# Zamboanga Sikat

The Zamboanga Sikat (stylized as Zamboanga SiKAT), alternatively known as Sikat Zamboanga, is a Filipino professional basketball team based in Zamboanga City. The team currently competes in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) as a member of the league's South Division. The team plays its home games at Mayor Vitaliano D. Agan Coliseum.
The team is the spiritual successor to the Zamboanga Valientes, after the MPBL team split due to undisclosed management issues. The split took into effect as 2019 began, forming the Zamboanga Family's Brand Sardines (shortened to ZFAMS). The team was then renamed to Zamboanga Master Sardines in 2024. Universal Canning Inc. served as the team's title sponsor from 2019 to 2024.
The Zamboanga franchise is one of five teams based in Mindanao and the only one from the Zamboanga Peninsula region. They have also played in Filbasket and in the Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3.

## History
### Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League
#### 2018–2020: The Arboleda era

Led by Harold Arboleda and Reed Juntilla, the Zamboanga franchise would finish the 2018–19 season as the sixth seed in the South Division. The team would upset the third-seeded Muntinlupa Cagers in three games in the division quarterfinals. Despite winning game 1 of the division semifinals, Zamboanga would lose to the defending champion Batangas City Athletics in the next two games. In the succeeding 2019–20 season, with the addition of Alvin Pasaol, Zamboanga improved from their 12–13 record to move up 18–12. In the playoffs, as the fifth seed, Zamboanga would get their revenge on Batangas City by beating them in three games in the division quarterfinals. In the division semifinals, however, they would lose to the eventual champion Davao Occidental Tigers.
Zamboanga initially announced that it would not participate in the succeeding season and decided their status in the MPBL on 2022.

#### 2022–2024: The Twin Turbo era and first division championship

The team opted out of the 2021 Invitational, but did eventually compete in the 2022 season, changing the team's prior decision. That season saw the arrival of the Marcelino twins, Jaycee Marcelino and Jayvee. The "Twin Turbo" would help lead Zamboanga to their best regular season record to date, as the top seed in the South with an 18–3 record. Zamboanga then booked its first MPBL finals appearance after beating the Batangas City Embassy Chill in the South Division finals. In the 2022 MPBL finals, Zamboanga lost to the Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards in four games. They would lose to the Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards in four games in the national finals series.
Zamboanga then took part in the 2023 Preseason Invitational, which they would end up winning after their finals victory against Nueva Ecija. They would then record their winningest season to date, 20–8, although they would fall down to the fourth seed. After beating the expansion Quezon Huskers in three games, they division title defense came to an end after getting swept by the Bacoor City Strikers. For the 2024 season, the team changed their team name to Zamboanga Master Sardines. Despite matching their previous record from last season and making the playoffs for a fifth consecutive season, the team suffered its first division quarterfinals exit after losing to the Parañaque Patriots in three games. After this season, the Marcelino twins would leave Zamboanga for Nueva Ecija.

### Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3

Family's Brand Sardines joined the Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3, debuting in the 2020-21 season. For the President's Cup, they fielded a roster filled with national 3x3 players; Joshua Munzon, Alvin Pasaol, Troy Rike, Santi Santillan. The decision was made as part of the preparation of the Philippine national team for their participation in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) for the 2020 Summer Olympics. The team won the President's Cup title, winning four of five legs including the grand final, which granted the team of a spot at the Doha Masters of the 2020 FIBA 3x3 World Tour.

## Team identity
### 2019–2024

When the franchise split from the Valientes, the logo carried over to the new ZFAMS team, which shared elements with the Valientes' logo. The former moniker had a double meaning, not only referring to the products of Universal Canning Inc., which owns both the Family's Brand Sardines and Master Sardines brands, but also as a reference to Zamboanga City being referred to as the "Sardines Capital of the Philippines".
In 2024, alongside the announcement of the name change to Master Sardines, a logo-making contest was also announced to create the new identity. The new logo was later shown on February 22, 2024. Created by Ritche Faustorilla Ocampo, it featured a sardine holding a basketball with a gold outline.

### 2025–present

In 2025, the team had its biggest change in branding, as the team gained the backing of Sikat Sports, a group led by Kat Chua.

## Rivalries
### Batangas City Tanduay Rum Masters

Zamboanga and Batangas City have faced each other in the playoffs in three consecutive occasions from 2019 to 2022, all of which went the full three games. Zamboanga won the series in both 2020 and in 2022. As of 2023, the two teams have met a total of thirteen times in the MPBL.

## Current roster
### Head coaches

Zamboanga Sikat head coaches :
| # | Name | Start | End | Achievements |
| 1 | Ednie Morones | 2018 | 2019 | — |
| 2 | Raymund Valenzona | 2019 | 2020 | — |
| 3 | Bai Cristobal | 2020 | 2020 | — |
| 4 | Britt Reroma | 2020 | 2021 | — |
| 5 | Vic Ycasiano | 2022 | 2023 | Division champion (2022) |
| 6 | Louie Alas | 2023 | 2024 | — |

## Season-by-season records

* League champions
* Division champions
* Qualified for playoffs
* Best regular season record

### Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League

| Season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Playoffs | Playoffs |
| Season | Division | Finish | GP | W | L | PCT | GB | Stage | Results |
| Zamboanga Family's Brand Sardines ||||||||||
| 2018–19 Datu Cup | South | 6th | 25 | 12 | 13 | .480 | 8 | Division quarterfinals Division semifinals | won vs. Muntinlupa, 2–1 lost vs. Batangas City, 1–2 |
| 2019–20 Lakan Season | South | 5th | 30 | 18 | 12 | .600 | 8 | Division quarterfinals Division semifinals | won vs. Batangas City, 2–1 lost vs. Davao Occidental, 0–2 |
| 2022 | South | 1st | 21 | 18 | 3 | .857 | — | Division quarterfinals Division semifinals Division finals National finals | won vs. Muntinlupa, 2–0 won vs. Bacolod, 2–1 won vs. Batangas City, 2–1 lost vs. Nueva Ecija, 1–3 |
| 2023 | South | 4th | 28 | 20 | 8 | .714 | 3 | Division quarterfinals Division semifinals | won vs. Quezon, 2–1 lost vs. Bacoor City, 0–2 |
| Zamboanga Master Sardines ||||||||||
| 2024 | South | 4th | 28 | 20 | 8 | .714 | 1 | Division quarterfinals | lost vs. Parañaque, 1–2 |
| Zamboanga Sikat ||||||||||
| 2025 | TBA | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined |
| All-time regular season record | All-time regular season record | All-time regular season record | 132 | 88 | 44 | .667 | | 5 playoff appearances | 5 playoff appearances |
| All-time playoff record | All-time playoff record | All-time playoff record | 31 | 15 | 16 | .484 | | 1 finals appearance | 1 finals appearance |
| All-time overall record | All-time overall record | All-time overall record | 163 | 103 | 60 | .632 | | 0 championships | 0 championships |