MANILA, Philippines - The Smart-Pampanga Buddies, Quezon Red Oilers and Trace-Laguna Stallions are raring to plunge into action in the Smart Liga Pilipinas Conference III Super Leg beginning Monday at the New Cebu Coliseum, all seeking to deliver the first national championship to Luzon.
The three Luzon-based teams hope to break the domination of the teams from the south that ruled the first two conferences of the country’s premiere community-based league. The M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-Cebu Niños won the inaugural conference last year while the Misamis Oriental Meteors topped this year’s Conference II.
The Buddies, enjoying top form, placed second overall after the 10-leg Tour Phase with 36 points for an automatic slot in the Super Leg. The Manny V. Pangilinan-backed franchise edged the Red Oilers on the last day of the Tour Phase by winning the Apayao leg to finish a point better.