Bogo teams CRMC, CBSAA see light in face of adversity

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu Roosevelt Memorial Colleges (CRMC) Mustangs and the City of Bogo Science and Arts Academy (CBSAA) Trailblazers, the two teams from Cebu’s northern city of Bogo that got embroiled in controversy in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) recently, have somehow found light amidst the slings and arrows that smacked their way.

The Mustangs have to deal with the successive suspensions of star guards Paulo Dalumpines and Keaton Clyde Taburnal due to “unsportsmanlike conduct” in their games against the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) Jaguars and University Cebu (UC) Webmasters, respectively.

But the Mustangs seemed to have learned their lessons well.

Gamely rising above the challenge, the Mustangs hammered the University of San Carlos (USC) Warriors, 74-54, before escaping past the University of the Philippines (UP) Cebu Fighting Maroons, 76-74, on Tuesday night in a big shot in the arm for the embattled squad.

Dalumpines sizzled with 15 points in their two-point cliffhanger against UP Cebu, while Taburnal returned from a two-game suspension with 13 points to help the Mustangs secure their first ever back-to-back wins in Cebu’s premiere inter-school athletic league.

“Inspite of the adversity we faced, we stay composed and confident specially during games to show to the fans that we belong in this league,” said CMRC head coach Paul Alelu Flores.

“I reminded the players that these challenges are nothing but a test of character for us as a team. And we always act to make our CRMC community proud,” added the two-time UAAP champion with the Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws during his prime.

On the other hand, the Trailblazers crushed the Cebu Institute of Technology-University (CIT-U) Baby Wildcats, 81-58, for their first victory of the season.

June Brian Alipato sizzled with 17 points, 13 rebounds, and three assists as the Trailblazers snapped out of their four-game jinx on the very day that their player Franz Jefferey Aballe was slapped with a two-game suspension plus a P10,000 fine for “intentionally causing physical harm” to Nicolas Yu of the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC) Magis Eagles during their match last Sunday.

“We will continue dancing until there is still music playing. With all the issues, we are not only playing for the name of our school but also fighting for our beloved hometown of Bogo City,” said Marc Malazarte, who is the team manager of both the Mustangs and Trailblazers.