AGUSAN DEL SUR — Western Visayas stamped its class early in the 66th Palarong Pambansa after the Western Visayas Regional Athletic Association (WVRAA) secondary boys football team blanked Zamboanga Peninsula Regional Athletic Association (ZPRAA), 3-0, while the Negros Island Region (NIR) girls basketball squad pulled off a stunning upset over powerhouse Calabarzon on Saturday in Prosperidad here.
WVRAA imposed its dominance from the opening whistle, controlling possession and dictating the pace throughout the contest to secure a commanding victory in the secondary boys football tournament.
The Western Visayas booters consistently pressured ZPRAA on both ends and capitalized on transition attacks to seize an early advantage in the group-stage competition.
Head coach Bern Golen and supervising coach Maela C. Tangeres steered the squad as WVRAA prevented ZPRAA from mounting any sustained offensive attack.
The convincing win provided Western Visayas a strong start in its bid for the secondary boys football championship under the tournament’s revised format.
In elementary football action, however, the WVRAA squad settled for a 1-1 draw against Northern Mindanao Regional Athletic Association (NMRAA) in its elimination-round opener.
Western Visayas displayed aggressive play in the early minutes before NMRAA answered with a goal that forced the deadlock.
Meanwhile, the newly formed Negros Island Region made an immediate statement in girls basketball after shocking perennial contender Calabarzon, 61-54.
Representing NIR was Doña Montserrat Lopez Memorial High School of Silay City, reinforced by players from the Schools Division Offices of Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, and Guihulngan.
NIR pulled away in the fourth quarter to complete what was considered the region’s first major victory in the Palarong Pambansa.
The triumph gave NIR a 1-0 record heading into the next phase of the elimination round./PN
