HOLY crap. I really felt old while I was checking for some background info for the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) football finals. Going through my blog, I realized I was there during the last finals of the Cebu Amateur Athletic Association won by a Southwestern University team that had Ref Cuaresma on it and the first finals of the Cesafi, which was won by the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R).
USJ-R is still the most successful team in Cesafi football history with nine titles on its name and is the only team that was able to win four straight titles. The Jaguars won four straight from 2001 to 2004, had a dry run for two years, won three straight in 2007, 2008 and 2009, had another dry run of two years and won two straight in 2012 and 2013.
The University of San Carlos (USC) has six after winning the last three titles to add to its previous wins in 2006, 2011 and 2014, while the University of Cebu (UC) has two titles. The first one for UC was in 2010, as the No. 4 team going all the way to the finals, and the last one in 2015, this time as the No. 1 team of the eliminations when it beat USJ-R via shootout.
UV, last year’s runner-up, has one title in 2005.
On Nov. 10, USC has a chance to add title No. 7 and equal USJ-R’s record of winning four straight, while UC has a chance to add a third. Interestingly enough, USC has been the only winner under the new format (double round-robin, top two in the finals), while UC was the last winner under the old format (single round-robin, semifinal). I like the new format because it calls for consistency.
Though there are two games left--UV vs. the University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USP-F) and USC vs. USJ-R--it is already sure that it will be UC and USC in the final, unlike last year when we had to wait for the last game of the double round-robin. Both UC and USC have 13 points, while USP-F and USJ-R are at nine, so a win by both won’t dislodge that two. So, I think it will be safe to say that USC will take a vacation in its last elimination round game.
But that’s not the case for the high school defending champion, Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu. I thought an easy win by Don Bosco Technical Center (DBTC) would eliminate them from the title hunt but I was wrong. DBTC leads at 16 points and is a sure finalist, USJ-R is second at 15, while Ateneo is third at nine with two games at hand.
Everything will all hinge on the USJ-R vs. DBTC game, which was supposed to be the first game on Oct. 20 but was moved because the Oct. 19 games were moved to Oct. 20 owing to the tragic fire that hit the area.
Whenever the game will be played, Ateneo will have to pray to St.Ignatius and all the other saints for the Bosconians to score a repeat win over USJ-R so the Jaguars get stuck at 15 points.
Assuming DBTC wins 1-0, Ateneo then has to do its part and beat SMS-Boystown by at least seven goals. That way, going to Ateneo’s last game against the Jaguars, it will be at 12 points with a goal difference of nine, while the Jaguars will be at 15 points with a goal difference of nine. A win would be enough to earn a finals seat for Ateneo.