Ateneo de Cebu secondary football squad gears up for Cviraa meet

The Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu secondary football team. | CDN file

CEBU CITY, Philippines – The Mandaue City secondary football team manned by players from the Sacred Heart School – Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC) is keen on defending its Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association (Cviraa) Meet title and once again represent Central Visayas to the Palarong Pambansa in Davao this year.

The team, which went back into training last January 3 after the holiday break, will intensify its training by having its first friendly games this weekend against older teams.

“Bug-at kaayo amo mga kontra sa friendlies pra makat-on ang mga bata. Bahala ma pildi basta daghan makat onan mga bata,” said head coach Oliver “BingBing” Colina.

(We have tough opponents in the friendlies so the players will learn. It doesn’t matter if we lose as long as they will learn something.)

The Magis Eagles will be facing Donsacredale, the men’s open runner-up in the 20th Aboitiz Cup Saturday, January 26; and Makoto, the men’s inter-company champion also in the Aboitiz Cup, on Sunday, January 27. 

“Mas dali sila mo mature kay mas maro naman manuwa ang mens. Lisod sad kung same age ra nila kay dali ra nila and pareha-pareha ra sila ug behavior,” he added.

(They will mature faster because players in the men’s team play wiser. It will be easy for them if they face teams whose members have the same age as them, and they will have similar behaviors.)

The Magis Eagles had a successful 2018, winning the Cesafi secondary football title then also clinching the Boys Under 18 title of the 20th Aboitiz Football Cup.

Next week, the Mandaue City representatives will go up against the three-time Aboitiz Cup men’s open champion, Leylam FC, in another friendly before capping it by joining an invitational tournament in Oroquieta City, Misamis Occidental, where they will face teams from various areas in Mindanao.

“Karon ang condition sa players na pa sa 80 percent, after sa among Oroquieta murag diha nana sila ma 100 percent and timing lang pag balik naa nalng mga two weeks para Cviraa na,” said Colina.

(The players’ condition is about 80 percent right now, maybe after our game in Oroquieta they will go up to 100 percent in time when we get back, there will be just two weeks left before the CVIRAA.)

The Cviraa Meet will be held in February in Dumaguete City.

The team defeated Cebu City in last year’s regional meet but managed only to reach the quarterfinal round in the Palarong Pambansa after bowing to NCR. /bjo