CBSAA Trailblazers players and coaches. | CDN Digital file photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines— The Cesafi has terminated the participation of the City of Bogo Science and Arts Academy (CBSAA) Trailblazers effective until the end of Season 23.
A statement released and signed by Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. commissioner Felix Tiukinhoy on November 27, 2023, said that the Cesafi has officially terminated CBSAA’s participation in the league as a probationary guest team after the current season.
In the statement, Tiukinhoy said that CBSAA’s participation in the league was to honor the request of the league’s long-time supporter and former Bogo City Mayor Celestino ‘Junie’ Martinez Jr. who passed away last June.
Martinez requested Cesafi and Tiukinhoy to allow CBSAA to participate in the Cesafi to allow student-athletes from northern Cebu to strut their wares and experience top-notch sports action, specifically basketball which the Trailblazers didn’t disappoint.
In their maiden season in 2022, the Trailblazers swept the elimination round with an unbeaten record of 9-0 (win-loss) in the elimination round.
They went on to play in the finals against the eventual champions, Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC) Magis Eagles, but got swept in their best-of-three finals series.
CONTROVERSIES
Amidst CBSAA’s success in high school basketball last year, they were also involved in several controversies.
In the finals against SHS-AdC, its assistant coach Denzel Sabroso was suspended for one game and was required to pay P10,000 for an altercation with the former’s bench. Cesafi also suspended SHS-AdC’s assistant coach Francis Aoquico.
Worse, their head coach, Leode Garcia was suspended for a full season.
READ: Garcia feels vindicated as Trailblazers annihilate Baby Jaguars
CBSAA figured in another controversy after one of its players, Franz Jefferey Aballe was caught on video intentionally elbowing SHS-AdC’s player, Nikolas Yu while the latter was lying on the floor during their elimination round game.
Aballe was suspended for two games and was fined P10,0000 and made to render four hours of community service.
Cesafi officials then warned CBSAA that the team would be made to forfeit their remaining games if similar incidents happened.
This drew the ire of Celestino Martinez III, Cebu PB member, the son of Junie Martinez who defended CBSAA from the Cesafi sanctions.
They finished the elimination round in Cesafi Season 23 with a forgettable four wins and six defeats.
SOURED RELATIONSHIP
According to Cesafi’s statement, they needed to terminate CBSAA’s participation for various reasons.
“With Mayor Junie no longer around, the dynamics of the relationship between Cesafi and the one handling the CBSAA has changed. Politics came into the picture in a purely sports league which Cesafi is not part of, as it is beyond its mission and vision. Cesafi board members and sponsors do not like politics to be involved in the sports league,” said in the statement.
“If there were issues and concerns, the late Mayor Junie (Martinez) always calls the commissioner for advice on what we can do to resolve the same, unlike now that it is posted in social media which does not in any way help solve the prevailing issues and concerns. Such act, of posting in social media a concern in Cesafi is a violation of the condition set by the Cesafi board for the participation of the CBSAA in Season 23.”
With CBSAA’s termination, the Cesafi High School basketball tournament is now down to 10 teams starting next season.