CEBU, Philippines - In an annual spectacle that is payback time for their legion of fans, the best and brightest stars of the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. will once again test each other's mettle featuring the North versus South in the keenly-awaited 14th CESAFI All-Star Games this Sunday at the Cebu Coliseum.
In the collegiate division, Team North is composed of top gunners from defending champion University of the Visayas Green Lancers, University of San Carlos Warriors and the University of Cebu Webmasters, while the South squad is powered by hardcourt warriors from the Southwestern University Cobras, University of San Jose-Recoletos Jaguars and the Cebu Institute of Technology-University Wildcats.
Seeing action for North of coach Junthy Valenzuela from USC are John Michael Abad, Alfred Codilla, Franciso Arong, Raffy Octubre, and Alwin Aguirre of UV, Izak Kiefer Lim, Christian Senn Laude, Victor Manuel Rabat, Charles Pepito, and Shooster Olago of USC, and Jan Michael Auditor and Justin Dacalos of UC.
Those who will be donning the South jersey are Jasper Parker, Mark Jayven Tallo, Antonio Tomas Pardo, Bernie Bregondo and Landry Sanjo of SWU, Jose Allan Dimco, Joshua Romelle de la Cerna, Steven Bucao, and Jeffrey Taghoy of CIT-U, and James Earl Regalado and Kevin Villafranca of USJ-R. They will be mentored by Raul "Yayoy" D. Alcoseba of SWU.
In the secondary battle, the North side, under the tutelage of Rommel Rasmo of the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu, will field in Anton Niño Araw-araw, Jose Piero Dominic Longa, Steven Co, Zachary Lance Eden Huang, and Felixberto Jaboneta of SHS-AdC, Joshua Philip Manatad, Justine Jules Langres, and Jeroel Pedrosa of CIT-U, John Nigel King, Bryan Divinagracia, and Richmon Lapinid of USJ-R, and Ivan Augustine Mate of Cebu Eastern College.
They will go up against the Southern force composed of John Carl Escalona, Orlan Wamar, Theo Joshua Flores, Raul Jancorck Cabahug, and Samuel Schaub of UV, Francis Edmar Galado, Kent John Malazarte, Chico Maravilla, and Marc Andre Ting of USC, Darrel Shane Menina, and Arvin Dungog of UC, and John Bryle Bahio of the University of Southern Philippines Foundation. Delfin Pepito Jr. of UV will call the shots for them.
CESAFI commissioner Felix "Boy" O. Tiukinhoy Jr. said the Board has decided that each team will only have 12 players to give more competition and more playing time for each selected star player.
Before the highly-anticipated hardcourt showdown, exciting side events will take place at 1 p.m. starting off with the Slam Dunk contest.
The foreign players who will flaunt their gravity-defying moves are Jean Marie Mpouma and Jeffakins Aguara of UV, Olagao Shooster and Espoir Tamboyi of USC, and Bendly Valdor and Landry Sanjo of SWU.
For the locals, those will showcase their high-flying abilities are Victor Manuel Rabat and Charles Pepito of USC, Kevin Villafranca of USJ-R, Leonard Santillan of UV, and Jose Allan Dimco of CIT-U.
On the other hand, those who will vie for the coveted '3-Point King' title are Franklyn Albert Batiquin and Steven Bucao of CIT-U, Antonio Tomas Pardo and Jovanie Luz of SWU, Jan Michael Auditor, and Carlos Gonzalo Tabaquero of UC, James Earl Regalado, and Renzo Theodore Senining of USJ-R, and Leonard Santillan, John Michael Abad and Francisco Arong of UV.
Tiukinhoy has reminded all concerned parties about the CESAFI Rules and Regulations in the participation of the All-Star event.
Section 4.1 A of the league's by-laws stipulates that "A student athlete or coach selected to participate in the All-Star game (commissioner by the CESAFI) who fails or refuses to play without any valid reason as determined by the Commissioner will be penalized with a suspension to play for the rest of the season." (FREEMAN)