Fun & Games frolic in Saturday Night League
After a slow start, Fun & Games battled back to regain the lead and then finished strong to annex its 12th Philippine Bowling Association-Budweiser Saturday Night League championship last month.
In awarding ceremonies held last Saturday at the Saipan Bowling Center, team captain Ross Zapanta thanked his players for “rebounding” nicely from dismal performances the past two seasons and for bringing the title back to Fun & Games.
Zapanta was joined in the trophy presentations by players Ador Dimaano, Simon Manacop, Roman Mamauag, and Raymond Zapanta. Team players accepted their three-foot tall championship trophy as well as smaller individual trophies.
Unable to attend the awarding ceremony were the rest of Fun & Games’ lineup made up of Jerry Tan, Ernie Villarin, and Ruselle Zapanta.
Fun & Games finished the 33rd season of the weekend roll-off with a 66-30 record to nudge second place Micronesian Brokers, Inc., which wound up with a 63-33 win-loss slate. Taking third place was SBC/J’s Restaurant (57-39), while completing the Top 5 were Mama’s Boyz (55-41) and Flyers (52-44).
With the win, Fun & Games will split the $750 first-place purse. MBI bagged $400, while SBC/J’s Restaurant and Mama’s Boyz got $200 and $200, respectively. Flyers’ fifth-place finish netted them $100.
“I’m very happy for this championship. We missed the title the past two seasons and it was about time to go back to this level again,” said Ross Zapanta.
He said Fun & Games’ come-from-behind victory was made more special because in the first three weeks of the competition, the team was dead last in the league’s standings.
“Now, we hope to score back-to-back championships and after that, attempt to complete the league’s first three-peat,” he added.
Back-to-back championships have only been achieved thrice in the 17-year-old history of the league. Fun & Games did the trick twice, first in the league’s inaugural season in 1989-1990 and second in 2003-2004. SBC/J’s Restaurant duplicated the feat last year.
The other seven teams that participated in last season Saturday Night League were Bowl Like That, 8 E’S, D’Rulz, Verizon, Maintain #1, Island Phone Cards, and Friends.
