CEBU, Philippines — University of Cebu (UC) Webmasters head coach Kenneth Kernn Sesante has formally appealed before the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) to reconsider his ejection during their highly-physical match against the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) Jaguars last Tuesday, November 7, at the Cebu Coliseum.
The Webmasters drubbed the Jaguars, 73-59, to stretch their record start to 8-0, by far their best ever showing in the league’s 23-year history.
But it wasn’t smooth-sailing for the Webmasters.
They have to deal with a sluggish start and ejection of their chief strategist before keeping their unbeaten record intact.
Sesante, known for his cool demeanor, was thrown out of the game after a rare outburst at an official early in the third period.
In the controversial play that caused Sesante to blow his top, USJ-R team captain Justine Jules Langres drove hard against Danie Boy Lapiz, sending the UC cager down on the floor grimacing in pain.
Referee Roland Yamelo then whistled Lapiz for a flopping violation that meant an automatic technical for the Webmasters.
Out of frustration believing that it should have been an offensive foul as Langres initiated full contact against Lapiz, Sesante resented to Yamelo’s call, from which he received two consecutive technicals resulting to his banishment from the playing court.
As a consequence, Sesante will serve an automatic one-game suspension plus a P10,000 fine and four-hour community service, according to CESAFI deputy commissioner Boyet Velez.
In a letter addressed to CESAFI commissioner Felix “Boy” O. Tiukinhoy Jr. dated November 8, Sesante requests for a thorough review of the incident with hopes that the technical fouls given by Yamelo to Lapiz and the UC coaching staff be recalled.
“In all honesty, the initial call against UC’s Lapiz for “technical foul for flopping” is totally aberrant under the circumstances. As head coach of the UC Webmasters, it would be very remiss of me to simply fold my arms in silence after seeing the patently erroneous call against out team,” Sesante stated.
“Certainly, referees are not perfect human beings and they too are susceptible to mistakes. An ordinary foul for blocking would have been an “acceptable” call, but not a technical foul for flopping that smacks of bad faith and grave abuse of discretion. The video unmistakably shows that there was full contact between Langres and Lapiz,” Sesante continued.
Dondon Hontiveros, one of UC’s assistant coaches, is also imploring the CESAFI technical committee to review the highly questionable play and reconsider Sesante’s ejection.
“Based from our angle, naa gyu’d toy contact nakita gyud namo. I think sa angle ra sad sa referee, natabonan tingali nga ni-flop but sa amo angle nakita is naa gyud mao to ingon ato ang reaction in coach Kernn. Kabawo ta ni coach Kernn usa na sa pinaka-coolest demeanor gyud. Well kay lubong ta, ni-rally mi ato unya crucial to but again based sa akong angle, nakita gyud nako nga naay contact then wa lang gyud kapugong si coach Kernn,” said Hontiveros.
“Ang amo lang unta hangyo ato is wala lang ta ma-thrown out kay I think makasabot ta nganong na-technical or ing-ana or even just a warning, but again decision na siya sa referee makasabot ta ana. So ang amo lang ato is nga na-surprise mi kay nahatagan og lain nga technical that resulted to his ejection and I think mo-serve siya’g one-game suspension. I hope ma-review na,” added the former hardcourt star turned public servant.
Furthermore, Sesante wants the league to impose sanctions against Yamelo for incompetency and grave abuse of discretion.
“Finally, I most respectfully beg for dispensation for my natural reaction to what I perceived as glaring unfairness against our team. It was purely an expression of love for the game of basketball and care for competition. I had no intention whatsoever to disrespect the league or to embarrass or to deride the referees. I have always exemplified calmness and composure. In fact for all the years that I have been with the CESAFI, this is the first and only time that my passion got the best of me,” Sesante ended.