The Tago Generals literally buried the Carrascal Miners (61-55) in a championship game last night at the Tandag Gym, thus ending the 3rd BB Pimentel Cup which ran for about a month and a half.

It was the 3rd game in the best of three series. And the tension at the gym was at a flashpoint because early on, some snags needed untangling. Earlier that morning, the Carrascal Miners wanted the game played at Carrascal which was a violation of a previous agreement to have it played in Tandag for reason of court neutrality. Then they wanted to have it played on Sunday which was a pathetic dilatory attempt because one of their best players had allegedly a sprain. And to think that it was them who suggested to play the best of three series without interval.

When the game was about to start, again the Carrascal Miners wanted to "toss coin" to determine which court belonged to whom. Apparently they wanted the court that was assigned to Tago. This was another violation because FIBA Rules say that a team should take the court opposite to where they have their warm-up. Sadly, Mario Cabrera (the official coach of Tago Generals) agreed to the 'toss coin' proposition without telling Mayor JP. It was only during the initial jump ball when JP saw that Carrascal Miners were facing the court that was rightfully Tago's. That was when JP stood, stormed the table and shouted at the top of his lungs, literally spewing fire upon the officiating officials.

"There's no way you can change the FIBA Rules because we all agreed on them before the conference," JP fumed. The crowd was restless, bating their breath on what would happen next.

Then the Governor intervened. And the Governor being the Governor (the hell with FIBA Rules, he said), it was back to "toss coin" again. And maybe because one of the Tago Generals is a pastor, Tago was given the court that was originally assigned to it. God is indeed good and just.

It was not an easy game as both teams fought tooth and nail. I will remember it as the night of a thousand shrieks from both camps. Almost half of the south wing of the Tandag gym was occupied by Tagon-ons who cheered and booed in a decibel that was enough to shatter any chandelier!

The Tago Generals played it cool down to the last minute while the Carrascal Miners, in a desperate effort to gain headway, suffered from foul trouble.

Tension mounted as the game progressed to the second half with the score tied at 33. From start to finish, the Tago Generals were always ahead, though only by a hairline. Which made it a game worthy of its name, thus everybody enjoyed it to the hilt!

Time left was 1 minute and 14 seconds with scores placed at 61 for Tago Generals and 55 for Carrascal Miners. Tago had ball possession when the referee called a holding foul against one of the Miners, making Carrascal Mayor Arreza raise a hoot. The game was interrupted as there was a heated exchange between the referee and the Miner coach. Few moments later, Mayor Arreza approached the table of Gov. Pimentel, raising his hands in a gesture of surrender. But I thought he was not good in disguising the sarcasm in his face.

Perhaps that was the Miners' strategy of leaving an impression to the public that they were cheated, knowing that the Tago Generals were poised to upset the Miners' longing to have the pleasure and prestige of a grand slam.

And so the Tago Generals were declared champion by forfeiture. But for us Tagon-ons, victory by any other name is just as sweet.

Three individual awards went to the Tago Generals including the MVP, Lyn Jhun Torion of Sumo-sumo.

The Tago Generals received a 9-foot trophy along with P150,000 cash prize.

At 1:30 in the morning, the road from Tandag to Tago was on a bumper-to-bumper mode. In the chilling breeze of the wee hours of the morning and under a slight drizzle, Tagon-ons shrieked their way home in a voice hoarser than hoarse.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE TAGO GENERALS, YOU MADE US ALL PROUD! SEE YOU NEXT YEAR GUYS!

(Note: A victory party will be hosted by Mayor Pimentel on 23 May 2005 via a disco at the gym. We'll post the pictures later. Watch out for them.)
 

The tago generals won over san miguel rats last thursday when the gov. bebe pimentel cup took off at the tandag gym. the rats eternally trailed the generals up to the time the clock stopped, biting the dust with 20 or so points.

tonight, the tago generals will slug it out with the tandag bullets at bayabas. on sunday, the games will be played in tago where the tago generals are expected to do their best given the homecourt advantage.

jollibee carcallas-yusores, as tago's muse, won the best in uniform and the most charming awards but was edged out by ms. plaza of tandag for the major plum.