Coming Up: School Sports

With the summer over, the rains starting to pour and the rush hour traffic getting worse, you know it’s class time once again. Welcome to the schoolyear 2013-2014. Aside from the start of classes per se, June always comes with a lot of eager anticipation of the coming season for sports as well. So what’s up this year? Who will pull surprises? Who will reign?

This early, basketball is obviously drawing a lot of interest primarily because most of the college teams have bulked up over the summer. It’s no secret that the age of the Cameroonians has dawned on Cebu (aside from Manila), with favorites Southwestern University (SWU), University of the Visayas (UV), University of San Carlos (USC) and University of Cebu (UC) tapping the services of the country’s favorite imports. SWU may have lost Ben Mbala but they have two (or three) new Cameroonians who are ready to tell us all not to miss Big Ben. UV has done the same, and more. Words have it that they even have Cameroonians ready to play for their high school team. Talk about being one step ahead. If you want to see all these imports, they’re all playing tonight at the Cebu Coliseum unless they’re suddenly “hidden” for unknown reasons. This early, basketball fans are talking about a SWU-UV rematch for the finals without even giving the others a chance. SWU spent its summer playing in the Filoil League in Manila, having the opportunity to clash with Manila schools. They didn’t make the playoffs but learned a lot of lessons and gained the much-needed experience and exposure. UV won the CESAFI Partners cup title over the summer, defeating Cebu Institute of Technology-University (CIT-U) in the finals. Incidentally, CIT-U is one of the teams that has decided to go with an all-Pinoy line-up this schoolyear (as we speak). You never know, they might just suddenly show up with their own import when the season starts.

If the collegiate scene will be a two-team affair, the high school arena is totally different. The battle for the title is seen to be very close among Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu, UV, USC, Cebu Eastern College and CIT-U. The biggest move in the pre-season was the arrival of former San Beda Juniors coach Britt Reroma to USC. Reroma is no small fry of a coach, having won three straight NCAA championships at San Beda before parting ways with the nation’s winningest juniors team in history. His arrival alone was a big boost to USC’s campaign. An indicator of things to come was when USC beat UV in the game for third place at the Cebu Elite Basketball League Friendship Cup last week. It sure looks like the old days of Nino Ramirez, Bogs Llanto and Zach Estoesta may be back for the Baby Warriors. The Magis Eagles and Baby Lancers have had to go through major line-up changes with most of their seniors graduating last season, thus not giving them a guaranty of a top two finish this year. Former CESAFI champions CEC and CIT-U have also been tough opponents, and have also built up their line-ups through their developmental teams and recruitment.

But while basketball will do the usual shaking up of the sports pages, football is also doing a little stirring of its own. University of San Jose Recoletos (USJR) has continued to prove to be the most consistent collegiate team in Cebu, while USC never seems to be able to live up to expectations despite the presence of some of the best talents ever assembled. This will be another interesting development worth watching as fans await the different player movements in terms of building up and getting better. The high school scene is expected to be another tight battle among SHS-Ateneo de Cebu, Don Bosco Technology Center, Abellana National School and PAREF Springdale. While SHS-AdC and Don Bosco play in the CESAFI, the four will renew their rivalries in the other traditional leagues such as the Milo Little Olympics, City Olympics, CVIRAA and the Aboitiz Football Cup. The big question is if SHS-AdC can score a repeat of their sweep of all the major championships last schoolyear: CVIRAA, Milo Little Olympics, CESAFI and Aboitiz Football Cup.

And there’s even more: Milo-backed BEST SBP Passerelle Twin Tournament for basketball, the Milo Little Olympics, the CVIRAA, and all the other CESAFI events: Volleyball has also picked up in terms of following and support. Then there’s the Palarong Pambansa where the Central Visayas finished with a historical third place in the over-all standings.

All these and more coming your way in the schoolyear 2013-2014. Can’t wait.

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Time-out: Happy birthday to Bebot Licuanan! >>> You can reach me at [email protected].