FRIARS KNOCK DOWN RIVAL EAGLES 3-1

By Shania Bulala

The No. 2-ranked Father Duenas Friars faced off against the No. 3-ranked Harvest Eagles on Monday afternoon at the Leo Palace field in one of the most anticipated matchups of the Interscholastic Boys Football League. With both teams vying for prime playoff positioning, the atmosphere was intense from the opening whistle as these two top contenders went head-to-head. In the end, the Friars emerged with a 3–1 victory, powered by goals from Javin Meno, Isaac Camacho, and Hyunwoo Kim. 

With the win and the JFK Islanders on a bye, the Friars inch back to the top of the standings at 7-1-0 with JFK at 6-1-0. Harvest falls to 5-2-1. JFK beat FD three weeks ago.

1st Half

From the start, both teams locked in to settle into their rhythm, but it was the Friars who struck first. Just eight minutes into the match, Friars’ Javin Meno sliced through the Eagles’ defensive line and slotted home the opening goal to give his team an early 1–0 advantage. 

Building on that momentum, the Friars kept the pressure high. They dominated offensive possession and fired a series of shot attempts on goal. Their patience paid off again when Isaac Camacho skillfully attacked from the left wing to score once more and push the Friars’ lead to 2–0 at halftime. 

2nd Half

The Eagles returned from the half with renewed urgency, testing the Friars with a handful of shot attempts and making notable adjustments to their lineup in hopes of shifting the tempo. The Friars managed to quickly adapt to these changes, absorbing the pressure and regaining control of the midfield to disrupt the Eagles’ rhythm.

The Friars soon extended their lead to 3–0 thanks to a standout effort from Hyunwoo Kim, who weaved through multiple defenders before sinking the ball into the back of the net. 

“Coming into this match, I was nervous,” he said. “A few of our starters weren’t here today because they went off-island. Our goal today was to just keep playing hard and focus on defense.”

Kim’s versatility proved vital in the Friars’ victory, stepping up in multiple areas to fill the gaps left by the missing starters.

“Today I felt more pressure,” Kim said. “I knew I had a different role in today’s game because my teammates weren’t here. For the last few games, I was able to play striker, but today I knew I had to help with defense.”

Despite trailing behind, the Eagles refused to back down. They continued to push forward until the final moments, and their persistence paid off when Eagles’ Giacomo Bustamante drilled in a late goal to put Harvest on the scoreboard.

But the effort came too late, as the Friars’ early dominance proved decisive in securing the 3–1 victory over the Eagles.

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