Friday, February 23, 2007 Club 92 hoopfest opens Friday night By Lynde Salgados
DEFENDING champion Black Spiders clash with the Red Dragons in the opener of Club 92's First 2007 inter-color basketball tourney here 7 p.m. Friday at Macasandig covered court.
Yellow takes on White in the second game of this eight-team hoopfest, which attracted a total of 112 players including over two dozen newcomers from the other clubs.
Opening its title-retention bid without Ryan Mero, last conference's deciding game hero in its best-of-3 finals with the Blue Panthers, Black parades new faces such as center-forward Ryan Yparraguirre and wiry wingman Lee Michael Paayas to play alongside MVP GB Tagarda, Jay Cortes, Ceazar Encarnacion and power forward Robbie Yparraguirre. But with the Red Dragons, ruler of the previous conference, acquiring former Philhealth shooting guard Harvey Neri and Subokin's 6-foot-2 center Oliver Velasco from the draft to back-up Roderick Pacturan, Jimboy Menciano, Butch Hermida and Dominic Gonzaga at the forefront, it's going to be a tough debut for the Spiders in the season-opening conference of Club 92 in the Year of the Fire Pig.
"Although wala kaayo natandog atong linya sa latest drafting kay walo ka players atong na-retain..confident gihapon `ta nga smooth sailing gihapon ang mahimong lakaw sa team kay character ug attitude sa players ang importante," said starting pointguard Andy Calingin in a huddle with Black's team-playing manager Jay Cortes.
Meanwhile, Yellow's last-minute acquisition of Jeriko Valles from Green in a trade-in with Ulbryan Chua plus the arrival of reliable center Malik Ampuan will be put to test in their equally-interesting tussle with White reinforced by the likes of Jerome Pagute and Vito Gandiongco from Subokin and Jaime Frias and Nanni Palacio from Ballpals.
"Even after completing the draft with our last pick, wala pa gihapon koy idea kon unsay kalabasan ining among team kay daghan beterano," said White Sharks' team skipper, Galileo Garcia.
Like Yellow's possession of Valles, Green also welcomes the swapping of Chua in their fold.
"We're very satisfied sa among lineup karon. Nakuha na namo ang masaligan nga Biongcog brothers (Ronald and Rhoel), naa pa gyo'y nadugang sa amo nga Jun Limpot via trade-in," beams Kane Acedera referring to Chua.
Friday's double-header pits the De¤a siblings-led Orange against expansion squad, Gray of Bobax Echalico and solid title-contender, Blue Panthers opposite Green.
