ASTURIAS, Cebu — Rosal Poultry Farm survived a furious late rally by S3M/JDL Game Farm to escape with a 103-97 victory and bag the Mayor Dongkoy’s Cup 2026 championship on Wednesday, Aug. 5, at the Asturias Sports Complex.
The win earned Rosal the tournament’s P300,000 champion’s purse after a weeklong competition, while S3M/JDL settled for the P200,000 runner-up prize.
Former PBA player Allyn Bulanadi spearheaded Rosal’s hard-earned victory with 31 points, while Genmar Bragais chipped in 15. Emman Calo and Nash Enriquez also delivered 12 points apiece before a packed crowd of supporters from both teams.
Rosal appeared to be cruising to victory after building a commanding 13-point 76-63 lead at the end of the third quarter.
However, S3M/JDL mounted a determined comeback in the fourth period behind the combined efforts of Raul Gentallan, Ted Saga, and Kent Ivo Salarda.
The trio slowly erased the deficit until the margin was trimmed to just two points, 99-97, with only 14.3 seconds remaining, electrifying the jam-packed crowd.
The late rally prompted Rosal head coach Chelito Caro to call a crucial timeout to draw up a play for the closing seconds.
The timeout paid off as Bulanadi calmly sank two free throws with 10 seconds left, stretching Rosal’s lead to 101-97.
Any hopes of a dramatic comeback vanished when S3M/JDL committed a costly turnover on its ensuing possession, allowing Rosal to seal the championship.
Gentallan turned in a stellar performance with 36 points to lead S3M/JDL. Salarda added 12 markers, while Miguel Jusay finished with nine.
For Caro, the championship was especially meaningful as it marked his first-ever title in Asturias after years of competing in several tournaments in the municipality.
“Siyempre, malipayon kaayo ko nga sa kadugayng panahon nga sigeg balik-balik sa Asturias, karon champion na gyud ko (Of course, I’m very happy that after all these years of coming back to Asturias, I’m finally a champion),” Caro said.
Earlier, ARQ Builders pulled off a stunning 81-76 victory over the favored Mighty Warriors to secure third place.
ARQ coach Paul Joven said the unexpected third-place finish is a big morale boost for his team ahead of the forthcoming Cesafi Season.
The ARQ Builders are powered by a young core of University of San Carlos varsity players. / JBM