40-year-old rivalry rekindled in today’s final
-A A +AMonday, September 24, 2012
THE long missed rivalry is back!
Today, the much-awaited 2012 Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) best-of-five championship series between the nine-time champions University of the Visayas Green Lancers and the finals returnee Southwestern University Cobras will start at 5:30 p.m. at the Cebu Coliseum.
Expect the unexpected as both teams are raring to take the first win of the series, which offers a psychological advantage.
“In all positions they (UV) have the edge. UV always has the heart to win and hopefully we can beat that. And hopefully we can reverse the situation,” SWU head coach Raul Alcoseba told reporters.
On their past meetings this season, the Lancers had prevailed over the Cobras.
“(But) in my experience that doesn’t count. This is the finals and this is a series.
For sure they cannot sweep us. All we need is just one win to get our confidence, and it can be on Tuesday (today),” added Alcoseba.
However, if there is one advantage that UV has that worried him, it was the immaturity of his team.
“That is a given fact, UV has the experience while we are immature. That factor is their biggest asset coming into this series. Hopefully, the tough times we had during the season would help mature not just the players but us as a team,” Alcoseba continued.
UV’s vast championship and collective experience is also the Lancers’ advantage as what team manager Sam-Sam Gullas acknowledged.
“UV’s experience will play a vital part in this series. And I think we really want it more. We really want to win the title that is why the school, the administration and the student body are giving their all-out support to the Lancers. And coming from two defeats after winning nine straight titles is motivation enough that would bring us back to the top,” the young Gullas stressed.
UV’s guards Phil Mercader, Emmanuel Calo and John Abad are crucial to the Lancers’ quest while SWU is also hoping Monbert Arong, Bonifacio Guillena and Joseph Nalos will also do their part in this expected full house encounter.
Sun.Star Cebu will cover the series via live streaming. Just visit this site http://specials.sunstar.com.ph/sports/.
Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on September 25, 2012.
Sports
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