By James Sablan
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Variety News Staff
FOLLOWING another week of table action in the 2026 SBA Budweiser Open 8-Ball League, the Ilang Ilang Division continued to deliver nail-biting thrillers and strong team performances across multiple venues on Saturday night.
In the most dramatic matchup of the evening, Kanto 10 Cue Benderz narrowly escaped V.F.W. Back Straight Boyz, 7-6.
The match opened with a tightly contested Singles 8-Ball set. The Back Straight Boyz saw strong performances from Maitree Maitree and Pepsi Pomdi, who secured key wins, while Cue Benderz responded with solid play from JM Ellama and Reno Acade, as both sides split the set 2-2.
The seesaw battle continued into the next sets. Back Straight Boyz’s Maitree and Lar Wongpanya combined well in the opening Partners 8-Ball set, while Jack Unsa and Wongpanya added individual wins. However, Cue Benderz kept pace as Ellama and Acade responded with key victories, with Ellama and Burth Dacumos carrying the momentum through the remaining frames. After another split in the second Partners 8-Ball set, the match remained tied at 6-6.
The turning point came in the final Partners 8-Ball frame, where Ellama and Acade delivered under pressure to secure the decisive seventh point and seal a 7-6 victory for Cue Benderz.
The second 7-6 thriller of the night unfolded at Saipan Vegas, where No. 2 seed Kanto 10 Achievers narrowly held off Crooked Arrow 3.
The match opened in strong fashion for the Achievers, as Charis Conlu, Franklin Osin, and Oliver Gragasin controlled early Singles play. However, Crooked Arrow 3’s veteran player Ray Matsunaga prevented a sweep with a solo win, as Achievers took the set 3-1.
As the match progressed, it turned into a tight tactical battle. Crooked Arrow 3’s tandem of Matsunaga and Joe Deleon Guerrero gained momentum in the Partners segment, while Matsunaga and Mei Rengiil followed with a strong performance in the second Partners set to keep pressure on the Achievers.
Despite their efforts, Crooked Arrow 3 remained narrowly behind as the sets continued to split evenly. In the final stretch, Rengiil and Deleon Guerrero delivered in the closing Partners frame, but it was not enough as the Achievers held on for a 7-6 victory.
While the first two matches produced tight finishes, Tom Yum Shark Shooters showed why they sit atop the Ilang Ilang Division, fending off a late rally from Tom Yum Noypi 2.0 to secure an 8-5 win at Tom Yum Restaurant.
Noypi 2.0 struck first in Singles play. Despite Shark Shooters’ Christian Anastacio taking the opening game, Noypi responded with three straight wins from Jonathan Soriano, Mario Ibay, and Jerry Cepeda to lead 3-1.
In Partners play, the Shark Shooters’ depth took over. The pairings of Alexander Ayeras and Nilo Calimag, along with Elijah Villanueva and Anastacio, swept their matches with strong cue-ball control to even the score at 3-3.
Noypi 2.0 attempted a late push, with Ibay and Mario Vizcaya securing the final Partners match, but Shark Shooters had already built a commanding lead and closed out the contest, 8-5.
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.
