NCR bags 12th Palaro crown

LEGAZPI CITY, Albay, Philippines – The National Capital Region ruled the ballgames to cap its domination of the Palarong Pambansa, which ended yesterday at the Albay Sports and Tourism Complex.

NCR edged Central Visayas, 2-1, in a fight-marred game to capture the secondary football gold.

Tomas Glenn Ramos scored the first goal for Central Visayas on the 12th minute while Earlwhine Dalan and Christian Bacara responded with two quick goals spanning 12 minutes from the 25th.

A fight among NCR’s Dalan and Darryl Ablan and Central Visayas goalie Joseph Kei Cenisa broke out midway in the second, leading to their disqualification.

NCR hung tough enough to preserve the win.

NCR took both the secondary girls and boys golds in volleyball with wins over Calabarzon, 25-23, 14-25, 25-22, 25-21, and Western Visayas, 25-27, 25-14, 25-21, 25-19, respectively.

NCR, represented by Ateneo, downed Calabarzon, 8-3 to clinch its third consecutive secondary baseball title.

NCR topped the table with 104 gold, 57 silver and 48 bronze medals to seal its 12th straight overall title, way ahead of No. 2 Calabarzon (40-43-59) and Western Visayas (35-35-39).

Central Visayas improved to fourth from sixth last year with 29-31-29 followed by  Northern Mindanao (25-22-36), Negros Island (21-28-39), Socsargen (20-20-29), Central Luzon (17-14-28), Cordillera Administrative Region (12-19-15) and Davao (8-18-19).

NCR’s romp wasn’t complete though after losing grip of the secondary basketball gold as its team, represented by Mapua, settled for just a bronze.

Calabarzon, which sent the mighty San Beda squad, picked up the gold by besting Central Luzon, 92-82.

Its secondary girls basketball team softened the impact of its boys’ defeat by snaring the gold following an 80-68 win over Negros.

NCR ruled three of the four standard events in chess courtesy of Julius Gonzales (boys individual), Gonzales and Tristan Jared Cervero (boys team) and Allaney Jia Doroy and Francois Marie Magpily (girls team).

Central Visayas’ Vic Glysen Derotas averted a Big City sweep by reigning supreme in girls individual chess.

NCR also imposed its will in secondary girls rhythmic and boys artistic gymnastics by hauling seven golds through Jhazzelle Louise Limenzon (ball, clubs, individual all-around and team) and John Ivan Cruz (vaulting table, mushroom and individual all-around).

Tanker Maurice Sacho Illustre provided one of the best individual efforts for NCR as he raked in a Palaro best seven gold medals in secondary boys swimming.

Bicol’s Shaira Gabrielle Guevara gave the host region two golds in hoop and rope in rhythmic gymnastics. Socsargen’s John Paul Cabido (floor exercise) and Calabarzon’s Johny Joegin Alpay, Justine Ace de Leon and Leonel Casulla (team) snatched the gold that NCR failed to win in girls’ artistic gymnastics.

In secondary softball, Negros Island blasted NCR, 9-1.

Over at the Daraga covered court, Western Visayas edged Negros Island, 2-1, to bag the secondary boys sepak takraw mint.

Central Visayas struck the hardest in tennis at the Albay Lignon Hill courts by capturing four of the six mints staked there.

It swept the secondary boys’ level with wins by the Johnny Arcilla-trained Jan Godfrey Seno (singles), Rucel Cero and Feb Wyndell Deja (doubles) and Cero, Deja, Seno and Herbert Niño Sarraga (team) and  Allysa Mae Bornia and Zehtleyu Mae Alferez (girls doubles).

Shaira Hope Rivera ruled the girls’ singles while Mary Rose Arcayna, Melanie Faye Dizon, Arianne Nillasca and Angela Paula Valle gave Calabarzon the team event gold.

In boxing at the Peñaranda Park, Dave Mark Apolinario topped the light flyweight division to help propel Socsargen to the close victory in boxing as it also finished with a silver and three bronzes.

The other golden boys of the sport were Western Visayas’ Dan Louie Caldedero (light mosquito), Zamboanga’s Juvan Amantiad (mosquito), Northern Mindanao’s John Vincent Pangga (light paper) and Davao’s John Ednoel Prevendido (pin).