MindanaoToday.com | Don Bosco Victorias makes footie history in Negros Occ
By: Jack Biantan
* Don Bosco Technical Institute Victorias City rips University of St. La Salle-Bacolod 2-0 in the championship match, to capture the title in the Secondary Division of the prestigious Negros Occidental Private Schools Sports Cultural Educational Association (NOPSSCEA) football competition at the Panaad Stadium in Bacolod city.
BACOLOD City, Negros Occidental — DON Bosco Technical Institute (DBTI) of Victorias City defeated the formidable University of St. La Salle Bacolod 2-0, to capture the Secondary Division title of 43rd season of Negros Occidental Private School Sports Cultural Educational Association (NOPSSCEA) at the Panaad Sports stadium in Bacolod City.
The Bosconians from Victorias City, some 48.6 kms away from Bacolod City, have started to emulate their brothers from Cebu City having started to build up a winning football program for the institution founded by the Salesians of Don Bosco in 1951 in Victorias Milling Company (VMC), considered once a upon a time Asia’s biggest sugar refinery.
Don Bosco Technology Center (DBTC) in Cebu City considered as the winningest Secondary football team outside of Manila, two weeks ago won their nth title in Cebu’s own competition for private schools in the secondary division beating Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu 5-0, for a perfect 8-0 season win.
Goals from Kyle Giganto and Gian Olvido in the championship match assured the Greywolves from Victorias the championship trophy.
It was however a more difficult road for the Victorias boys compared to the Cebuano’s, as they have to draw with University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos (UNO-R) 1-1, in their first elimination round match.
They then sailed past Collegio de San Agustin-Bacolod 6-0 and then whipped St. Scholastica’s Academy 7-0.
DBTI then escaped past USLS 1-0 and then leaned on its prolific striker Franz Dominic Pagador’s goal from the midfield to beat another powerhouse team, STI-West Negros University 1-0 in their last elimination round match.
The win over STI-West Negros University arranged for a titular show down against USLS and then the Bosconians made football history by capturing their first NOPSSCEA football title as far as we could remember.
According to the team’s main supporter Keith Buyco, the team was getting tips from multi titled DB Cebu coach Glen Ramos. Ramos is the current head coach of BRO National football team. He has been talking to the DB Victorias head coach Esmael Duron and his assistants Aian Aspilla, Jeepee Gardose, and Jan Michael Centina on how to win the championship trophy.
Buyco is part owner of the BRO National team with Ramos and current Central Visayas Regional Football Association (CVRFA) Rodney Orale.
BRO National football team is a Cebu based semi-pro club which is now preparing to join the Paulino Alcantara Cup next year. BRO is short for Buyco, Ramos and Orale.
The advice from veteran coach Ramos has definitely paid off as the Bosconians from Victorias City played heads up football from the start en-route to their historic championship victory.
Seven players scored for the DB Victorias players in the entire tournament with Franz Dominic Pagador topping the list with five goals, then Daniel Genobis and Gian Olvido with three goals, Kyle Giganto and John Benedict Gulmatico with two goals, and Andri Marc dela Cerna with one goal.
Pagador scored a prolific goal from the half line to put the Bosconians ahead 1-0 and earned them the right to enter the championship match against USLS.
Other members of the team include Andri Salud, Sam Emmanuel Banico, Joshua Jay Padilla, Joshua Lima, Rayne Maja, Joan Carlo Borrero, Kharl Perez, Edward Jacob Ruiz, Cris Jerry Alonso, John David Jocson, James Richard Jacinto, Andre Marc dela Cerna, Zachary Bacatan, and Glenn Ryze Aguarino.
Head coach Esmael Duron is thankful for the effort of his players. “Our players worked really hard. We are blessed with this victory.”
He also thanked the support of the school officials particularly DBTI rector Fr. Eligio Santos SDB, school principal Fr. Allen George Elevado SDB, assistant principal Jona Castro, adviser Edmalyn Alquizar and Salesians Bro. Keith Joemarie Bernales SDB, and Bro. Edward Villordon SDB.
Coach Duron has also expressed thanks to the Alumni Batch ’91 headed by Keith Buyco for the endless support to the DBTI sports program. (Jack Biantan)
###