DCNHS draws first blood

THE Davao City National High School (DCNHS) drew first blood by routing Don Enrique Bustamante National High School (DEBNHS), 85-70, in the opener of the Mayor Inday Sara and Vice Mayor Rody Duterte Public High School Basketball Tournament 2012 at the University of Mindanao (UM) Matina Campus Gym on Saturday.

Raymart Pasaol sparked DCNHS with 18 points while teammate John Mar Comendador added 11.

Rolando Besera canned 20 as Ryan Villarama chipped in 14 for DEBNHS's losing cause.

UM executive vice-president for Academic Affairs Dr. Pedro San Jose, in his speech during the opening ceremony, said: “This will be a good venue for basketball players from different public schools to showcase their talents. I hope that we will see the next Robert Jaworski among the players from the public schools.”

Davao City Mayor Sara Z. Duterte-Carpio, in a message read by Sports Development Division of the City Mayor’s Office (SDD-CMO) officer-in-charge Pocholo M. Elegino, said the league is a great opportunity to reinforce sports as a vital tool for total youth development and to also strengthen efforts to position the city as a prime sports tourism destination.

Duterte added, “We hope to encourage more young boys to turn to basketball or other sports during their spare time since sports fosters camaraderie and friendship not only among teammates but other participating schools as well.”

Department of Education (DepEd) Physical Education and School Sports (Pess) supervisor Jimmy Cerrojales, meanwhile, lauded Liga Dabaw for organizing the cagefest saying that it provides a venue for teams to test their mettle.

Former Philippine Sports Commission chairman and Liga Dabaw secretary general William Ramirez, meanwhile, hopes that scouts from different private schools find potential players in the tournament so that the public school dribblers may have a chance to get scholarship offers.

Basketball equipment were distributed by Liga Dabaw vice-chair lawyer Mans Carpio, Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) Davao City commissioner lawyer Marvin "Oying" Melodias and Cerrojales to the principals of the participating schools.

Games of the meet, sanctioned by SBP Mindanao Cluster B director Regino "Boy" Cua, is set during weekends. (RPSA)