Mindanaotoday.com | Bulua NHS girls finally win CdO Futsal title
By: Jack Biantan
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — After many years of finishing third, the Bulua National High School Strikers finally captured the Cagayan de Oro City meet Girls Futsal title last Saturday at their home court at the Bulua National High School gym.
This time, the Strikers were dominant as they crushed their opponents scoring a total of 18 goals in the three-team one day competition.
According to coach Jun Actub, their sacrifices before the pandemic have paid off.
“The seeds that I sowed before pandemic have now bear fruits. The grassroots program of Bulua strikers since 2014 has produced positive results,’’ said Actub who started the Bulua Strikers FC youth football club in Bulua, Cagayan de Oro City in 2014.
Most members of the club come from Bulua National High School and Bulua Elementary School. Others players come from different schools around the barangay.
RESULTS
The Strikers first dumped the young Lumbia National School Raptors, 10-1. They then whipped their rival Xavier University High School, 8-2. The two wins were enough for the Strikers to earn a berth to represent Cagayan de Oro City in the Northern Mindanao Athletic Association (NMRAA) meet set next month in Tubod, Lanao del Norte.
The Lumbia NHS Raptors, despite of their brutal loss against the Strikers, came back in their second match to upset Xavier University HS in a 3-2 thriller to place second in the tournament organized by the Department of Education for students born 2005 and above.
STAR PLAYER
Bulua NHS star player Stephanie Martinez scored a total of 11 goals in the tournament finding the back of the net six times against Lumbia NHS, and five times against XUHS Crusaders. The Raptors, were the youngest team in the tournament. They have players who are 12, 13 and 14 years old. The CdO Division meet were for players 17-years-old and below. LNHS scored the first goal against Bulua early in the match with Rose Mary Pagalan finding the back of the net in the 5th minute.
However, the Strikers, with Martinez leading the charge, came back quickly scoring five straight goals to grab a 5-1 lead at the half. The Strikers resumed their charge in the second half scoring more goals crushing the Raptors 10-1 at the end. Martinez scored six goals while Queency Love Canaman added four goals to complete the rout.
Against XU, Martinez scored five goals for the Strikers while defenders Pauline Louie Labita, Rhea Jane Llogan and Quincy Love Canaman scored one goal each. Samantha Jane Diaz Tagab and Marianne Amaro scored one goal each for the
Crusaders. Other members of the Bulua NHS team are Aliya Surposa, Twinkle Gaid, Trisha Jett Parohinog, Rhyssa Erliz Moreno, Rezel Mae Bonifacio, Queen Angelle Very, Gernivie Rodrigo, and Phoebe Keith Branzuela.
RAPTORS VS CRUSADERS
Meanwhile in the last game of the day, Lumbia NHS had to go through the eye of the needle before the Raptors could subdue the XUHS Crusaders in a thrilling ‘championship’ like match, 3-2. Rose Mary Pagalan scored the opening goal again for the Raptors early in the match and Precious Exequil added another one to gain a 2-0 lead.
The Crusaders of coach Dhon Lazo, however refused to give up as Shane Josephine Tagab scored from a penalty for a 2-1 halftime score with th
e Raptors leading by one goal. Marriane Amato then added one goal for the Crusaders at the start of the second half with a booming shot from the half line to equalize, 2-2. The Raptors however woke up from their slumber and leaned on their 13-year-old striker Precious Exequil who scored the winning goal in the 30th minute to insure Lumbia NHS second place finish.
BULUA STRIKERS
The Bulua NHS Girls Futsal team was formed by coach Jun Actub together with the Bulua Strikers FC in 2014. The Strikers finished third in 2016, 2017 and 2018 behind Xavier University and St. Mary’s School of Macasandig. SMS won the title in 2019 while XUHS was second and Bulua once again was third place.
There was no Division meet in 2020, 2021 and 2022 as the Palaro program was cancelled due to COVID pandemic. This year 2023, is a different story as the Bulua Strikers grassroots program have started to bear fruit. This current batch of players were still in the elementary school when the COVID pandemic struck the nation in December of 2019.
According to Actub, as they girls started high school they never stopped playing and training futsal and football individually unlike other players from other schools. Actub added that what added to the advantage of the Bulua NHS this time was the all out support of their school Principal Evelyn Q. Sumanda, SSP-II, school sports coordinator James Alquisa, Bulua Strikers FC parents President Emyat Tagapulot, Bulua barangay chairman Al P. LegaspiSK Chairman Gerryca Isabelle T. Meagan and the barangay Bulua SK Council.
The school has provided them two sets of uniforms and food during the competition. School principal Evelyn Q. Sumanda has allowed the team to train in the evening in preparation for the CdO Division meet whenthe Department of Education gave them the go signal to start training. These factors have contributed to the success of Bulua NHS this year. The Lady Strikers have one month before the Northern Mindanao Regional Athletic Association (NMRAA) starts. Coach Jun Actub and the girls are hoping that the support will continue as more success are expected to come. (jackbiantantambok@gmail.com)
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