City Central shocks XUGS toddlers, 70-54
CITY Central School on Sunday shocked the multi-titled Xavier University Grade School, 7054 to qualify in semifinal round of the Wilson-backed 18th Loyola Cup 13-under boys basketball tournament at the XU gym here.
Alexander Ybañez and James Felix Rosario both scored 14 points to lead Central School to victory, also fortified by the combined 24 from Ronche Pinion, Gian Carlo Labiano and Kharl Chester Decano.
The Stingers, the reigning Cagayan de Oro Inter-Public School Basketball Tournament elementary champions, already made their presence felt right in the opening day action by dumping the equally-strong Assumption Montessori School (AMS) baby Jaguars.
“Wala kami magdahum nga ma-tsambahan namo ang XUGS. Pilde na among mindset, ang amo lang nga dili unta latos apan nasukwahi among panglantaw,” said Stingers coach Jaypee Ralph Jumamoy.
The victory made City Central as the only public school to reach the big4 round wherein a much tougher challenge awaits them by meeting Bukidnon Faith Christian School that triumphed over Bethel Christian School, 62-58.
Oro’s Corpus Christi School and School of the Morning Star from Valencia City, Bukidnon will dispute the other half of the crossover matches on Sunday.
Corpus thrashed West City Central School, 91-58; while SMS Valencia downed Saint Mary’s School, 72-65.
In 18-under boys division, Millenium Christian Academy of coach Rodre Oponda—which badly needed a win after losing by forfeit earlier—gamely responded to the challenge by manhandling Nanuri, 86-12.
“Sige mi pilde sa una labina sa Nanuri, pero at least we improved. Na-forfeit lang kami kay dili bakante sa Sabado kay kasagara sa among mga players Sabadista,” said Oponda.
Other 18-under matches saw Mindanao State University nosing Holy Cross, 72-71; Bethel beat Indahag National High School, 62-58 and Lapasan National High School crushed Bulua National High School, 58-55.
EVERYBODY loves knockouts. A perfectly timed punch or the accumulation of a series of blows that debilitates an opponent and renders him temporarily out of his senses is the stuff we fight fans can’t enough of.
And when you talk about knockouts, nobody does them better than the big boys.
All that torque produced by sheer body mass, punching power, acceleration and timing is unparalleled.
For 2017 the best knockouts were provided by the heavyweight behemoths, both in boxing and in the UFC.
WILDER VS STIVERNE. Deontay Wilder had previously stopped Bermane Stiverne before in 2015 and the WBC heavyweight champion wasn’t too happy about fighting Stiverne again, thinking him an unworthy opponent.
But he had no choice after Alexander Povetkin and Luis King Kong Ortiz failed drug tests.
Wilder lost no time in showing his frustration in the very first round. Right from the get go, Wilder started spearing Stiverne with long hard jabs.
Midway through the round, he punched himself in the chest signifying his mean intentions and followed it up with a straight right hand on Stiverne’s chin that knocked him down.
Stiverne would get up two more times only to be pounded to the canvass again. The ref had no choice but to call for the denouement of the fight.
FRANCIS N’GANNOU VS. ALISTAIR OVEREEM. If you are a fan of caveman type slugfests then you just knew that when the 6’5”, 247lb Overeem met with the 6’4” 262 lb N’Gannou something violent was going to happen.
They did not disappoint.
Right from the start, you could tell that both men wanted a spectacular finish.
Overeem rushed forward with a wild left hook that missed.
After they tie each other up, N’Gannou landed a hard jab then a left hook. Then it happened. Just as Overeem awkwardly ducked low trying to avoid a N’Gannou right hand, the latter nails him with an uppercut from hell.
Perfectly placed, it snapped Overeemn’s head back violently, instantly knocking him out cold on his feet.
As he fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes and N’Gannou rushed in trying to finish him off the ref intervenes to waive the fight off. Truly, a thing of beauty. Looking forward to more beautiful finishes in this Year of the Dog.