By James Sablan
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Variety News Staff
FOLLOWING an intense period of anticipation and recovery on the island, the 2026 Saipan Billiards Association Budweiser Open 8-Ball League made a roaring return Thursday night, with teams across the Hibiscus Division wasting no time posting decisive victories.
The standout performance of the week belonged to Ideal Sign Hustlers, who dominated Last Shot Hobbies Shark, 11-2, at Black 8 Pool Bar.
The Hustlers established control early in the opening Singles 8-Ball frames. Chester Hamoy, Roman Rodriguez, and Albert Pangilinan each secured key victories to apply immediate pressure, while Shark’s Brian Nelvis prevented a clean sweep with a gritty win as the Hustlers took the first singles set, 3-1.
If the opening singles established momentum, the doubles rounds turned the match into a clinic. The duo of Rowel “Cobra” Mariano and Jerry Tiu combined seamlessly for a commanding win, while Torres and Robert Sanciangco followed with another victory to complete a two-game sweep in the Partners 8-Ball set.
The offensive run continued with another 3-1 finish in the second Singles 8-Ball set as Hamoy and Rodriguez, along with Torres and Pangilinan, shut down any hopes of a Shark comeback. By the time Mariano and Sanciangco clinched the final Partners 8-Ball game, the Hustlers had already secured the 11-2 victory.
In the second match of the night, V.F.W. Noypi 2.0 proved too hot to handle for Black 8 Rack N Roll, cruising to a 9-4 victory.
The singles rounds featured a highly tactical battle. Rack N Roll’s Ray Matsunaga and Fel Kalen dug deep to pull off hard-fought victories over Jerry Pelano and Mark Ignacio, each leaving their opponents with three balls remaining, while Domino Antonio and Joel Buniag secured the other two games to split the opening Singles 8-Ball set, 2-2.
However, Noypi’s roster depth quickly shifted the momentum. The pairing of Mario Vizcaya and Rolando Roque caught fire in the Partners 8-Ball set, while Antonio and Pelano also delivered a steady performance as Noypi completed a clean two-game sweep to seize a 4-2 advantage.
Black 8 Rack N Roll fought to stay within striking distance, but Noypi pulled away late in the night, recording another 3-1 run in the second Singles 8-Ball set before splitting the final Partners 8-Ball games. Buniag and Ignacio eventually captured the third and deciding Partners 8-Ball game to seal the 9-4 triumph.
The third match of the night saw Black 8 Crooked Arrow 1 earn a 10-3 victory over Kanto 10 Strikers.
The match opened with both teams trading wins. Kanto 10’s Lance Deleon Guerrero and Cesar Sangalang came out on top in their respective games, but Crooked Arrow’s Rey Hermogenes and Joe Deleon Guerrero answered with victories of their own to leave the opening Singles 8-Ball set tied at 2-2.
Once the match shifted to partners play, however, Crooked Arrow established control. The tandems of Jess Guerra and Hermogenes, along with Ken Chen and Boyet Sequioco, sparked the team’s momentum with a clean sweep in the Partners 8-Ball set. That surge was followed by a 3-1 run in the next Singles 8-Ball set that further widened the gap.
Despite clinching the match early, Crooked Arrow continued to roll through the closing frames, capturing the remaining Partners 8-Ball games to complete the dominant 10-3 victory over Kanto 10.
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.
