, Quinito Banzon from Homeschool and Jerimiah Vizmonte from Lasalle Greenhills, the future for the Jr. Archers looks bright.