Fun takes center stage on CESAFI All Star Sunday

CEBU CITY, Philippines – It is the weekend again where the high school and collegiate teams take a break from serious competition on the hardcourt and take part in the fun and games of the All Star Sunday of the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (CESAFI) October 2 at the New Cebu Coliseum.

The East CESAFI All-Stars in both high school and college divisions will try to maintain a winning tradition against the West by emulating, if not, besting their performance last year.

The East All-Star College may just do it with Mike Reyes at the helm. Reyes, aside from being the brother of Chot Reyes, is the athletic director of the Southwestern University (SWU)-Phinma. He is also acting as the assistant coach to SWU-Phinma Cobras head coach Yayoy Alcoseba.

Named into Reyes’ East All-Star team are SWU-Phinma Cobras Bernie Bregondo, Shaquille Imperial, Jovanie Luz, Ian Ortega, Quentin Luzoladio and two-time CESAFI MVP Mark Jayven “Macmac” Tallo.

Joining them are University of San Carlos (USC) Warriors’ Conrad Catapusan, Lucky Ecarma, Ian Jefferson Tagapan, Kevin Oleodo and Victor Emmanuel Rabat.

University of Cebu (UC) Webmasters’ Peter Codilla, Justine Dacalos, Garciano Puerto and Gileant Delator will complete the East team.

UC Webmasters new head coach Atty. Kenneth Kern Sesante was first given the task of heading the East team after CESAFI officials opted to deviate from giving the role to the top 2 team coaches and instead give it to coaches who have not coached the All-Stars yet. 

Sesante, however, had to beg off as he is still currently in Australia. It was then offered to USC head coach Rommel Rasmo, but he also declined the role as he has a prior family engagement. It was next offered to Alcoseba before it fell on the lap of Reyes.

The West, on the other hand, will have University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USP-F) Panthers head coach Albert Allocillo calling the shots.

Picked to man the West are University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers Rey Suerte, Alfred Codilla, Bassieru Sackor, Joseu Segumpan, Jan Soliva and Jerome Napao.

Joining them from the University of San Jose Recoletos (USJ-R) Jaguars are Ralph Jude “RJ” Dinolan, Juan Miguel Gastador, Jaybie Mantilla and Nelvin Navarra.

Allocillo will also have his boys in Lyndon Colina, Roy Quiachon and Gilberto Sastrillas.

Rounding up the team are John Anthony Lucena and Marlo Pono of the Cebu Institute of Technology University (CIT-U) Wildcats.

High School All-Stars

Named as head coach for the East in the High School All-Stars is Cebu Eastern College (CEC) Dragons Rod Mark Del Rosario.

He will be manning the team made up of cagers from Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC) Magis Eagles, Don Bosco Technological Center (DBTC) Greywolves, CEC Dragons, SWU Baby Panthers and USC Baby Warriors.

The East will be led by last season’s MVP Jed Colonia of the Magis Eagles. Other Magis Eagles seeing action are Eroll Pastor, Christian Manaytay, Travis Mantua and Andre Velasco.

From DBTC are John Benedick Damolo, Juan Miguel Dela Torre and Al Mendez.

Kaise Dave Manlapat, Harvey Sanchez and James Tempra are the ones picked from CEC while named from SWU are Patrick Montano and Diether Quijada.

Completing the East are USC’s rafael Garro and Gerald Inigo.

The West will be helmed by Phil Mercader who took over the reins of the UV Baby Lancers midway in the elimination round.

Mercarder’s West will be having players from his own UV Baby Lancers, UC Junior Webmasters, USJ-R Baby Jaguars, USPF Baby Panthers and CIT-U Wildkittens.

Named into the team are Jancork Cabahug, Froiland Maglasang, Marvin Oche and Mike Bayaton, all of UV; and UC’s John Bryl Cuyos, Noah Enriquez, Luigi Gabisan and Gelmart Umpad.

Those picked from USJ-R are Dave Ando, John Gonzaga and Joshua Ortiz while coming from USP-F are Gabriel Cometa and Vincent Lequin.

CIT-U’s Marion Abinuman and Ivan Ares will complete the West.

3-Point Shootout & Slam Dunk Contest

The CESAFI All-Stars will not be complete without the side contests—the 3-Point Shootout and the Slam Dunk.

This year’s Slam Dunk contest will have a new title holder after its  back-to-back title holder Leonard Santillan have transferred from UV to De La Salle University in Manila this season.

Hoping to take over the Slam Dunk title is UC Webmasters team captain Puerto, USJ-R Jaguars Gastador and USP-F Panthers Rodelio Cauba.

The 3-Point Shootout, on the other hand, will have a total of 15 hopefuls, two players from each collegiate team except for UV who have been tasked to field in 3 players.

Chosen for the contest are SWU’s Imperial and Tallo; USJ-R’s Mantilla and Dinolan; USC’s Oleodo and Catapusan; UV’s Segumpan, Tristan Albina and Napao; USP-F’s Quiachon and Wisdom Ceniza; UC’s Puerto and Dacalos and CIT-U’s Steven Bucao and Pono.

The CESAFI All-Stars will roll off at 1 pm with the High School East vs West, to be followed by the 3-Point Shootout and Slam Dunk Contest, then the College East vs West.

The entertainment will be provided by a solo artist from UC and Emmy Corpus, a Viva regional singer artist. – Rappler.com