The Athabasca Daddy's will get to defend their title against the Perryvale B-Boys in the Recreational Filipino Basketball League (RFBL) championship, while the Athabasca Birds and the Edwin Parr Composite Predators will play for third place.
The league concluded their regular season July 17, as well as their two semi-final games.
The final regular-season game was played first. It saw the Predators win their first, and as it turns out only game in the regular season. They crushed the Athabasca Birds 75-43.
Acting EPC team captain Job Ramos called the win unbelievable.
"All we had to do was come together and play our game," Ramos said. "The win really got the team really pumped up. I was hoping we could take this momentum into the 1-4 semi-final against the Athabasca Daddy's for our next game."
But a win just was not in the cards for the Predators in that game. While the game was close, it was the defending-champions who prevailed, with the Daddy's winning 70-66 over EPC.
"The semi-final was a tough loss, but we gave it all we got," Ramos said. "We played right up until the end, but it is what it is."
Daddy's player Joel Montenegro added that both teams played well during the game.
"It was tough for us to play against the younger EPC players, and the close result showed that," Montenegro said. "But we played great defence, kept up with them, and that's why we won. It was a team effort."
The loss does not quite end the season for EPC. They play in the third-place, three-game series July 24 against the loser of the 2-3 semi-final, the Birds.
In another close game, the game between the Birds and the Perryvale B-Boys were tied at 77-all after regulation, meaning the game required a three minute period of overtime. But in the end, the B-Boys prevailed, with the final score being 85-82.
"We just could not close the deal," Birds player and assistant coach Shane Villalon said after the game. "A three-pointer Marcus Leonardo got right at the whistle blow to end overtime was supposed to be counted, but it was not in the end."
The referee ruled that the shot was after the whistle blow ended. Villalon said without an official buzzer, any ruling can be a tough call.
"But what can you do?" she added. "For the third-place game against EPC, we are going to double our efforts, make more plays, and win this game for sure."
B-Boys head coach and team captain Mark Cadiente said he was thrilled his team would be going for the championship.
"The Birds put up a good fight in the semi-final, and we only just made it through," Cadiente said. "We now have a week off before we play against the Daddy's, and that gives us time to come up with some new plans in order to dethrone them as the champions."
Cadiente said all the B-Boys who played last year were part of the Daddy's championship team last year.
"The B-Boys just formed this year," he said. "It's really a separate faction trying to steal the title from the main team."
The championship itself will take place at the Athabasca Regional Multiplex July 31.
