The South Cotabato Warriors, formerly known as the GenSan Warriors, are a Filipino professional basketball team based in the province of South Cotabato. The team currently competes in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) as a member of the league's South Division. They are one of two teams based in the Soccsksargen region, the other team being the Sarangani Marlins. The team plays their home games at Lagao Gymnasium in General Santos.
| South Cotabato Warriors | |
|---|---|
 2024 South Cotabato Warriors season | |
| League | MVBA (2005–2008) NBC (2007–2008) Liga Pilipinas (2008–2011) MPBL (2018–present) |
| Founded | 2005 (first incarnation) 2018 (second incarnation) |
| History | GenSan MP PacMan Warriors 2005–2008 MP–Gensan Warriors 2008–2011 GenSan Warriors 2018–2023 South Cotabato Warriors 2024–present |
| Arena | Lagao Gymnasium Polomolok Gymnasium |
| Location | General Santos, South Cotabato |
| Team colors | |
| Head coach | Elvis Tolentino |
The team's first incarnation began play in the Mindanao Visayas Basketball Association (MVBA) from 2005 to 2008 while also playing in the National Basketball Conference (NBC) from 2007 to 2008. The team played in Liga Pilipinas from 2008 to 2011 following the merger of the two former leagues.
In 2018, the team was revived as part of the MPBL's national expansion during the 2018–19 season, keeping the location identifier and moniker. In 2024, the team changed its location identifier from General Santos to South Cotabato, representing the entire province, not just the city.
History
First incarnation (2005–2011)
The team was founded in 2005 as the GenSan MP PacMan Warriors, originally as part of the Mindanao Visayas Basketball Association (MVBA) and later the National Basketball Conference (NBC) in 2007. General Santos then became part of Liga Pilipinas in 2008 following the merger of both leagues and renamed to the MP–GenSan Warriors. Liga Pilipinas ceased opeartions in 2011, ending the team's first incarnation.
Second incarnation (2018–present)
The team was revived in 2018 as part of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League's national expansion in the 2018–19 season, becoming the league's first representative from the Soccsksargen region.[1] Led by homegrown player Cris Masaglang, the team finished 4th in the South Division with 14–11 record. In the playoffs, the Warriors would be swept by the fifth-seeded Bacoor City Strikers in the First Round. General Santos then added Robby Celiz and John Raymundo into the roster for the 2019–20 MPBL season. Despite those additions and improving to 18–12, GenSan only finished seventh. Once again, the team was swept by second-seeded Bacoor City.[2]
Both Celiz and Raymundo would depart from the team before the 2022 season, while also adding Nikko Panganiban. Panganiban would be declared an all-star as the Warriors once again improved, going 15–6 and finishing 4th in the South. The team would unfortunately suffer its third straight first-round exit after losing in three games to the Mark Yee-led Bacolod Bingo Plus.[3] Panganiban would leave for San Juan, while the team added 2020 MVP John Wilson from the Pilipinas Super League's Davao Occidental Tigers. Alongside Wilson is Kyt Jimenez, coming off his rookie season with region rivals Sarangani.[4] The 2023 season would be the team's most successful as it stands, finishing 21–7, improving their record yet again and breaking into the top three in its division for the first time. Wilson and Jimenez were both declared all-stars while Masaglang would win the Homegrown Player of the Year award. That season also saw the team's first-ever playoff series win, beating the Muntinlupa Cagers in three games in the First Round before losing to the Batangas City Embassy Chill in three during the Division Semifinals.[5][6]
Heading into the 2024 season, the team will be without Jimenez, who was drafted and signed by the San Miguel Beermen in the PBA Season 48 draft. The Warriors also changed its location identifier to South Cotabato to represent the entire region.
Current roster
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Head coaches
| # | Name | Term | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jesus Ramon Pido | 2018–2019 | |
| 2 | Rich Alvarez | 2019–20 | |
| 3 | Ronnie Dojillo | 2021 | |
| 4 | Marlon Martin | 2022 | |
| 5 | Jesus Ramon Pido | 2023 | |
| 6 | Rich Alvarez | 2023 | |
| 7 | Elvis Tolentino | 2024 |
Notable players
Liga Pilipinas
- Jasper Callo
- John Eric Coronado
- Peter Deligero
- Noberto Farochillen
- Alfred John Gonzaga
- Bob Cozy Ilanga
- Jeffy Locsin
- Louie Benn Medalla
- Moorice Mejorada
- Donamar Mendoza
- Jay-R Olegario
- Bobby Pacquiao
- Manny Pacquiao
- Roderick Ramos
- Jethron Recustodio
- Abdul Fariq Dave Sagad
- Donald Tadena
Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League
| South Cotabato Warriors notable players | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Position | Tenure | Awards | All-Star |
| Cris Masaglang | 2018–present | 1x Homegrown Player of the Year (2023) | 2 (2019, 2022) | |
| Robby Celiz | 2019–2020 | — | 1 (2020) | |
| John Raymundo | 2019–2020 | 1x All-MPBL Second Team (2020) | — | |
| Nikko Panganiban | 2022 | — | 1 (2022) | |
| Kyt Jimenez | 2023 | — | 1 (2023) | |
| John Wilson | 2023–2024 | — | 1 (2023) | |
Season-by-season records
| League champions | |
| Division champions | |
| Qualified for playoffs | |
| Best regular season record |
| Season | Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Finish | W | L | PCT | Stage | Results | |||
| GenSan Warriors | |||||||||
| 2018–19 Datu Cup | South | 4th | 14 | 11 | .560 | First Round | lost vs. Bacoor City, 0–2 | ||
| 2019–20 Lakan Season | South | 7th | 18 | 12 | .600 | First Round | lost vs. Bacoor City, 0–2 | ||
| 2022 | South | 4th | 15 | 6 | .714 | First Round | lost vs. Bacolod, 1–2 | ||
| 2023 | South | 3rd | 21 | 7 | .750 | First Round Division Semifinals | won vs. Muntinlupa, 2–1 lost vs. Batangas City, 1–2 | ||
| South Cotabato Warriors | |||||||||
| 2024 | South | To be determined | |||||||
| All-time regular season record | 68 | 36 | .654 | 4 playoff appearances | |||||
| All-time playoff record | 4 | 9 | .308 | 0 Finals appearances | |||||
| All-time overall record | 72 | 45 | .615 | 0 championships | |||||