OPOL Eagles Club had a blast this year, sweeping through the basketball tournament of the NMR-1 Governor’s Cup Inter-Club Sportsfest concluded on Saturday, June 17, at the Macasandig covered court in Cagayan de Oro City.
In taking the 40-up division title, the Opol dribblers left an ego-tripping message to main rival Green CdeO Eagles Club that had its two teams unable to match the former’s frontliners solidified by the towering foursome of Jojo Mahistrado, Edmund Tilap, Rex Armojallas, and Jayson Alfeche and the high-post backcourt tandem of Owen Ubay-ubay and Jerome Pagute.
It was, however, the power forward Alfeche who inflicted the chief damage to Green CdeO’s own bid to reclaim the NMR-1 hoopfest supremacy.
The now clean-shaven Alfeche, erstwhile “superstar” of the once-vaunted Liceo de Cagayan senior varsity squad, torched Green CdeO’s Team A in the semifinals with his 30 points in a 76-66 win. And in the finals, Alfeche delivered 27 points as Opol Eagles downed Green CdeO’s Team B, 84-72 with Ubay-ubay coming up with 16 markers.
“Bag-o lang nag-40 si Boyet (Alfeche). Sa iyang level, dili pa siya mapugngan,” said NMR-1 Governor Anjun Gomez.
After winning the civic rivalry, Alfeche and company drove right straight to Barra, Opol to face Zenniel Builders in another championship game.
The Builders had Erwin Raagas, Christopher Carretas, Ivan Tongco, Norberto Balbutin and Loloy Casiño in their power roster. But they lost all the same to the already exhausted yet dynamic Opol Eagles cast for the P20,000 top purse.
“Na-inatan namo sila’g dose (12 pts) sa third quarter, naka-rally pero na-itsahan ni Owen og tres sa dying seconds. Buwenas lang tingali kay naa permi among team manager,” said team skipper Armojallas, referring to the ever supportive Jerry Tamayo.
Completing the Opol Eagles’ rare-sweep finish was its 84-78 conquest of the Green CdeO Eagles in the 39-below championship also being held in Macasandig.
The Green CdeO Eagles, fronted by Boning Biongcog, Ranran Bantawig, Michael Daigdigan, Tarotoy Remoto and Marvin Neri, dominated in the first three quarters. But “Pretty Boy” Sollano was so brilliant in manning Opol’s backcourt play to pave the way for a successful comeback in the last five minutes of the ballgame.
Sollano, who came late, finished the game with 24 points, including 8 of 9 output from the freethrow line. VG Eduave doused cold water on Green CdeO’s struggle in the homestretch with his three offensive rebounds that he all converted.
“Sayang, daghan kaayo turnover. Chance na unta modaug,” said Green CdeO coach Ulysses Romulo.
Bantawig scored 25, but contributed at least four costly turnovers for Green CdeO’s losing cause. Remoto, Biongcog, and Daigdigan had 12 markers each in the ballgame.
