A well-organized league

By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.

SO far the 2nd Jimmy Fernandez Cup being held at the Divine Word Academy gym is being run smoothly except for some lapses on the part of table officials and a team member. That’s what I observed with my partner Phil Celi during the first five days of skirmishes. The organizer, Dagupan City’s well-known basketball lover Seato Gonimil, himself caught table officials, especially the scorer, taking a nap.

On the part of the teams, I was surprised to see what used to be the well-disciplined AIE-College Eagles team of coach Noah delos Vieres losing by default against UPang-PHINMA Flames last January 17 for showing up with only three players with complete uniforms. The coach of the Flames, Renato “Starsky” Soriano, was even lenient enough to give two 15-minute grace periods, but unfortunately the Eagles seem to just lack discipline for not coming on time. I can’t blame Soriano for turning down the third grace period because it will be an ugly precedent in the league.  And because of that big faux pas, Delos Vieres’s team, the league’s runner-up last year is now at the cellar of the standings among six squads. Bad, bad, bad.

After five days of hostilities, the league’s neophyte team, the University of Eastern Pangasinan (UEP) Patriots continue to lead the tournament with an unblemished mark of five wins without loss. My kudos to coach Renato “Jack” Vidal, the region’s well-known tutor and trainer in college caging. Their sterling performance after the first round shows that they are now the top favorite for this year’s title. They also plastered guest team Lyceum Northwestern University (LNU) Dukes, 77-64, in a no-bearing game last Thursday, proving that that they’re ready to tangle with any team when the 2011 UCAAP-PRISAA comes, tentatively scheduled to start in July. Vidal was the coach of the senior UL Tigers last year that won again the championship but preferred to coach the Patriots now. He didn’t give a reason why.

Good luck to you guys.

* * * * * *

In the western part of Pangasinan, free-lance photojournalist Jun Figueroa reported to me that the champion of the First BM Nong Fontelera Jr. Cup 2011 held also last Thursday was the Mabini team, clobbering the Bani squad, 105-88, in the third and final match. Anda beat Dasol, 86-75, for third place.

Congrats to the organizers. I hope you will do it again next year and hope more towns will participate to make the tourney more exciting and to see who’s really who in western Pangasinan caging. More power and keep on dribbling.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: And Jesus said “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 14: 11

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