Saturday, October 13, 2007 It’s all or nothing today
WILL the University of San Carlos (USC) Warriors complete their fairy tale run or will the University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers live up to its history of Cesafi dominance and claim its seventh straight championship?
That will be known today as the two teams play game five, the final game in what has become the longest series of the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi), at the Cebu Coliseum.
USC’s gallant run in this year’s Cesafi brought it to the finals. It scored the first win in the championship series only to lose the next two games.
Last Thursday, USC lived up to its Warriors moniker by playing strong to even the series and forge today’s winner-take-all encounter.
Giving it all
Will UV crack under pressure today? Will they run out of luck? Will the Lancers see the end of their storied Cesafi reign?
Sacrifice. That was the word scribbled on the Lancers’ mirror in their dugout during game 4. UV will need a healthy dose of that if it wants to protect their dynasty, which has so far produced six Cesafi championsips---all the titles of the league.
“I do not know what Game 5 holds. But one thing’s for sure, we will be there and giving all that we have to give for this game. And we all want to be remembered that way,” said USC head coach Jay Ramirez.
The Lancers clearly have the advantage when it comes to size and, arguably, talent. They will need to unleash all that if it wants to clobber the hard-working Warriors.
UV will still be manned by its powerful pillars Rino Berami, Ariel Mepana, and the forces behind their victories Von Lanete, Mike Luga, Ritchum Dennison, and Chris Diputado.
USC, meanwhile, goes into this afternoon’s game hungrier for the title. It will be now or never, especially that this will be the last year of the team’s dynamic duo--- Niño Ramirez and two-time most valuable player Enrico Llanto. (MCB)
