SBA honors top teams, players of 2017 season

Saipan Billiards Association-Budweiser Thursday League regular season co-MVPs Victor Formales, second left, and Mervin Sahagun, third left, join Pacific Amusement’s Neil Gebhard, right, for a group photo during the event’s awards banquet last week at the Pacific Islands Club Saipan. (Contributed Photo)

The Saipan Billiards Association held its awards banquet last week at the Charley’s Cabaret at the Pacific Islands Club Saipan to honor the best teams and players of the 2017 season both in the Tuesday and Thursday leagues.

The Blue Haus Destroyers emerged as the Tuesday League champions behind the cue sticks of team captain Nolan Cultura and members Cesar Sangalang, Jeff Garcia, Rico Montano, Roman Rodriguez, and Gian Flores. The Ray Matsunaga-led 9 Eleven Titans had plenty of help from Bill Cepeda, Greg Deleon Guerrero, Joe Villagomez, Patrick “Stallion” Cepeda, Shane Quitugua, and Simeon Kapileo to settle for second place in the Tuesday League.

The Tasha’s Str8 Black Ball, meanwhile, came in at third behind the combined efforts of Rey Hermogenes, Jeff Gayas, Marvin Sahagun, Oliver Gragasin, Orly Tibus, and Rodel Dela Cruz.

Sahagun was named the Run The Rack champion, while Bill Cepeda of the Titans joined the Assassins’ Julian Reyes and Tasha’s Crazy 8’s Renato Barros on 8-Ball On Break winners list.

Rodriguez and Saharun earned the Top Gun awards, while Erwin Gomez of the Docomo Hustlers was named the Tuesday League’s regular season most valuable player and Cultura took the Finals MVP.

The Assassins of team captain John Reyes, Chris Camacho, Julian Reyes, and Randy Sablan went home with the Sportsmanship Award.

In the Thursday League, the Blue Haus Homeboyz were the Budweiser Cup champions, while 9 Eleven, Titans and Tasha’s Wild Bill’s were ranked second and third.

Cultura, Garcia, Sangalang, Flores, Junar Guiab, Bart Demapan, and team captain George Lizardo were the members of the Homeboyz, while the 9 Eleven Titans II had Matsunaga, Bill Cepeda, Villagomez, Pat Cepeda, Quitugua, Deleon Guerrero, and Kapileo as players. Joseph Achas, Neil Ayson, Rick ELefante, Victor Formales, and Billy Lucente were the other players in the Dela Cruz-led Wild Tasha’s Bills.

Sahagun was also the Run The Rack champion in the Thursday League, while 8 Ball On Break winners were Matsunaga, Hermogenes, Gragasin, Guiab, Montano, Jerry Tiu of Team SCS, and Aljay Malang of the Jam Shooters.

Montano was the Top Gun awardee in the Thursday League, while Sahagun and Formales were the elimination round co-MVPs, and Roel Barreto won the Finals MVP.

The 9 Eleven Shooters—Malang, Lito Pangilinan, Rommel Crisostomo, Melvin Montoya, Nino Zapanta, Roderick Cunanan, Marlon Contreras, and Michael Fontanilla—earned the Sportsmanship Award.