Friday, October 10, 2008 Alaska Aces, Coca Cola Tigers arrive Friday
THE favored Alaska Aces of coach Tim Cone and the Coca Cola Tigers are scheduled to hit town Friday for their scheduled 1st PBA Philippine Cup '08 out-of-town clash tomorrow at the new Victorias Sports and Amusement Center (Victorias Coliseum) in Victorias City.
This as former Negrense stars Hubert John Ferriols and Reynel Hugnatan of the Negros Slashers in the defunct Metropolitan Basketball Association (MBA) are expected to attract their horde of fans when the Aces practice today at the fully air-conditioned modern Victorias venue.
Both Hugnatan and Ferriols, stalwarts of the Alaska squad in the PBA, earlier expressed their desire to meet their long-time fans when they hit town for Saturday's PBA Philippine Cup clash.
Meanwhile, Negrense James Yap of Escalante City, Negros Occidental, the 2006 PBA MVP, told Sun.Star Bacolod in a telephone interview yesterday he is grateful to his teammates who picked up the slack for the Purefoods Giants when he went out limping after playing out of synch to post a come-from-behind 77-73 victory against a young Red Bull Barakos squad in the ongoing KFCPBA Philippine Cup at the Araneta Coliseum Wednesday night.
Yap pointed to Peter June Simon and frontliners Kerby Raymundo and Enrico Villanueva who took charge when Yap played with an injured ankle against a determined Barakos mentored by national coach Yeng Guiao.
Tickets for tomorrow's Alaska-Coca Cola clash are priced at P50, P100, P300 and P500 and are available in Bacolod City at the following ticket outlets: Bascon Hotel, all McDonald's outlets, all Munsterific outlets, Chowking Riverside and Lacson, Dynalink Review Center, Malaspina St., Metrosyd Sports Grille, the Siomai House at Lopue's Mandalagan, 888 Department Store and SM Department Store customer service area.
Aside from frontliners Paul Asi Taulava, Ronjay Buenafe, Nic Belasco and Alex Cabagnot, the Coca Cola Tigers are also expected to lean on Mark Telan, RJ Rizada, Mark Macapagal, Froilan Baguion, John Arigo, Ricky Calimag, Cesar Catli, MC Caceres, Aries Dimaunahan and rookie Lawrence Bonus. Head coach Binky Favis has for assistant coaches Boybits Victoria and Ritchie Ticzon.
Playing for the Alaska Aces are Willie Miller, Joe DeVance, Kelvin Dela Pena, Mark Borboran, Jeffrey Cariaso, Sonny Thoss, Tony dela Cruz, Ervin Sotto, Ariel Capus, LA Tenorio, Larry Fonacier and ex-Negros Slashers Reynel Hugnatan and John Ferriols.
Cone has Joel Banal, Jojo Lastimosa, Luigi Trillo and Dickie Bachmann as assistants. (HCV)
