Ateneo vs USJ-R for Cesafi secondary f’ball title

EXPECT explosive action as the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC) Magis Eagles and University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) Baby Jaguars contest the secondary football title of the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (Cesafi) this 10 a.m. at the Cebu City Sports Center.

The head coaches of both teams promised that their boys will be giving their all in gunning for this year’s title.

“We just try our best to play as hard as we can. For the game tomorrow (today), it’s balanced for both teams, but definitely, they have the edge because their players are all senior high while my team is composed of senior and young players born 2003,” said Magis Eagles head coach Oliver Colina.

For Colina, the Baby Jaguars are a formidable opponent and they were lucky to have won against them during the eliminations.

Colina also had to give his team ample time to rest as they took part in the recently held Jesuit Athletic Meet wherein they lost to Ateneo de Manila University, 0-1, in the finals.

Not only did they start training for the Cesafi finals late, Colina added that he also had to lessen their training time from two hours to just one hour and 20 minutes because he did not want them to get burnt out and to give time for injured players to recover.

They will also be missing out some of their players because they went to Japan for a school activity.

As for USJ-R coach Rommel Ramirez, this season is nothing short of a miracle run for his team, who has been a bottom dweller for several years.

After bagging their finals ticket against the defending champion Don Bosco Technical College (DBTC) Greywolves, Ramirez said that no matter what happens in the finals, for him, they are already champions.

“Now that we are finally here, we will do our best to get that title because the boys have been working hard for this,” said Ramirez, who added that this will also serve as a morale booster for them as after this they will be competing in the Cebu City Olympics which will start on Nov. 14.

Aside from trying to finish a fairy tale run on a high note, the Baby Jaguars are also keen to avenge losing the title to Ateneo the first time they met in the finals in 2010.

Before the championship game between Ateneo and USJ-R, the Greywolves will face University of San Carlos (USC) in the battle for third place at 8 a.m.