Saturday, June 28, 2008 UV at its most vulnerable year: Cabahug
IF THERE is a best year to wrest away the crown from seven-time Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc champion, University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers, it will be this year.
Losing big men for using up playing years and losing a team member for an unlikely death, this season, as UV head coach Elmer “Boy” Cabahug admitted, will be his weakest year so far.
One of the biggest loss for UV was Lucky Pitogo, who was killed by robber last summer.
The other players whose services will be missed this year are reliable big men Rino Berami, Ariel Mepaña and Mike Luga
In their past championships, the UV Green Lancers faced a strong challenge from University of San Carlos Warriors, who could never quite get the most elusive Cesafi crown. This might be the Warriors’ chance.
However, Cabahug, who steered the team to seven straight titles in the Cesafi, will make sure they are covered.
“We are a little bit weak this year but that weakness will be the center of the changes we will be making for this season,” Cabahug said.
Filling up the gap that they have left are 6-foot-5 Adrian Lao and Mark Maningque and the popular Gregory Slaughter, who stands a towering 6-foot-11.
“Slaughter is back and he is in top shape. He has improved a lot in a year,” said Cabahug of his prized center, who recently came back from a vacation in the US. “What impressed me is because he never stopped training. He took extra training session while in vacation,” Cabahug said.
While UV has been known to be the melting pot of all top players, Cabahug still is not very confident considering his line–up is quite young, mostly coming from his training pool.
Promoted to the main roster are former trainees Harold Cincoflores and Phil Mercader, who has been fought over by a lot of varsities when he was in high school.
The team will also be beefed up by Caba–hug’s son Elmer with James Tagalog, who is a former player of the USC and Jerome Silva, the new recruit from Mindanao, who is recommended by Caba–hug’s former teammate Zaldy Realubit.
However, this new addition to the team, will only be playing support to UV’s main attraction, the original strong eight of Cabahug, which includes Von Lañete, Chris Diputado, Ritchum Dennison, Junjun Lasala, Harlow Villanil and Bonifer Sendrijas. (MCB)
