The Consolacion Sarok Weavers pose for a photo during one of the games in the PSL U21 Aspirants Division Cup. | Photo from Kareem Alocillo’s Facebook page.
CEBU CITY, Philippines—The Consolacion Sarok Weavers considered reaching the finals of the Pilipinas Super League (PSL) U21 Aspirants Division Cup as the culmination of months of sacrifices and preparation.
The Sarok Weavers, the top team in PSL’s U21 division with seven wins and one defeat, credited their huge success in the league to their long and grueling preparation for the league.
“This is a by-product of our waking up early and traveling to Consolacion for practice, every travel to other places for tune-ups. Every single drop of sweat after running 45/15, everybody aches after a hard practice, every sleepless night for coaches preparing for the practice next day,” said team manager Mark Malazarte, whose son, Wesley, is also playing for the team.
The team prepared passionately for the league amidst the Covid-19 pandemic and Typhoon Odette.
The Sarok Weavers advanced to the finals after defeating the Cagayan de Oro Sealcor Kingfishers in the semis.
They will face the host team, Roxas Vanguards, who eliminated the Province of Bukidnon Cowboys in the do-or-die semifinals match on Tuesday, April 19, 2022.
READ: Vanguards nip Cowboys, set finals date with Sarok Weavers
The finals will be a Best-of-Three series that starts Wednesday, April 20, 2022.
The Sarok Weavers crushed the Vanguards, 79-49, in their first meeting last April 1, 2022.
The Sarok Weavers have been branded in the PSL as a top-notch defensive team, resulting in their near-perfect record.
The only time they tasted defeat was against the Bukidnon Cowboys. After that, the Sarok Weavers didn’t look back and went on winning all their games.
“This is what we have been preparing for four months. We conditioned their minds that we will be champions and it [showed] during the elimination and semis,” said head coach Kareem Alocillo.
Aside from topping the team standings and reaching the finals, the Sarok Weavers also snatched two individual awards.
Two of their top scorers, Gyle Patrick Montaño and Rojan Montemayor were named to the league’s “Mythical Five.”
Montaño was eventually named the league MVP for averaging 15.3 points, six rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.7 steals per game.
Alocillo added that their game against the home team won’t be that easy, expecting that the crowd will be against them.
But they are prepared.
“We expect that it is going to be a different atmosphere. The margin of error is thin. Teams are going to play their A-game every second. However, the guys are made for this type of occasion, they are trained to shine under pressure,” said Alocillo.
/bmjo