WSR gets third girls title in IFL

William S. Reyes Elementary School players and coaches pose with their championship trophy after beating Whispering Palms School/Brilliant Star School in the penalty shootout, 2-1, in the girls finals of the 2016 NMIFA U11 Interscholastic Football League last Saturday at the Hopwood Junior High School Field. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

William S. Reyes Elementary School outgunned Whispering Palms School/Brilliant Star School in the penalty shootout, 2-1, to rule the girls division of the 2016 NMIFA U11 Interscholastic Football League last Saturday at the Hopwood Junior High School Field.

Mary Joy Aniana and Rizza Relucio were on target in the shootout to finally give the victory to WSR after playing for more than an hour. Erin Frink made the lone goal for WPS/BSS in the shootout, which was scheduled after neither team scored in the one-hour regulation and 10-minute overtime.

Aniana put WSR on the board after the first two shooters—Julie Anne Capayas and Sophia Quintos—missed their marks. River Kramer also failed to convert when she first attempted for WPS/BSS before Frink found her target to give the team the advantage. Irin and Serin Chung and Cassie Reagan were the last three shooters for WPS/BSS, which also had Frink as its goalkeeper in the shootout.

Christina Amaro was the goalie for WSR, while Relucio was the fourth shooter on the team and hit the go-ahead when her ball rolled in to the left corner of the goal. Nicole Carag attempted last for the eventual champions.

With the title, WSR has earned the most girls championships in the IFL with its three crowns. The Kingfishers topped the inaugural contest in 2008 and got their second division title in 2014. Gregorio T. Camacho Elementary School, which finished third this season, has two championships (2010 and 2012), while Dandan, Oleai, WPS, and Hopwood 2 have one each after winning in 2009, 2011, 2013, and 2015, respectively.

The Kingfishers have three coaches for this season—Melissa Dickinson, Erika Dela Rosa, and Kathy Mersai. The team also had Vianca Mangulabnan, Kaylee Pinaula, Narhya Mersai, and Tricia Rabago as members.

“The girls showed tremendous teamwork all throughout the season,” said Dickinson, whose squad were unbeaten in five games in the regular season and advanced to the finals after shutting down GTC in the semis, 3-0.

“They worked together and had confidence in each other,” Mersai added.

Dela Rosa, on the other hand, commended the Kingfishers for hanging tough in the extended finale.

“They were very tired, but they kept pushing themselves,” Dela Rosa said.

Meanwhile, Amaro took the Golden Glove award in the girls division, while Raymond Guanlao, also from WSR, got the same recognition in the boys contest. In the Golden Boot race, WPS/BSS’ Dylan Mister claimed the top honors in the boys’ field, while Aniana prevailed in the girls division.