Claret, Southridge all set for UAAP Football debuts

HISTORY is about to unfold at the UP Diliman Football Stadium, as guest schools Claret School of Quezon City and PAREF Southridge School will make their UAAP Season 87 High School Boys’ Football debuts. 

This afternoon represents a watershed moment for one of the country’s most well-known amateur leagues, as they welcome two guest teams for the tournament this season, after only having four teams last year. 

The Southridge Admirals will meet the UST Junior Golden Booters, who finished second last season, at 2:00 p.m., while the Claret Red Roosters will face the defending champions, FEU-Diliman Baby Tamaraws, at 7:00 p.m.

A Welcoming Storm

Moving away from the spotlight of their debut, the Red Roosters are keen to show off what they have. Their head coach, Feb Baya, a former UP standout, emphasized the importance of a solid defensive strategy.

“We know FEU has been a dominant force and the defending champions, so we’ve prepared by emphasizing defensive stability,” said Baya. 

“Our priority is to keep our shape tight as a team, especially with our back four. It’s about staying disciplined defensively and being decisive when opportunities come,” he went on to explain.

Photo Courtesy: UAAP Media Group

Southridge, like them, is keen to demonstrate its preparation for UAAP-level play. Ryan Fermin, Admirals team manager, explained how the team prepared tirelessly over the last four months.

“We’ve prepared very hard to come up with a tactical game plan to hopefully manage UST’s strengths while exploring ways to attack them,” said Fermin.

He also emphasized the benefits of having played two to three practice matches versus UST, adding, “It gave us a chance to understand them better. We also studied how their men’s team played in the first round to identify similar traits with their juniors.”

Defend The Throne

Despite the attention being focused on the two guest schools, Claret and Southridge, FEU head coach Albert Besa and the Baby Tamaraws are more than prepared to defend their title this season. 

The tactician, on the other hand, recognizes the difficulty that lies ahead of retaining the crown as they seek a record-breaking 13th consecutive championship in a league now comprised of six teams.

“Our target is to give it our best, and hopefully, the results will follow,” said Besa, who is also coaching the Philippine Women’s National Futsal Team in its 2025 AFC Women’s Futsal Asian Cup qualification campaign.

“There’s a lot of pressure on the team to defend the title and complete the treble, but with hard work and if it’s His will, we will achieve the 13-peat,” he added.

Photo Courtesy: UAAP Media Group

Meanwhile, the Junior Golden Booters are desperate to recover from last season’s heartbreaking 3-0 loss to FEU-D in the final. This season, UST is also determined to win its first high school football title.

“Objective ng team na makapasok muna ulit sa finals this season,” said UST coach Marjo Allado. “Once na ma-qualify sa finals, try namin yung best na manalo kung sino din yung magiging opponent.”

Between the two games, the legendary Ateneo de Manila University-De La Salle University rivalry takes the spotlight at 4:30 p.m.at the same venue. Indeed, the opening day of the UAAP football season will be jam-packed.