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Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Sayson: Divine hands
By Homer Sayson
Second Overtime
CHICAGO – To prepare for their league’s much-anticipated fourth conference this coming October, members of the defending champion Metro Cebu Clergy basketball team sharpened their skills two nights ago at the state-of-the-art Capitol Parish gym.
Their practices aren’t just your usual sweat-drenching sessions, they’re equal parts a boot camp and a brutal hoops marathon. You see, these men of cloth scrimmage for three 20-minute periods before finishing the fourth quarter in a blaze of 25-minute glory.
Apparently, celibacy equals high stamina.
Anyway, something really strange happened in between dribbles last Monday night. It left those in the gymnasium in suspended animation. Jaws dropped, eyes gazed wide open, and heads shook in utter disbelief.
It was, to say the least, fantastically divine.
Fr. Mike Sarmago of Capitol Parish couldn’t miss a field goal, even if he tried.
And when everything was shot and done, he had sank a miraculous 38 3-pointers. Unfortunately, Fr. Mike’s playmates didn’t religiously keep score.
Mesmerized, the other priests counted only the netted triples, swish by swish.
Maybe, fate had meant it to be that way. To save the world from so much trouble.
Because if Fr. Mike’s two-point field goals and free throws were also tabulated, the scorekeepers might have collapsed in exhaustion. And the entire area of Barangay Capitol Site would have ran out of score sheets.
But even with just the 38 triples or 114 points officially logged, Fr. Mike’s stats line was still longer than the New Testament.
Cebu City Vice Mayor Mike Rama, my dear friend, used to proudly own the Capitol Parish Gym record of 27 triples. But with Fr. Sarmago running amok in an unconscious shooting binge, Rama’s feat now looks so amateurish, so junior varsity.
Moral of the story? Priest overshadows politician. There really is a God.
THE CAST. The Cebu clergy basketball league was born in 2002 as part of the Cebu Archdiocese’s Wellness Program headed by Monsignor Roberto Alesna of the Alliance of Two Hearts Parish in Banawa.
Broken up in four brackets, the league is participated in by clergy representatives from Metro Cebu, North, South, and the Seminary. The Wellness Program also runs competitions in events such as billiards and tennis. Trophies and modest cash prizes go to the victors.
Among those who regularly practice at the Capitol Parsih gym are Fr. Rusel Lungcad of Lutopan, Fr. Love Alojipan of Tayud, Consolacion, Fr. Lyle Cano of Bato, Samboan, Fr. Edgar Quilo of Caceres, Oslob, and Fr. Joey Belcina of Danao City.
Other notables are Fr. Jun Sarcez, Fr. Eugene and Fr. Jo of the Larida Seminary, Fr. Melton Medida of Bato, Toledo, Fr. Tim Pepito of Santo Rosario, Fr. Joy Danao of Basak, Mandaue, Fr. Luking Ga of MSC, and Monsignor Alesna.
The sharp shooters from San Nicolas Parish also hold court at the Capitol Gym. They are Fr. Lan Guiao, Fr. Peter Porio, Fr. Brodie Salesians and Fr. Oscar Banzon.
One of the most active members of the clergy hoops team is my very good friend Fr. Jun Gutierrez of Talamban, who fed me the juice of Fr. Sarmago’s sweet accomplisment last Monday. Thanks a million Fr. Jun and please keep me posted on the goings-on at the wonderful world of clergy basektball.
FRIENDLY NOTE FROM PEPSI. Jason Andrade (jason.andrade@pcppi.com.ph) dropped me this nice note: “Me and my officemates at the Cebu Pepsi plant are your avid fans. I just want you to know that while commuting on the way to work in our company van, we always listen to your segment in dyAB with Leo Lastimosa and in Y101 with June Rabin.
“We really appreciate the metaphors you use while doing NBA analysis. More power to you and your family. God bless.”
I’m flattered. Thanks to Andre and to his accounting analyst peers at Pepsi – Randy Dungog, Edmon Mondares, Gilbert Reyes and Sandy Enolpe.
(homsay@hotmail.com)
(August 31, 2005 issue)
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