2006 SCBHABA season unfolds today

An exciting double-header will kick off the 2006 San Carlos Boys High Alumni Basketball Association (SCBHABA) season dubbed as "Atan Guardo Cup" at 1 pm today at the USC Boys High gym along Gen. Maxilom Avenue, this city.

In the first game at 2:30 pm, Class '70s will square off with the Cebu Eastern College (CEC) Class '60s, while defending champion Class '85 will tackle Class '82/88 in the main attraction at 4:30 pm.

Prior to the start of hardcourt hostilities, a parade of competing squads along with their respective muses will take place at 1 pm.

Class '85 is the odds-on favorite over Class '82/88 as the reigning champs boasts of one of the league's most deadliest tandem in last year's All-Star MVP Lou Regidor and regular season MVP Edwin Banaag.

The merged Class '82/88 forces though couldn't be taken lightly as it has also the vaunted one-two punch of John Andrew Auza and Dindo Sausa.

In the season-opener, Class '70s is expected to parade RP's living basketball legend in Ramon "El Presidente" Fernandez together with Paul Abais and Tata Merced, who is now one of the assistant coaches of M. Lhuillier-Cebu City in the Mindanao Visayas Basketball Association (MVBA).

The abovementioned teams are bracketed under Division I that also include Class '80 of SCBHABA vice president Earl Balankig, Class '81/'84 of Michael Balankig, Class '83/'87 of Jess Gerali and Paris Simene and Class '86 of noted sportsman Jonathan L. Guardo.

Division II, on the other hand, is composed of reigning division title-holder Class '94, 2005 CEC Friendship Cup titlist Sirlitz '95, 2004 Inter-Alumni champion and SCAHABA ruler Atan Guardo '93, Class '96 of Maye Abenido and Blue Espinoza, Class '97 of Chad Noval and CECABA Class '95 of Donald Anthony Ting and Dean Dy Teves.

The tournament follows a double round robin format in the elimination round, with the top four teams per bracket advancing into the quarterfinals where the top two teams enjoy a twice-to-beat incentive over the lower-ranked squads.

The survivors will then set up a titular showdown for the division championship, with the winners clashing for the 2006 SCBHABA Atan Guardo Cup crown in a best-of-three series.