By Jay Leon Guerrero
For the sixth straight season, the Father Duenas Friars will be playing in the IIAAG Boys Basketball Championship Game. For the first time in eight seasons, the St. Paul Warriors will not.
The final four was played on Tuesday night with the top seed FD Friars defeating the ND Royals 60-40. In the other game, the second seed Warriors were dethroned by the third seed Guam High Panthers 77-67.
Cameron Brantley had a game-high 36 points for the Panthers who will be heading to the championship game that has eluded them for decades.
The Panthers entered hostile territory at the St. Paul Gym with the contest going back and forth until the final quarter. Raven Pascual had 33 points for the Warriors and teammate Michael Bork chipped in 18.
The show is now set with the undefeated Friars taking on the Panthers in a 1st vs. 3rd seed game scheduled for 7:30 pm at the Calvo UOG Field House this Friday.
“Nothing that happened before this big game matters anymore. We are all going to start the game 0-0,” said FD’s Noah Tenorio. “We just have to be prepared and more composed. The team has to stay ready because anything can happen in a championship game. “
Tenorio stuffed the stat sheet in limited playing time with 11 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. “Guam High is not going to make it easy for us. It’s important we stay composed. This is the last game of the season,” said Tenorio.
FD’s Alfred Leon Guerrero went 4-for-4 off the bench for eight points and also recorded a game high four steals. Jamel Romero had seven points and seven rebounds. Freshman Jarret Ko had seven points, which included a third quarter buzzer beater.
Rayne Cornelius had a game-high 18 points for the Royals, Rico Taitague scored 12 points. The Royals will face the Warriors in the consolation game scheduled for 5:30 pm at UOG this Friday.
“It’s going to be a good game, we worked hard all season for this. As a team captain, I told the boys to prepare themselves mentally for Friday’s challenge,” said Tenorio.
In the last five seasons, the Friars have gone against the St. Paul Warriors with FD leading the series 3-2.
This will be the first appearance in a championship game for the Guam High Panthers this century. In the ISA championship game, the third seed, GW Geckos, upset the top seed Okkodo Bulldogs. Could we see another third seed winning it all again? See you friday!
Last IIAAG champions (5 years)
2019 – St Paul defeats FD 44-41
POG – Jahmar White
2020 – FD defeats St. Paul 55-36
POG – Matt Fegurgur
2021 – FD defeats St. Paul 70-53
POG – Daryll Robles
2022 – St Paul defeats FD 55-45 in OT
POG – Xander Sanchez
2023 – FD defeats St. Paul 69-66 in OT
POG – Yoshi Sayama
2024 – ????
