Negros blasts Butuan rivals in Adidas U-19

SANTA BARBARA, Iloilo – Negros Oriental routed Butuan, 9-4, Saturday to make it two in a row in the Adidas national under-19 football championship at the La Paz field.

Jemuel Pontillas unloaded four goals to spark the runaway triumph by the favored Negrenses.

John Philip Ragay backed up Pontillas with three markers, while Jonas Lipana and Richard Labi had one each.

Jeremiah Clemente led Butuan with two goals.

In the other games in the tourney organized by the Philippine Football Association, hosted by Iloilo Football Association and sponsored by Adidas, Cagayan de Oro ripped Legazpi-Albay, 7-2; Iligan toppled Rizal, 6-2; and Negros Occidental routed Cotabato City, 10-1.

Floriano Pasilan, Jalor Soriano and Ronald Labrador starred for Negros Occidental by scoring two goals each.

The other Negros Occidental scorers were Jade Paghubasan, Alberto Caluyo, Jehram Calvo and Francis Lia.

Joe Villareal took scoring honors for Iligan with four goals while Abelino Cameros and Francis Alder Huiso sizzled for Cagayan de Oro with three and two goals, respectively.

Negros Oriental blanked Iligan, 4-0, while host Iloilo banked on two goals by Kinley Delgado to hold off Zamboanga, 4-2, in two of Friday’s opening matches.

The other opening games saw Laguna nip Cebu, 1-0, and Dipolog clobbered NCR, 5-0.

Elimination round action continues today with Cebu meeting Cagayan de Oro, Negros Oriental facing Rizal, Laguna taking on Legazpi-Albay and Cotabato City going up against NCR.