CEC Dragons make history (First-ever Grand Slam champions in CESAFI 12 Under basketball)

CEBU, Philippines — Mission accomplished for the Cebu Eastern College (CEC) Dragons.

Breathing fire from start to finish, the Dragons swept the Cebu Institute of Technology-University (CIT-U) Baby Wildcats in their best-to-three finals with a dominant 88-42 Game 2 victory to complete a historic Grand Slam in the 12 Under division of the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) Season 25 basketball tournament on Sunday, February 8, at the Cebu Coliseum.

Perseus Berame top-scored with 14 points while Finals MVP Francis Jeevan Macalisang added 13 points as the undefeated Dragons etched their names in stone as the first ever team to clinch three consecutive crowns in the elementary category of Cebu’s premier inter-school athletic league with an amazing 25-0 record since their breakthrough success in 2023.

“Sa tinuoray lang, wa koy kasudlan sa akong kalipay,” said CEC head coach Mark Tallo. “Lipay ug proud kaayo ko sa mga bata. Kaduha mi mag-praktis sa usa ka adlaw ug wala mi bakasyon. Nagbunga gyud ang ilang kahago ug sakripisyo.”

Amievo Lastimosa and James Jumao-as chipped in 10 points each, while Shariff Samad, Kein Ricafort, John Certifico, and Caine Benabaye caught part of the spotlight with 31 combined points in a balanced offensive performance for the Dragons, who at one point led by an eye-popping 48 points in the closing seconds of the lopsided contest.

Prior to that, the outcome of the match was already crystal clear when the Easternians blitzed to hot 32-12 start and then padded it to an imposing 50-19 bulge at the break.

The other members of the CEC U12 three-peat kings are Uriel Sacis, Dwayne Areja, Jahzeel Alesna, Kean Pascua, Neilson Bartolini, and the seven-year-old Mark Jayrick “MJ” Tallo, who was honored with the Youngest Rookie award.

“First of all, I would like to thank the Lord for blessing us with our third championship,” said Dragons first assistant coach Rodmark del Rosario. “I would also like to thank the CEC community especially the parents who supported us from the very beginning. Your trust and commitment mean everything to us.”

“This championship was built on discipline, sacrifice, and heart. These boys stayed hungry, stayed humble, and stayed together. To the players, coaching staff, and their families, this is the result of everyday work,” Del Rosario furthered. “We didn’t just win the title once. We didn’t just defend it twice. We made it a legacy.”