NLEX Road Warriors ready to compete in PBA D-League

Big expectations abound for the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) Road Warriors, a team which will be competing in the inaugural PBA D-League on March 12 at The Arena in San Juan. "The players are impressive, what more if they jell together," said MPTC president and chief executive officer Ramoncito Fernandez. "We formed a competitive team because we want to uphold our tradition as the undisputed leader in the expressway business," said Rodrigo Franco, president and chief operating officer of the Manila North Tollways Corporation, the builder and concessionaire of the NLEX. On paper, the Road Warriors appeared to be formidable. Ex-pro Ogie Menor and Ford Arao, Ateneo's Erik Salamat, San Sebastian's Calvin Abueva, Ian Sangalang, Ronald Pascual and Pamboy Raymundo, Letran’s Jaypee Belencion, University of the Philippines' Woody Co and ACSAT's Eric Suguitan are some of the notable local players in the line-up. Fil-Americans Clifford Hodge, a top pick in the PBL-Liga Pilipinas draft last year, along with Christian Reyes, brother of Talk 'N Text guard Ryan Reyes, lead the Fil-foreign players of the Road Warriors. They will be joined by Christopher Ellis, Karl Matthew Dehesa and Cody Tesoro. Coaching the NLEX team is PBA champion coach Boyet Fernandez. "I'm really confident about this team because the management gave me a free hand to select the players," said Fernandez, also a member of the coaching staff of the Meralco Bolts in the PBA. "We have stars, but we have players who will come off the bench to complement the stars." "We are not overloaded in one position and we are not lacking in one position. I like the balance of this team," Fernandez added. NLEX belongs to Group A that also includes Freego-Adamson, Black Water Elite-Arellano, RnW Pacific Pipes, Pharex Naproxen Sodium and PC Gilmore. Group B is composed of Maynilad, Junior Powerade, Max Bond, Cobra Energy Drink, Cebuana Lhuillier, Cafe France and FCA-ANI. - Reuben Terrado, RCJ, KY, GMA News