Championship fever in local sports scene

The Shell Lightning, Saipan All-Stars of the Northern Youth Basketball Associations, netters competing in the 3rd Taga Tennis Tournament, and the finals of the 2005 Budweiser Cup BANMI Men’s Island-wide Basketball League grabbed headlines the past week.

The Lightning put an exclamation mark at the end of their 2005 Commonwealth Football League season after earning top honors by beating the Express Electronics Eagles, 16-8, last Saturday for the championship at the CPA Airport Field.

The CFL also recognized Tinian Typhoon’s Blake Manibusan as the league’s most valuable player, while teammate Keith Nabors became the first two-time winner of the league’s Hard Rock Award as the defensive player of the year. Tinian’s Ringo Reyes was top receiver, Stanley Iakopo of the Eagles topped all rushers, while teammate Lizama was top passer.

Meanwhile, the Saipan All-Stars were excellent during the Shell Guam 2005 Drug Free Thanksgiving Youth Basketball Invitational, appearing in all division championship games and brining home two titles and a runner-up trophy. The 12-and-under and 13-15 cagers topped their divisions, beating teams from Guam in the finals, while the 18-and-under crew went undefeated in the elimination round and put up a strong fight in the finals before coming up short and took second.

Also taking top honors was young gun Ji Hoon Heo, who defeated veteran Peter Loyola in the marathon men’s open singles finals in the Taga Tennis action, while female sensation Mayuko Arriola won the women’s open and the men’s 4.0. Buddy Garote won the men’s 4.5 singles, Noel Manalang the 3.0, Vener Urena the men’s 2.0, Cleofe Santos the women’s 4.0, and Vangie Espanola the women’s 3.0 singles. Espanola and husband Renato also showed they indeed make a good pair as they bagged the mixed doubles 4.0 title.

The Bud Light-Toyota Tundra and MARPAC-Nissan Titans were also putting on a show in the Budweiser Cup finals, with Toyota taking the first game 88-82 on Monday and Nissan fighting back to win Game 2, 104-94, on Wednesday. Bud Ice-SaipanCell Hoopaholics won third place, while the O’Douls-Ol’Aces placed fourth.

Action also continued in the Budweiser-Coca-Cola 6th Annual UFO Inter-Organization Basketball League, 2005 World Organized Rocball High School League, Saipan Major League’s Masters and Fall League competitions, men’s and women’s softball under the Saipan Softball Association, and 7th Annual Miller Lite Coed Four-Person Beach Volleyball League.