CEBU, Philippines — The University of the Philippines (UP) Cebu ballers brace for their baptism of fire as the newest member of the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) two weeks from now.
First off, UP Cebu’s high school ballclub will make its debut in Cebu’s premiere inter-school athletic league against the City of Bogo Science and Arts Academy (CBSAA) Trailblazers in the opening match of CESAFI’s highly-anticipated comeback season on October 15 at the Cebu Coliseum.
The UP Cebu-CBSAA duel is set at 4 p.m, right before the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) Jaguars and the Cebu Institute of Technology-University (CIT-U) Wildcats clash in the main match at 5:30 pm.
The following day (Sunday, October 16), UP Cebu faces another acid test when its collegiate squad goes up against the powerhouse University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers, who owned 13 out of the 20 titles including nine straight championships from the league’s inception in 2000 until 2009.
As greenhorns, it’s the kind of debut UP Cebu might not have wanted if they only have their way.
The Iskos will tackle the mighty Green Lancers at 5:30 p.m., headlining a heavy quadruple-header that also features the reigning juniors division champion Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC) Magis Eagles, who will open their title defense against the USJ-R Baby Jaguars at 1 pm.
In between, the University of San Carlos (USC) Warriors and their younger comrades will square off against the University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) Panthers and UCLM (University of Cebu Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue), respectively.
Meanwhile, this year’s CESAFI cage wars follow a single round robin in high school and double round elimination in college division. The top two teams will enjoy a twice-to-beat advantage against the lower ranked qualifiers in the semifinals. The winners will advance to the best-of-three finals.