REALITY may be far from over for the Baguio secondary basketball squad but the team is now ready to face a tougher challenge when they strut their wares in the upcoming Palarong Pambansa in April.
Fresh from winning the championship crown in the Cordillera Administrative Region Athletic Association, the team has improved at least 70 percent in terms of teamwork.
“After a bad loss from the Benguet team in the CARAA meet, the squad worked hard to avoid the same mistakes all over again,” said assistant coach Raynier Marino.
The CAR basketball team is composed of Jomar Mejia as team captain, Carlo Siobal, Ian Bernal, Karl Galin-dez, Gerard Banta, Cedric Tolentino, Patrick Parallag, Leo Carbonell, Jon Mar-quez all from the University of Baguio, followed by Jervy Calibo, Jonathan Valdez from Baguio City National High School, Ian Sena from the University of Cordilleras and Roy Pulac from Benguet.
The team is also expected to have its practices at 11 am to 2 pm at the Baguio Athletic Bowl for the players to adapt to the weather in Tarlac.
Practice schedules of the team start from 6 to 7:30 in the morning for their ball games and 4 pm to 6 pm for their speed and agility.
The practice is being moved from time to time as some of the players will be graduating in high school this coming March.
“I am expecting that my shooting guards in Carlo Siobal and Jervy Calibo would step up in the entire game making way for my point guard Girard Banta to easily create the play, I also need to have the shaded area closed by my centers and forwards in Jomar Mejia, Ian Sena and Patrick Parallag,” Marino added. (With reports from Raul Estioko)