Cortes, Rasmo, top-notch coaches, square off in Cesafi college hoop wars

Face-off happens as defending champs UV Green Lancers take on UP Cebu Maroons

Gary Cortes (left) and Rommel Rasmo (right). | Photos from Sugbuanong Kodaker and Cesafi Facebook page

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Two of Cebu School Athletic Foundation Inc’s (Cesafi) top basketball coaches will clash in the college division tomorrow, Saturday, September 30, 2023, at the Cebu Coliseum.

The reigning Cesafi men’s basketball champions, the University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers will take on the newcomer, the University of the Philippines (UP) Cebu Fighting Maroons.

READ: UP Cebu Fighting Maroons gear up for coming Cesafi wars

Cortes, Rasmo team head coaches collide

What makes this match exciting are these teams’ head coaches with Gary Cortes helming the Green Lancers, while Rommel Rasmo calling the shots on the sideline for the Fighting Maroons. 

In total, Cortes and Rasmo combines a whopping 10 Cesafi titles in their respective teams. Cortes led UV four times in winning the Cesafi college title, while Rasmo provided the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC) Magis Eagles six high school titles.

Both their teams are the defending champions, except for Rasmo’s newly-formed UP Cebu Fighting Maroons. 

READ: UV Green Lancers’ lineup for Cesafi 2023

First game for UV

Tomorrow’s match at 5:00 PM will serve as UV’s first game of the season and second for UP Cebu. 

It can be recalled that UP Cebu debuted in the Cesafi men’s basketball with a defeat to fellow newcomers, the Benedicto College Cheetahs, 58-65, last September 25. 

Besides Rasmo and Cortes’s showdown in the college division, the University of Cebu (UC) Webmasters will also start their campaign with a game against the Cebu Institute of Technology-University (CIT-U) Wildcats.

The Webmasters of head coach Kern Sesante capped off season 2022 as the runners-up in the men’s  basketball, while the Wildcats were eliminated from the tournament early for their dismal bottom-rank finish. 

ALSO READ: NCAA: Clint Escamis, Paolo Hernandez fuel Mapua rout of San Beda

UC, CIT-U play at 3:30 PM

UC and CIT-U will play at 3:30 PM. CIT-U will be supervised by Gerry Cavan as their head coach as Edsel Vallena serves his one-year suspension from the league. 

Before that, the UV Baby Green Lancers gun for their first win by taking on the CIT-U Wildkittens in the first game at 12:30 PM.

Also, the UC Baby Webmasters vs. the University of Southern Philippines-Foundation (USP-F) Baby Panthers at 2:00 PM.