By James Sablan
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Variety News Staff
THE tables were set ablaze with intense competitive energy during Saturday’s matches in the Ilang-Ilang Division of the 2026 SBA Budweiser Open 8-Ball League as the race for the top spot in the standings tightened across separate venues throughout the night.
At their home court at Black8 Pool Bar, Black8 Crooked Arrow 3 secured a commanding 9-4 victory over Tom Yum Shark Shooters.
The night started with both teams trading blows. Crooked Arrow’s Ray Matsunaga and Rex Tasi came out victorious, but so did Shark Shooters’ Nilo Calimag and Alexander Ayeras, splitting the initial Singles 8-Ball set evenly, 2-2.
However, the partner frames solidified Crooked Arrow’s advantage as the duo of Mei Rengil and Ralph Demapan, along with the pairing of Joe Deleon Guerrero and Rex Tasi, triumphed over their respective opponents to extend the lead, 4-2.
The second singles rotation saw Rengil, Matsunaga, and Deleon Guerrero stay hot at the table, picking up additional individual victories. The Shark Shooters fought back with a singles win from Elijah James Villanueva, but it was not enough to stop Crooked Arrow’s surge. Despite Christian Anas and Ayeras claiming the final Partners 8-Ball game, they only delayed the inevitable defeat, 9-4.
Meanwhile, at Tom Yum Restaurant, division leaders Tom Yum Noypi 2.0 defended their home turf with a strong 10-3 performance against Kanto 10 Cue Benderz.
Tom Yum Noypi 2.0 leaned heavily on their depth in the opening singles set, led by Jerry Cepeda, Jonathan Soriano, and Mark Ignacio, for a 3-1 run. Although Cue Benderz managed to fight back, splitting the initial partners set, Noypi 2.0 continued to thrive in singles play with another 3-1 run to pull ahead, 7-3.
It was all Noypi 2.0 after that, as the pairing of Ignacio and Rolando Roque, along with Sherwin Encabo and Soriano, swept the second Partners 8-Ball set, while Roque and Cepeda bagged the final partners game to secure a 10-3 victory.
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.
