By James Sablan
[email protected]
Variety News Staff
THE PSS-NMBA TakeCare Interscholastic Badminton League SY25-26 finale on Saturday was highlighted by a civil war where Marians High School 1 edged out their siblings, Marianas High School 2, to claim the co-ed high school division title at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.
Despite facing off in the finals, it was a win-win for either team as teammates-turned-rivals battled for bragging rights.
The game began with MHS 2 setting the tone in the men’s singles event. Evan Seguritan took the spotlight as his one-on-one skills were unmatched, outpacing MHS 1’s Marlon Bautista in the opening set, 21-15.
Seguritan only solidified his victory during the second set as he continued to ride the momentum, scoring nine consecutive points towards the end to triumph by a landslide, 21-12, putting MHS 2 up on the board.
MHS 1 quickly turned the tides, starting with Lina Tsukagoshi who put on a masterclass in precision, utilizing sharp drops and deep clears to keep MHS 2’s Danielle Joson off-balance, securing a dominant victory with scores of 11-9 and 11-3.
Other matches
In the Women’s Doubles, the MHS 1 duo of Genelyn Lasangan and Ruth Bautista showed superior chemistry against MHS 2’s Kate Xu and Danielle Joson. Despite a gritty effort from the MHS 2 pair in the second set, Gen and Char stayed composed to win both sets, 21-10, 21-13.
The Men’s Doubles was arguably the match of the day as MHS 1’s Dave Odicta and Brandon Manacop faced a fierce challenge from MHS 2’s Evan Seguritan and Danielle Mulinyawe. Although it was a nail-biting matchup with the score staying neck-and-neck until the final points, it was MHS 1 that narrowly escaped during the three-set exchange, 21-20, 19-21, 21-19 to secure the overall victory as well as the championship title.
With MHS 1’s victory secured, the mixed doubles event did not need to be played.
Despite the loss, MHS 2 still went home with their hands filled as they settled for second place while Saipan Southern High School followed in third place.
Hands-off
Following the championship clash, MHS Badminton Coach James Digno shared his shared a few remarks. When asked about the unique dynamic of coaching both teams, MHS 1 and MHS 2, Digno revealed a hands-off approach to maintain fairness. “In that situation, I just make it up to the captains how they want to do it for each team.” He said. “I just let it play out. So far, everything went well.” Digno added.
This victory marks a significant milestone for the MHS program. According to Digno, this is the school’s third championship overall. While they have achieved back-to-back titles in the past, they are currently reclaiming the top spot after losing to Saipan Southern High School last year.
MHS 1’s win was the perfect cherry on top for what Digno described as a flawless run, crediting the team that has been training since the beginning of the school year and emphasizing the players’ discipline as they often led practices even when he was absent.
While MHS celebrates this year, the future brings new challenges as most of the MHS 1 starters are graduating seniors, which Digno admits will make next year tougher.
Coach Digno extended his gratitude to those who made the season possible, including Marianas High School for their consistent support, Tan Siu Lin Foundation for their ongoing sponsorship of the sport, and PSS for organizing the league.
James Sablan has been a sports reporter for Variety since 2013. He was a liberal arts student of Northern Marianas College and covers all local sports.
