THE University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) moved to the top spot in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. collegiate football tournament after outlasting the University of San Jose Recoletos (USJ-R), 2-1, on Oct. 5, 2025 at the Cebu City Sports Center.
USPF, which started the season with a contentious loss to seven-time defending champion University of San Carlos (USC), now leads the tournament with six points on two wins and a loss, while USC is second with five points on a win and two draws.
Jordan Quinicot got USPF the lead in the 36th minute against the Jaguars, while James Langres doubled the count at the stroke of half time, before Sean Olvido scored USJ-R’s lone goal in the 84th minute.
Jack Nino Sicsci got player of the game honors for USPF, which will have a two week break before it takes on USC again for the start of the second round on Oct. 19.
Meanwhile, Justine Louis Soco salvaged a point for UP Cebu at it held USC to a 2-2 draw. Soco opened the ledger in the 11th minute before Gianrenzo Custado (23rd) and John Cyril Sinoy (43rd) gave USC a 2-1 lead just before half time.
In the second half, Soco put UP on level terms again in the 70th minute to earn Best Player of the Game honors.
UP Cebu climbed to third place in the standings with a point and will close out its first round on Oct. 19 with USJ-R, which also has one point on a draw and a loss.
In the high school division, defending champion Don Bosco Technical College (DBTC) overcame its early jitters to beat San Carlos School of Cebu (SCSC), 4-1, to improve to four points to bag the solo lead.
Xyrus Lloyd Maraquio got SCSC the early lead in the eighth minute but it was shorlived as Joseph Roy Requiron, Yuki John Ceniza and Ray Agustine Abuzo scored a goal each in a 14-minute span for a 3-1 lead at the break. Requiron scored another in the second half to complete the rout, while Yuko John Ceniza got Best Player of the Game honors for DBTC.
In the first game, USJ-R earned its third straight draw, this time against Sacred Heart School Ateneo de Cebu, 2-2. Nino Janry Colina and John Michael Diano, who was named the best player, scored for USJ-R, while Jared Tyler Abastas and Mark Nathan Tabon scored for Ateneo.