SWU making sure of high school team’s eligibility

PHINMA-SOUTHWESTERN University is giving high school basketball another shot and they are leaving no stone unturned to make sure that last year’s fiasco that saw their basketball coach and five of his players submit tampered documents does not happen again.

According to the school’s athletic director Mike Reyes, they had their players undergo dental age assessment from the moment they got into campus. According to the British Dental Journal website, “the DAA is the most reliable method of assessing the age of children and emerging adults.”

“Hindi na kami naniwala sa certificates na dala nila, kahit galing pa sa National Statistics Office,” said Reyes. “We had to be doubly sure of the players’ ages.”

The school most certainly had to especially after last year’s debacle. Right before the start of the season last year, players Elber dela Cerna Catinggan, Reynaldo Obarco Jr., Mark Anthony Quilab, Andy Jones Turno and Edwin Abo-abo were caught falsifying their documents to make it appear that they were younger than their actual age in order to be declared eligible for the Cesafi juniors basketball.

As a result, all five along with then head coach Rey Lubguban were banned from ever competing in the Cesafi. This season, the Baby Cobras team is being manned by head coach George Aznar and assistant coach Cesar Claracay.