Baltimore Dragons hands TFC its 2nd loss, 60 - 53

Coach Ed Padilla's smile turned into wild jubilee as his complete lineup showed up to face a skeletal TFC squad. The result: Baltimore Dragons smoked TFC with fire on a pulsating 60 -53 win. Attendance does matter after all.

With some of TFC's key players missing the game, Arvie "the Dazzle Man" Dazon (21) carried the squad with his 24 point output. Alex Santos (1) of TFC's dynamic duo, pumped in another 12 points, clearly missing his hardcourt partner, Paul Nicdao.

The Dragons, on the other hand, built their game offense around their "Spitfire", Edgar Lades (25), who exploded with 31 points, including five 3-point connections during crucial rallies mounted by TFC. The nip-and-tuck game, gave ex-PBL player Glen Yap (17) a glimpse of his playmaking prowess as he dished in another 11 points.

The win of Baltimore Dragons puts them in the wildcard column and boosted their over-all and division standings. TFC's loss slides them to 7th over-all and 3rd in division rankings.

Did someone wake up the Dragons?

Titans claim first win against Exit Realty, 65 - 45

Coming in from a win boosted the confidence of Exit Realty as they faced a winless Delaware Titans, whose backs are pressed against the wall for a win. Even blog voters were proven wrong when 14 out of the 19 blog voters predicted Exit Realty to win the game. What Exit Realty didn't realize is that the 5 voters who predicted a "Tatangs" win were all die-hard Titans fans (probably their GFs...ooops.. spouses).

And the never-say-die Delaware Titans proved all the nay-sayers wrong when they convincingly trashed Exit Realty with a 20-point margin. Jesse Fabian (4) and Tae Kwondo black belt, Eric Fermin (2), led the Titans with 19 and 10 pts respectively. Nine other Titans went on a scoring binge to stave off a pesky Exit Realty team to give the Titans their first win in three games.

Exit Realty, who probably are wondering what hit them, was led by Joseph Riel (23) with 18 points followed by Bondao, 8; Fabian, 6; Pineda, 5; Miranda & Tan, 3; and Sta. Ana, 2.

The win by the Titans, boosted them to 6th overall and 3rd in division rankings, while Exit Realty slides to sixth in division and 10th in overall standings.

Maricas continues win streak, subdues WSA, 56 - 46

Despite the 10-point loss of Wala Sa Ayos to a transformed Maricas team, WSA remains in 3rd spot for the division rankings and 5th in over-all standings.

WSA's go-to guy, Tony 'The Sweet Shooter" Estoveza (34), carried the scoring cudgels by dishing in 17 points, including three triples in the second half. Mike Alegarbes (32) contributed another 9 points, despite receiving a technical foul in the game.

On the other hand, Maricas' triple whammy, BJ Advento (5), Tom Setters (6), and Kenneth Savella (3), led the team's offensive thrusts by dishing in a combined 31 points - Advento, 11; Setters and Savella, 10 apiece. With Advento on fire, he also grabbed 7 rebounds to dominate the painted area. El Persons (20) contributed 7 points in the second half, five of them in the free throw line for an 83% FT average. Ramil Magpantay (33) and Alex Alday (4) contributed 4 points each, to give Maricas is third win in three games.

Maricas leads in division rankings and is tied with GK and Excel in win-loss record, 3-0. The quotient system is predicting Maricas to be in 3rd place over-all.

Dynamic Excel overpowers Team Force, 59 - 51

On the blog surveys prior to game 3, 21 out of 22 blog voters predicted an Excel victory over Team Force. While the blog voting was heavily in favor of powerhouse Dynamic-Excel, the game itself was separated by a mere 4 possessions (0r eight points), 59-51.

The first half of play gave the Dynamic-Excel team an 8 point cushion (33-24), which they carried through the second half. However, in the final half of play, which was led by Team Force in period scoring (27-26), it was clear that Team Force put up a fight.

Marcus Chiu (5) led all Force scorers with a 19-point burst, making 7 out of 7 free throws and two 3-point bombs, one in the crucial stages of the 2nd half. Six other Team Force players contributed to the teams final score - Mendoza, 9 pts.; Talag and Wong, 8 apiece; Bune, 4 and Maltman, 3.

But the day belonged to Joe Miranda (0) of Dynamic Excel, who shot a game high of 20 points, including three triples in the final half that sealed the win for Excel. Will "The Deal" Barnes (24) and Will "SkyWalker" Imperial (11) held the flanks with 12 and 11 points apiece, with Barnes lording over the boards for Dynamic Excel. The game got so intense to the point that a technical foul was given to Excel's playing coach, Michael Sanchez. Despite the small incident, Excel retained the momentum and completed their 3rd win in as much games.

Dynamic Excel's win, puts them at 2nd place in over-all and division rankings, while the loss of Team Force slides them to 9th over-all and 4th in division rankings.

GK Warriors blows out Elkton Blazers to pieces, 100 -62

On the heels of two successive losses, the Elkton Blazers paraded a new face on the court to spark their offensive line. Mario Lancioni (4), who saw action for the first time in three games, unleashed an almost unstopable 22-point arsenal in his debut. While the flash of brilliance by Lancioni was commendable, the effort failed to give the Blazers their first win in 3 outings.

Simply said: the GK Warriors overpowered the Blazers in every department and ran rings around a dazed Elkton squad by finishing with a 38-point winning margin.

5 players of the 11 who scored off the bench on the GKW team, finished with double-digit numbers totalling to 73% of their final score. The GK twin towers, bannered by Yogi "The Stallion" Veranga and Leo "The Bull" Yanogacio, contributed 19 and 13 points apiece, with "The Stallion" leading in player scores. The Clemente's also had a hayday, as all four contributed to GK's victory with their respective box scores: Ian (23), 18 pts.; Chris (22), 12 pts.; Curtis (13) 11 pts. and Coco (41) 2 pts. With the exception of one player in GK's lineup (who probably was not playing), all players fielded in the game burned the hoops for GK's 3rd win in 3 outings.

GK's 3-0 win loss card solidifies their lead in the over-all and division rankings, while Elkton Blazers retain their bottom spot and the only team without a win, thus far.

Will the Blazers pull a win on their next assignment?

Casa Rap grabs Red Bulls by the horns to win, 64 - 58

The undermanned Red Bulls failed to sustain its 3-point lead at half time to give Casa Rap Bomb Shells its second win in three outings, 64 -58. Joseph Pangilinan (12) waxed hot in the first half by drilling in 12 points of his 18-point output leading the Bulls in the first half of play. However, Pangilinan fouled out before the end of regulation to quelch the Bulls run for a comeback.

Casa Rap, on the other hand, showed tenacity in both offense and defense with three players scoring double-digit figures to boost the Bomb Shells with a needed win. Jason Del Rosario (14) scored 10 of his game-high, 21-point production to lead the Bomb Shells out of the tight match. Dexter Quezon (42) followed in the shadows of Del Rosario by dishing in another 15 points at the crucial turn of the game. Henry Mallari (20), who made a 3 point shot in the first half, sizzled in the second half with an additional 10-point contribution that broke the Bulls momentum for a comeback.

Casa Rap's win, puts them in solo 4th place in the over-all standings and solo second in Division rankings. The Bulls' second loss drops them to 8th position in over-all standings and 5th in Division rankings.

Game 3: June 27, 2009 - THE CRUCIAL ROUND

Game 3: Anything can happen and the possibilities are endless.

The Crucial Matches are on. A win will keep some teams' hope alive. A loss will bring some teams near the edge. Who will come out victors after Game 3?

GAME 3 HIGHLIGHTS:

• The DAVID & GOLIATH Matches: Three winless teams (the Davids) go up against formidable teams (the Goliaths). Will Elkton Blazers pull a sling shot surprise against GK Warriors? Will the Baltimore Dragons tie the TFC Mainline after their match? And, will the Delaware Titans wake-up and shake Exit Realty's confidence?
• The SCENE-STEALING Matches: Red Bulls, Wala Sa Ayos and Team Force, all with identical 1-1 score card will try to grab the leader spots (or at least tie them) should they win against Casa Rap, and division leaders, Maricas and Dynamic Excel-PHI. Will they prevail in changing the over-all and division standings?

BLOG SURVEY ON UPCOMING GAMES?

• Last week's game-2 surveys collected 126 unique votes. 50% of the online voters got it right and predicted the right winners?
• This week, apart from the online voting, we want to know your predictions or possible scenarios. By sharing your possible score cards, you may give your teams good tips for game 3.
  
• Also, we challenge the blog fans, players, kibitzers, critics, etc...to vote again on GAME 3. This time, we want the online voters to surpass the 50% mark. You think we can do it?

Ready? Set? Click (and vote now)!!!

Game 2: Exit Realty stuns Wala Sa Ayos, 54-51

Another close game by Exit Realty against opening day winners, WSA. This time, the Realtors returned the favor to WSA by stunning them with a 54-51 victory.

At the start of the 1st half, WSA was able to execute well, shooting outside and penetrating the inside lane like it was their backyard. The first-half onlslaught was led by WSA's Tony Estoveza, who scored a game-high 22 points, 14, of which were drilled in the first half of play. Tony's hot hands combined with steady plays from teamates, Lelina, Raymundo, Del Puerlo and the Fernandez's gave WSA an eight-point lead at the end of the first half.

With their backs against the wall, Exit Realty sprung an exit strategy by fielding in Paul Velarde, Joseph Riel and Scott McInnes. Velarde, finishing with a 12-point production, weaved his 3-p0int form by drilling in two crucial shots, followed by Scott McInnes' own triple bomb, that gave Exit the momentum and eventually the lead. But it was Joseph Riel's double-double performance that sparkled throughout the game. Riel logged in 22 points, mostly on high percentage shots, grabbing 13 rebounds and 1 blocked shot. On the othe hand. Scott McInnes, who contributed 7 points was instrumental in keeping the offense going.

At the last 8 minutes of play, Exit was comfortably ahead by 8 points, when, out of the blue, WSA caught fire and closed the gap to 3 pts. The 5-0 run blanked the Exit Realty squad in the last 8 minutes of the game. With good hussle plays and defensive stops, WSA was able to grab ball possesion in the last 12 seconds of the game, enough to launch a 3-point shot to put the game on overtime. WSA went to Estoveza for the final play but Exit's double team defense on Estoveza paid off and gave the Realtors their first win in 2 games.

Game 2: Team Force edges out a sputtering Elkton Blazers, 43-35

Team Force bounces back from an opening day loss to edge out a sputtering Elkton Blazers, 43-35.

The Force led by top-scoring Ferdinand Mendoza (17 pts.) and diminutive DJern Bacal (14 pts.) played heads-up basketball by fishing crucial fouls against the Blazers' top gun, Jim Reynolds. The first half was a tight contest until Mendoza and Bacal waxed hot in the second half to lead Team Force to victory.

Defense was another key factor for Team Force, which forced the Blazers to numerous turn-overs. In the battle of the board, Team Force outgunned the Blazers, 11-3 to control the ballgame in the second half.

The Blazers attempted a comeback behind Jim Reynolds and Sonny "The Assassin" Dela Torre, both contributing 9 points a piece until Reynolds fould out in the closing minutes of the the game.

The win put team Force in a 6-way tie with 1-1 score card. After quotient ratings kicked in, the Force is 4th in division rackings and 9th over-all. The Blazers 2nd loss in a row puts them at the bottom of both division and over-all rankings.

MTFBWU!!! [May the Force Be With yoU]

Game 2: GK Warriors breezes through TFC Mainline, 58-47

TFC Mainline could not contain the twin towers of GK - Yogi "the Stallion" Veranga and Leo "The Bull" Yanogacio - to bow to the Warriors, 58-47.

TFC's dynamic duo, Alex Santos and Paul Nicdao, kept the game close all throughout the first half with their speed and outside shooting. Arvie Dazon, a new member of TFC's line-up burned the hoops with 16 pts., 12 of them from the three point area. The effort, however, fell short of a win as the GK Warriors flexed their might defensively and offensively inside the paint.

For the whole of the first half until the last 5 minutes of the game, it looked like the TFC squad, with its triple-threat troika of Santos, Nicdao and Dazon, kept the game under their control until GK made adjustments in their defensive stance. Ryan de Gracia, in his usual role as playmaker and floor leader, made sure that GK's 3-2 defense would stop TFC's 3-point shooting. While GK twin towers, Veranga and Yanogacio controled the paint in rebounds and offensive thrusts. Veranga led all scorers with 18, followed by Ian Clemente, with 14 and Yanogacio drilled another 13 pts, with a combined firepower of 45 points.

GK's win over TFC mainline puts them on top of the ladder board with a 2-0 slate. While TFC slides from 4th over-all to 6th, tied with five other teams with a 1-1 score card.

Game 2: Dynamic Excel-Phi squeaks past Baltimore Dragons, 63-62

The showdown between Baltimore Dragons and the Excel-PHI turned out to be a nail-biter until the final seconds of the game. Dynamic Excel led the game in the first half and continued to lead going to the 12-minute mark of the second half.

Then the sleeping Dragons woke up and started to claw their way back. Frank Delgado (7) of the Dragons led a spirited comeback for the Baltimore ballers by scoring a game-high, 24 points, 15 of which came from rainbow territory. It was a last-ditch salvo for the Dragons anchored on Delgado's shooting rampage that kept everyone at the edge of their seat as an imminent victory or an over-time period loomed at the dying seconds of the game.

But the Dynamic Excel team regrouped in time to stem the tide of a come-backing Dragons squad. At the height of the come-back, lead scorer Joe Miranda pumped-in 3 crucial treys, out of his 18-pt production, to cushion Excel's momentum in the dying moments. Excel's twin-stonewall defense resulted to two players scoring a double-double - Will Barnes with 10 pts. and 14 rebounds and Ray Mann with 10 pts. and 11 rebounds.

Excel's second victory in two games ties them with GK and Maricas in win-loss scores (2-0) in the over-all standings. They drop to second place after quotient points kicked in.

Game 2:Maricas slings Casa Rap in the "Battle of the Orients", 40-35

What fan survey considered as an easy win for the Casa Rap Bomb Shells, turned to be an advantage for Maricas of Kop, PA.

Playing focused and deliberate offense, Maricas' steady play was anchored on BJ Advento's 19-point splurge followed by Dave Setters 15-point spread. With Casa Rap's height and heft, the Maricas squad played smart by keeping the ballgame close and within reach. The low-scoring match gave Maricas enough wiggle room to keep the lead and finally seal the win at the end of the buzzer.

But Casa Rap did not give the win to Maricas on a silver-platter. The hard-fought close game was kept alive behind Dexter Quezon's 10-point scoring binge. Eight of his 10 pts. came at the second half of play that almost snatched a victory for Casa Rap.

The win solidified Maricas 2-0 position as leader in the Division standings and 3rd over-all behind Dynamic Excel and GK Warriors, respectively. Maricas jumped 3 notches in the ladder board to gain solo lead in its division.

Casa Rap's first loss in two games, slides them to 3rd in the division rankings and 5th over-all.

Game 2: Red Bulls wallops a sluggish Titans team, 56-48.

Ace point guard, Richie Tizon and Bulls forward, Chris Balan combined their firepower to unleash 39 of the Bulls' 56 points to wallop a sluggish Titans team, 48.

The game started with the Titans leading in the first minutes of the first half, until Tizon stepped up to the plate and controlled the tempo of the game. The tandem of Tizon and Balan gave the Bulls a potent outside and inside threats that kept the Titans at bay for most of the game.

On the other hand, the Titans were led by jerseys no. 4, with 16 points and hersey no. 17, Ed Ortega, with 11 points.

The Red Bulls win, boosts their win-loss card to 1-1. putting them in log jam with 5 other teams in the ladder score board. After quotient ratings, the Bulls are 5th in Division and 8th over-all standings.

The Titans, on the other hand drop to a 0-2 slate, slipping them to the bottom of the Division and 10th rank in over-all rankings.

Happy Father's Day to all!!

Game 2, June 20, 2009: GRUDGE MATCH IS ON!

Who will prevail and be on top of Division and Overall rankings after Game 2?
Vote now on our online survey

GAME 2 HIGHLIGHTS:

• TFC Mainline meets GK Warriors for the first time after their championship match last year. GK Warriors remain undefeated since 2008. Will TFC spoil GK's clean slate?
• Dynamic Excel-PHI meets Baltimore Dragons for the first time. Will it be another blow out match or will the Dragons spew fire this time around?
• Casa Rap and Maricas dubbed as the "Battle of the Orients", both opening day winners, mix it up for the Pilipino Division lead.
• Red Bulls faces last year's blog-favorite, Delaware Titans. Who will be in the win column and who will remain zip after Game 2?
• Elkton Blazers get another chance to prove their mettle against the Force. Who will be in the win column after their match? May the FORCE be with you!
• Youthful Exit Realty will face former champions, Wala Sa Ayos. Who will exit this game on a winning note?
  

GK Warriors slaughters the Baltimore Dragons, 99-54

Defending champions, GK Warriors open their 2009 campaign by slaughtering the hapless Baltimore Dragons with a 45-point winning margin.

Brandishing a reinforced GK Warriors team, Leo "The Bull" Yanogacio teams up with another power center Yogi Verango to form the Warrior's twin tower threat.

The Dragons, on the other hand, came with an incomplete line-up that crippled the chances of the new team to show-off its might. Could it be a scouting ploy from Coach Ed? Or just an unfortunate turn of event?

The much-awaited tussle between GK and the Dragons turned into a slaughter game as the Warrior ran rings around the neophytes. GK's sharp-shooting spitfire, Ryan DeGracia makes 4 of his five attempts on the 3-point area. Ian Clemente adds another trey 8 feet away from the rainbow mark. And on a rare show of offense, Dad's Cardenio (the original Tatang), connects on two 3-point shots, making the GK's first game an outside shooting exhibition. With a powerful inside defense combined with an outside shooting prowess, speed and flexibility. the Warriors are poised for a great 2009 season.

The opening day win ranks GK Warriors second on both the overall ladder board and the Americano Division, next only to Excel-Phi.

On the other hand, the Dragons first loss outside of Baltimore, pushed them down to 11th spot overall and 5th in the Americano Division.

Excel-Phi pounces on Elkton Blazers, 84-35

Newly crowned FACAA champions, Dynamic Excel-Phi, continue their winning streak by pouncing on neophyte team Meridian Primary Care (aka Elkton Blazers). Their convincing win positions Excel-Phi as the leader of the pack after round one.

The highly touted Meridian Primary Care team was a bust in opening day tip-offs, with only a fraction of their team showing up. Eventually, with a depleted team and not meeting the required number of players to suit up, the Blazers were ceremonially defaulted by the second half of the game.

But this unfortunate turn of event for the Elktonites, did not bother the powerhouse that is Excel-Phi, as they continued to play the hapless Blazers to the hilt. The result, a formidable pouncing that mimmicks the Pacquiao-Hatton boxing match on pay-per-view.

The Blazer's loss puts them at the bottom of the pack, in both the overall ladder board and the Americana Division. Will they claw and climb their way back next week? We'll see.

Ironically, Excel-Phi's win puts them at the top of both the league's ladder score board and the Americano Division rankings, with a whopping 240 percentage points, almost 70 points more than 2nd ranked, GK Warriors.

Will Excel-Phi rule this year's league?

Looks like we're in for a great season!

TFC Mainline conquers the Force, 54-39

Despite its second place finishes in both the Palaro and FAACA leagues, TFC Mainline is undeterred and focused on winning the Palaro crown by conquering their first victory over the dreaded Team Force, 54-39. With its core team supported by new recruits, Bert Fogata (2006 Palaro MVP), Arvie Dazon, Mike Esguerra and Kenny Santos, the difference was immediately felt on the hardcourt.

Team Force came out energized and hungry leading for the first 8 minutes of the game making big shots and taking the ball to the rim. Marcus Chiu was firing up Team Force with jumpers and drives to the paint to keep them ahead. To keep TFC trailing, team Force anchored on inside operators, Simon Wong and Anthony Alvarez grabbing big offensive boards and kicking in some crucial put-backs.

TFC showed a little rustiness on their offense but their defense soon kicked in to start an uphill comeback. Paul Nicdao led the team with good defense and dazzling moves to the basket, while Butch Sanchez was causing havoc in the paint drawing triple teams. Bert Fogata, 2006 Palaro MVP, gave TFC the edge to pull away along with Mike Sanchez's passing. To put icing on the victory cake, Rudy Santos' connected on fastbreak layups that kept the Force silent.

It was certainly not a walk-in-the park for TFC, nevertheless, they prevailed over a highly touted team. TFC's opening day win ranks them 4th in the overall ladder board and 3rd ranking in the Americano Division.

The loss of Team Force slides them down to 9th overall and 4th in the Americana Division.

Titans bow to Casa Rap's neophyte team. 51-37

Casa Rap's opening debut notched them a win against one of the darlings of the league, Delaware Titans, 51-37.

To make matters worse for the Titans, one of their key players, Luis Alvarez, suffered a cut on the chin during an action play that gave Casa Rap a clear opportunity to grab the win.

Despite the absence of Team Captain, Steve Antonio on the Casa Rap team, the remnants of what was the former Elitz team (circa 2006) held the fort to keep the Titans at bay.

The Titans' first loss lands them 8th overall in the ladder and 5th in the Pilipino Division.

While Casa Rap's opening day win position them at 5th place on the league's overall ladder score board and 2nd in the Pilipino Division.

Maricas spoils Exit Realty's debut, 53 -49

Team Maricas starts it's 2009 campaign on a winning note by spoiling the debut of neophyte team, Exit Realty, 53 - 49. Both teams who hail from our neighboring state, Pennsylvania, put on a nip-and-tuck game that threatened lead changes in a pulsating match.

At the end of the 1st half, Exit Realty was up by 9 points with only six players against 13 to 15 players.

Then at the turn of the 2nd half, within 4 to 5 minutes Maricas was able to tie the game, despite having one of its player in foul trouble. From then on it was a close game until the last 46 seconds. Maricas was up 2 points with ball possession and in the last 20 seconds, their diminutive guard, Onyok Velasco, shoots a 3-point rainbow shot to seal the win for Maricas, 53 against Exit's 49 points.

In the end, experience prevailed over the youthful, Exit Realty team, With the opening day win, Team Maricas ranks 6th in the league's over-all ladder score board, while ranking 3rd in the Pilipino Division.

WSA tame the Red Bulls, 45 - 31

Former 2006 Palaro Champions, Wala Sa Ayos, showed its fierce form on opening day by taming the much younger, 2007 Champions, Red Bulls, 45 - 31.

It was a battle of former Palaro Champions that showed some rustiness on both teams, judging from the low scoring, defensive plays.

With WSA's win on opening day, the team now ranks 3 on the league's over-all ladder scoring board, while leading the Pilipino Division teams.

Part 2: Who's-who at this year's PAAD Palaro...?

Part 2 of our Blog-spy report.

As promised, we continue our series of sneak previews on this year's roster of teams. Our blog-spies had to work double time, to keep abreast with our reader's comments (thank you).

First team to be up on deck, Delaware Titans


Considered as one of the pioneer teams of the Palaro League, the Titans will be parading a changed team this year. It's no secret that Steve Antonio has formed a new team, but our grapevine whisperers reveal to us is that Steve has brought to his new team another key player from the Titans bench. Fact or rumor? We will find out on opening day!

However, despite the change in line-up, coach and team captain, Willie Fontano, is optimistic of his team's chances this year. Known to the fans as the "Tatangs", their chemistry and long-time teamwork will be their most potent weapon. Our spy reports give us a strong indication that Ed O., Luis A., Eric F., Joneil G., Jesse F., Jomar U. , Jerry B. and a rumored pro-bound player (in the PBL or PBA) will hold the fort for the Titans. If this is true, don't count the Titans out and their loyal followers. The Titans will give any team, old or new, a run for their money.


When we got news that a combined PHI-Excel PT team won the recently concluded FACAA 2009 league, speculation was high that this team merger will move to the Palaro League. And the speculations from our spy-in-the-sky paid off. Our league followers know PHI and Excel as opposing teams, but what they have not seen yet is the powerhouse behind a merged line-up. And if you're wondering where the name Dynamic came from. Here's the story on that, Dynamic is not another team that merged with PHI and Excel, Dynamic Physical Therapy is the team's main sponsor.

But here's the real scoop from our blog spies, the team will have a potent one-two punch and both of them are named WILL. The first "WILL" is FACAA's 2009 Open League MVP (as noted by one of our bloggers). The other "WILL" is of imperial caliber, who almost snatched the MVP honors during the 2006 Palaro games. Our spy-in-the-sky also spotted two ex-WSA (?) stalwarts going by the monickers, "Denboy and Rock" mixing it up with the high-flying dunk artist, Joe M. And, yes, there's more! Our spy-in-the-sky has noted that any 5 player- combination of SH Humphrey, Justin M. and the Destreza brothers will still be potent.

By the way, our blog spies noted that neither team, PHI or Excel, has gotten close to a Palaro championship playoffs. Now that they are one, the DYNAMICs are more hungry for the Palaro crown and a possible sweep of both PA and DE leagues. And if they are successful in two leagues, rumor has it that they are eyeing another neighboring league to capture a rare three-peat. You think so?

Next on our spy-in-the-sky report is MARICAS. Are they a new team or a transformed squad with a new name?


While they sound like a new team, in reality the core of Maricas is a team that originated from King of Prussia (or KOP). Like the Titans, they are one the teams that had been in the league from its onset. They've changed names from KOP to Pinoy and now, Maricas. According to our blog-spy reports and reliable sources (who all remain anonymous) this team has been kept in tip-top form by Team Captain, Marlowe Ulit.

Our mole reports indicate that Maricas is about to spring a number of surprises in this year's Palaro. First off, a new team sponsor that comes with a high caliber coach (according to rumorville). Next, a rumored build-up of their 6th, 7th and 8th man rotation. With Marlowe now focused on leading his team on the floor, a coach calling the shots on the sidelines, and a possible set of fresh legs to support their key five, destiny may be better this year for Maricas. One thing will always remain for this KOP team, their physical defensive style.


The next team up on deck is FORCE (previously named as STRENGTH).

As fast as the wind blows, so did this team's name. Originally registered as STRENGTH, and in a blink of an eye, they now changed their name to FORCE (just a few days ago). Either its a force of strength or the strength of their force that made them flip-flop early before game day.

We can only speculate why they changed names. However, our blog spies have a hunch that the reason they made the last-minute change is to keep their strength under cover and away from our mole-in-the-hole.

Anyway, here's the scoop on team FORCE. This team is led by Tom Maltman of last year's Origlio. Tom is also an ex-WSA team player that won the 2006 championship. Rumor has it that remnants of the Origlio team will see action this year but this time with a great backup of talents coming from the FACAA league. But the intriguing buzz around this team is the possible inclusion of 2 to 3 AAU standouts. If you are not aware of what AAU stands for, then, go figure or as we now say, google it! And if you do figure it out, you will have an idea why they chose team names from STRENGTH to FORCE.

So, there you go, our second set of four teams previewed.

For our third and last part, our blog spy report will feature the RED BULLS, WALA SA AYOS and last year's finalists, TFC Mainline and GK Warriors.

You better keep glued for part 3, because the last part is the most revealing of all. Keep on blogging!

Who's-who at this year's PAAD Palaro...??

Our First Blog-Spy Report

We unleash a sneak-peak of our neophyte teams joining this year's PAAD Palaro league.

Coming from several reliable sources, our blog-spies have risked their lives and limbs to give our fans a preview of the team's line-ups. We start with a newly formed team that monickers under name "Casa-Rap".

It's no secret that CASA RAP Bomb Shells will be spearheaded by the former spitfire of Delaware Titans, Steve "Tibo" Antonio. Not only will he be leading Casa Rap as the Team Captain, he will be putting together a formidable team, to face the odds against their neophyte status. Based on reports from our blog-spies and reliable team-whisperers, Steve has managed to keep his roster highly "CONFIDENTIAL", forcing our blog-spies to snoop and pry.

Here's what they found out about the Casa Rap line-up. The team's nucleus will have youth, heft and speed, making speedy Gonzalez look like a turtle. Fast-breaking offense will be the name of their game that will be beefed-up by a defensive line-up composed of former Elitz players who played during the 2006 season. Rumor has it, that a 6'8 Filipino behemoth from the PI leagues will complete Casa Rap's speed and heft. If this comes into fold, then Casa Rap may be this year's dark horse.

Fact or rumor? Let's see what the next neophyte team offers - Baltimore Dragons

By their name alone, yes, you guessed it right, this neophyte team hails from Baltimore, Maryland - a good 60-minute drive away from our league venue. Despite their distance, the buzz has been humming loud about Baltimore Dragon's entry to the league. Many have wagged enough rumors putting the Dragons as this year's Cinderella Team wuth a chance to lay claim to the throne of our 2008, defending champions, GK Warriors. According to our mole in Baltimore, this team is headed by Coach Ed of the Viperz Basketball Organization. Unconfirmed reports by several reliable sources (who always ask not be identified), tell us that the Dragons will have a frontline composed of former PBA (a certain Glen Y) and PBL players (Dave G. and James S.). This frontline will be complimented by a backcourt rotation of tournament veterans (D2 First teamers) - the Books Brothers (aka I and J), Jan B. and JBS. When it comes to gelling, this team are considered veterans of the Baltimore and Washington DC leagues.

Will the Baltimore Dragons spew their fire here at our own backyard? Or will their fire be doused by our next neophyte team - ELKTON BLAZERS?


And here comes another team from our neighboring state, Maryland. This time a tad closer than Baltimore, just right by the southeast border of Delaware. Introducing, the Elkton Blazers, headed by Sonny "The Assassin" Dela Torre. Sonny, who donned the GK colors last year, breaks out of the GK pack to forge an alliance with Meridian Primary Care, headed by Carlos Gopez, MD (also a playing sponsor).

According to our spy-in-the-sky, the tandem of Sonny and Dr. Carlos have produced another contender to this year's championship throne. Rumorville has whispered to our spies that the Blazers' have done their scouting at the ranks of the Division 3 - NCAA farm, and snatched a pair of gems (Santini L. and Mario L.) to lead the Blazers of Elkton. Our spy-in-the-sky also heard that 2009 FACAA MVP - Tony A - will suit up for the Elktonites. And here's more, there's rumor that another GK player will join Sonny and his Blazers - Sebastian O to be supported by veterans Ian O, the Durango Brothers, Ron B and Jim R And last, but not the least, the Blazers will be inspired by last year's blog MVP - Joey Valenciano. Hmmmm!

Not to be outdone, another new team with a past-Palaro stint, comes to our league - EXIT REALTY



In last year's season, they were called IBC - Just Men, another visiting team, this time from the state of Pennsylvania.

We, then, directed our mole-in-the-hole to snoop around Upper Darby PA to find out more about this team. Our mole reveals to us, that their team sponsor, Ms Marie Bontigao of Exit Realty will depend greatly on the leadership of Ferdie Sta. Ana (Team Captain of last year's Just Men). With Ferdie's experience last year, having been fully aware of Palaro's competitive games, that Exit Realty is gearing for the challenge. According to our mole, Exit Realty may be tapping an ex-PBA veteran and his son to provide added experience to the team's roster. Our mole's prediction for Exit Realty remains high, and they are foreseeing "Exit" to be a "spoiler" team with a never-say-die heart.




There goes our first BLOG-SPY report. In our next update, we will give you another sneak peak for Maricas, Delaware Titans, Strength and Dynamic PHI / Excel PT.

Abangan ang susunod na entry...!