Hapee-Dewfoam debuts in NBC versus Valencia

Hopes are high when the newest team on the block - the Hapee/Dewfoam-backed Mantawi Sparkling Nights - spring into action 6 p.m. today at the Mandaue Cultural and Sports Complex, facing the dangerous Valencia Golden Harvest in the lone 2005 Panasonic-NBC national championship game.

The Sparkling Nights will be bannered by Ardy Larong, Ronald Capati and Reed Juntilla, who are all fresh from their PBL stints, and veteran playmaker Maui Huelar, who played for the Negros Slashers in the defunct MBA and Tribu Sugbu early this season.

Huelar averaged 10 points and league's second best six assists in the first two games of Tribu Sugbu before transferring to Mantawi, which is the Visayan name of Mandaue.

Larong, on the other hand, was a member of the Tribu Sugbu championship team last year that also includes Chico Lañete, Alfie Grijaldo, Dennis Concha and Marvin Mercado of PBL's Granny Goose.

Completing their line-up are Marvin Tundag, Mark Moreño, Christian Antiporda, Christopher Carrestas, Michael Sereno, Jeffrey Bajenting, June Ace Ursal, Aries Gloria, Jeffrey France and Noel Balili and to be mentored by veteran coach Jun Noel.

The team made a courtesy call to Mandaue Mayor Thaddeo "Teddy" Ouano last Friday to officially introduce the team to the city.

Mayor Ouano told the players to play, hard but not rough and show how good the people of Mandaue are.

The Golden Harvest of Mayor Jose Galario, Jr. is still playing with the defending champion Tribu Sugbu at the Minglanilla Sports Center as of presstime.

The ballclub of Hapee's Jack Huang and Dewfoam's Dewey Choachuy, Jr. will be the eighth member and the fourth expansion team of the strong southern conference.

NBC, which is being supported by Panasonic, Sulpicio Lines, Cebu Pacific, Accel, Molten, Spring Cooking Oil, Far Eastern Insurance, Nature's Spring, Skygo Motorcycles, Sirlitz Solutions Provider, Hapee Toothpaste, Dewfoam, Ping Ping Lechon, Bayview Park Hotel and Holiday Plaza-Cebu, is aired every Sunday 4 p.m. over the government-owned National Broadcasting Network and Prime Channel 2 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. daily.