History was made on Monday evening as the San Beda Red Booters triumphed over the Benilde Blazing Strikers, 3-2, in the NCAA Season 101 Men’s Football Finals at the Rizal Memorial Stadium. The victory gave the Red Booters an unprecedented fourth straight NCAA men’s football title.
How They Got Here
Benilde, which topped the standings after the end of eliminations with a record of 3 wins and 1 draw, easily dispatched the Perpetual Altas Booters in the semifinals, 5-0.
Meanwhile, the Red Booters finished as the second seed with a win-loss record of 3-1 and defeated the EAC Generals in the semis, also with the same 5-0 score.
San Beda, Benilde Provide a Thriller
Back in the elimination round, it was the Blazing Strikers who handed the Red Booters their lone loss of the tournament with a score of 1-0.
From the opening whistle, both San Beda and Benilde displayed grit and defensive discipline, preventing any early breakthroughs.
San Beda had multiple chances in the second half; however, the defense of Benilde proved effective against the defending champions, which caused the men in red to miss out on entering the scoring column.
Goalkeeper Jayvee Tagle was the defensive anchor for the Blazing Strikers, as he made several crucial stops that kept San Beda scoreless.
Due to the phenomenal defensive prowess displayed by both teams, the match went to extra time. Even in the added period, neither side managed to find the decisive goal, setting the stage for a high-pressure penalty shootout.
Red Booters Come in Clutch
During the penalty shootout, both teams began exchanging conversions, as San Beda’s Kirk Emman See and Benilde’s Charles Unabia calmly delivered their attempts.
Momentum shifted when Sam Salingay slotted in his kick to give San Beda an early edge, finally ending the scoring drought with a 1-0 lead.
It was then followed by midfielder Marvin Ladines, which allowed the gap to widen, putting the Red Booters ahead, 2-0.
Benilde responded with back-to-back points, as substitute Jefry Agramon scored the first point for the Blazing Strikers, followed next by Byron Abela, which tied the contest at 2-2.
With the pressure mounting, Alexis Lampines stepped up and delivered the decisive strike, sealing the victory and completing San Beda’s successful title defense, winning four straight championships in a row.
The finals victory also serves as the 27th overall title of San Beda, further solidifying its dominance in NCAA football.
EAC then bagged the bronze medal, winning against Perpetual, 8-7, during extra time of their separate match for third place.
Benilde, San Beda Players Claim Season 101 Awards
Despite the first runner-up finish, Benilde bagged several individual awards.
Jesse Bajarla was named Best Defender, while Tagle earned Goalkeeper of the Year. Dale Anoya won Freshman of the Year.
Mark Pellejo of San Beda fittingly bagged the Most Valuable Player award.
