The race for the 2025 Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) football crown intensified this past weekend, with defending champion University of San Carlos (USC) securing a crucial victory to keep its title defense on track.
Warriors Dominate in Collegiate Clash
In a match held at the Cebu City Sports Center on Sunday, November 30, the USC Warriors delivered a commanding performance against the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R). The final scoreline read 3-1 in favor of the defending champions.
The Warriors established control early. Gianrenzo Custado broke the deadlock in the 29th minute, giving USC a lead they would not relinquish. The advantage was doubled just before halftime, as Jhon Cyril Sinoy found the net in the 38th minute to make it 2-0.
After the break, USC continued its offensive pressure. Ludwig Ryan Badayos extended the lead to a comfortable 3-0 with a 69th-minute goal. USJ-R managed to avoid a shutout in the dying moments, with Dylan Kane Dela Fuente scoring a consolation goal in the first minute of added time.
Standings Shake-Up and High School Surprises
This result significantly impacts the collegiate division standings. The University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) maintains its lead with 10 points. However, USC is now hot on its heels with 9 points, closing the gap. The University of the Philippines Cebu (UPC) holds third place with 4 points, while USJ-R, with only a single point, is now out of championship contention.
The drama was not confined to the college level. In the secondary division, a major upset unfolded. The defending champion Don Bosco Technical College (DBTC) suffered its first loss of the tournament, falling 1-0 to USJ-R's high school team.
In a tightly contested match, Luis Vincent Fernandez scored the solitary goal in the 30th minute, proving that the heavily favored Bosconians are indeed beatable.
Maguires Crush SCSC, Title Hopes Alive
In another high school fixture, Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC) delivered a powerful statement with a 4-1 victory over San Carlos School of Cebu (SCSC). The Maguires' attack was led by the dynamic duo of John James Santos and Antonio Benito Canton.
Santos scored a first-half brace with goals in the 5th and 30th minutes. Canton mirrored the feat after halftime, adding two more goals in the 48th and 59th minutes. SCSC's Voughn Hendrik Sundo scored a late goal in the 80th minute to spoil the clean sheet.
Despite DBTC's loss, they remain atop the secondary division with 10 points. USJ-R is second with 9 points, and SHS-AdC sits in third with 7 points. SCSC, like its college counterpart, is out of the running with just one point. The battle for the two championship slots is heating up, with SHS-AdC still having a chance to displace USJ-R if they win at least one of their two remaining matches.
