By ADRIAN STEWART CO

The Negros Occidental Pillars capped a dominant campaign by defeating the Manila MSW Mavericks in the finals and securing the Sharks Billiards Association (SBA) Season 2 championship.

Leading the charge for the champions was Drahcir Mauricio, who was named the finals Most Valuable Player following his key role in the team’s title run.

Mauricio was joined on the championship roster by Jolo Aspuria, Jonald Galve, Ryan Mark Hidalgo, Raymart Camomot, and Dean Mark Castronuevo, with Jonathan Sanchez serving as head coach.

The Pillars clinched the crown by prevailing over the Mavericks in Game 4 of their best-of-five championship series.

Entering the playoffs as the league’s top-ranked team, Negros Occidental lived up to expectations throughout the season, displaying consistency and composure on its way to the title.

From the opening stages of the competition to the championship round, the Pillars showcased the discipline and resilience that established them as one of the SBA’s premier teams.

“Sa simula pa lamang, nagtiwala ako sa aking mga manlalaro at nagtiwala rin sila sa akin,” Sanchez said.

“Maaaring hindi tayo ang itinuturing na pinakamalakas na koponan sa liga, ngunit paulit-ulit kong sinasabi sa kanila na magtiwala sa proseso at magtiwala sa isa’t isa, at makakarating sa pangwakas na laban. Tinanggap nila ang paniniwalang iyon araw-araw,” he added.

SBA founder and chief executive officer Hadley Mariano praised both teams and highlighted the high standard of play displayed during the championship series.

“Ang antas ng laro na ating nasaksihan sa buong pangwakas na laban ay talagang kahanga-hanga,” Mariano said.

“Ipinakita ng dalawang koponan sa buong bansa ang galing ng mga manlalarong Pilipino sa kasalukuyan,” he added.

The championship victory capped a memorable Season 2 campaign for the Pillars, who finished on top of the league and successfully translated their strong regular-season form into a title-winning performance./ASC, WDJ